Most of the participants at the Oceanic Swimming Championships are formally-recognized nations (Australia, New Zealand, Fiji).
Others, however, are smaller island municipalities that while geographically connected to Oceania are politically a part of another nation that is more distant from the Oceanic region that comprise some definition of the tropical islands of the southern Pacific Ocean.
Among those offshoots who are invited to compete in the Oceanic Championships are New Caledonia, a region of France, and the American state of Hawaii, the latter of whom has announced their roster for the meet on Tuesday.
The meet has historically been dominated by the region’s two political powers, New Zealand and Australia, who in 2014 combined for 105 of the 123 total medals awarded. The team from Hawaii, however, which is usually a lineup of high school aged swimmers, has stood on the medals table often. They won 11 awards in 2014 (to rank 3rd on the medals table) and 10 in the last edition in 2012. In fact, Hawaii has won a medal at the championships every edition back to at least 2000, where future open water World Champion John Flanagan, now the head coach of the Kamehameha Swim Club in Honolulu, took silver in the 1500 free.
This year’s Championships will run from June 21st-26th in Suva, Fiji.
The roster, courtesy the Aulea Swim Club:
- BRENNAN, CAGLA . Cagla is a junior at Iolani High School and competes for Iolani Swim Club . She started swimming at six years old, and recently won the 500yd Freestyle Hawaii High School State Champs.
- KAWAKAMI, TYLER. Tyler is a freshman at Punahou HS and has been swimming for ten years. In December 2015 he won his Age Group High Point trophy at States. At the most recent Hawaii High School State Champs, he was second at States in 50 Free.
- LAWSON, MAILE. Attends Hawaii Prep Academy and swims for Kona Aquatics. Her best events being Breast and IM. Maile recently broke a 30 year old state record in the 200 yard Breast Stroke State record.. Most recently she was the overall winner in the Cinco De Mayo Open Water Swim off Kona.
- LILEIKIS, NOHEA. A freshman at Punahou HS started swimming at six years old and swims for Aulea Swim Club. Her best events are Distance Free and the 200 Backstroke. In 2015 she was selected for the USA Swimming National Diversity Camp and in 2016 she was a top 8 Senior Sectionals Finalist.
- LEE, ALBERT MENG LEE. A senior at Iolani School and member of Sun-Shine Aquatics and swimming for 10 years. His best events are the 100 and 200 Breastroke. He was selected for 2014 Select Camp and qualified for last three Jr. National winter championships. He will attend New York University in the fall.
- LEE, SUNG JE. A junior at Iolani School and a member of Iolani Swim Club has been swimming for eight years. His best events for Butterfly and Individual Medley Sprint Freestyle. His recent highlight in swimming was making his first winter junior national cut in the 200 fly. He was also a Hawaii High School State Champion in the 200 IM and 100 back.
- PETRIDES, MICHAEL. A freshman at Mid Pacific Institute has been swimming for 8 years and competes for Kamehameha SC. His best events are Distance Free and the 200 Backstroke. Mike was a finalist at the Speedo Sr. Sectionals, placed 2nd in the 2016 200 and 500 Freestyle events at high school State Champs, and was the 2015 High Point Trophy winner for his age group at age group championshiops.
- POUND, LeGRAND. She is 16 yrs old, attends Sacred Hearts Academy and swims for Kamehameha SC. Her best events are Freestyle, and she is a two time high school State Champ in both the 100 and 200 Free, and has made senior sectional times in all freestyle events and finaled at senior sectionals in both the 100 and 200 free.
TEAM OFFICIALS are:
- Head Coach STEVE BOROWSKI, Head coach of Kona Aquatics
- Team Manager BILL SAKOVICH
- Team Doctor RANDY GERBER
- Team Chaperone DAR GERBER
Go Bill!