Iolani's Eckert earns No. 1 rank

By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer

Led by Iolani sophomore Mark Eckert Jr.'s No. 1 ranking, 14 individuals and 10 relay teams from Hawai'i have been chosen on All-America teams by the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association.

Separate teams were selected for public high schools and independent schools, based on performances in meets this year.

Eckert was ranked first in independent schools and eighth overall in the 200-yard freestyle with his time of 1 minute, 39.28 seconds.

He had two other first-team citations with his sixth-fastest independent school 500 freestyle time and 11th best 100 backstroke. Eckert turned 16 on July 24 and has two more years in high school.

Iolani's Hongzhe Sun led Hawai'i numerically, earning eight individual citations and three on relay teams. In his junior year, Sun, 16, was ranked second in independent schools and seventh overall in the 100 butterfly with a time of 49.40.

Eckert and Sun have qualified for USA Swimming's Summer National championships next month in Florida, where they will compete with collegiate and Olympic athletes.

Senior Justin Lee of Hawai'i Prep and sophomore Randall Tom of Seabury Hall each won two first-team citations.

Punahou senior Nicholas Borreca, a five-gold medal winner in the state championships in 2001, missed almost the entire season with mononucleosis but came back in the final week to earn one individual and two relay honors.

Kaiser senior Ashley Swart should have made the first team in at least two events, but apparently her high school did not submit applications for her.

National Interscholastic Coaches Association

All-Americans from Hawai'i

(Name, school, grade, event, time, rank in nation among school type. All times are for 25-yard pools.)

Public school girls

First team

• Chelsea Nagata, Maui High, grade 10, 100 butterfly, 56.01 seconds (22nd in nation)
• Nicole Okuna, Waiakea, grade 12, 100 butterfly, 56.20 (26th in nation).
• Waiakea 200 medley relay (Jessica Bartolome, Cassie Ka'apu Lyons, Nicole Okuna, Tamarah Binek), 1:48.18 (22nd)
• Waiakea 400 freestyle relay (Tamarah Binek, Marlene Yafuso, Whitney Nekoba, Nicole Okuna), 3:33.49 (30th)

Honorable mention

• Tamarah Binek, Waiakea, grade 10, 50 freestyle, 24.00 (52nd)

Independent school girls

First team

• Kim Ono, Iolani, grade 12, 100 backstroke, 58.29 (18th in nation)
• Punahou 200 freestyle relay (Kristen Simunovich, Anne Richardson, Kamaile Crowell, Katie Flanagan), 1:38.26 (9th in nation)
• Punahou 400 freestyle relay (Kristen Simunovich, Marina Morie, Alison Wilson, Anne Richardson), 3:34.80 (16th)

Honorable mention

• Carly Omizo, Iolani, grade 12, 100 breaststroke, 1:06.20 (23rd in nation)
• Kamaile Crowell, Punahou, grade 10, 50 freestyle, 24.35 (27th)
• Iolani 200 medley relay (Kim Ono, Carly Omizo, Sara Ajifu, April Woo), 1:50.77 (21st)

Public School Boys

None

Independent School Boys

First team

• Mark Eckert Jr., Iolani, grade 10, 200 freestyle, 1:39.28 (1st in nation); 500 freestyle, 4:28.60 (6th in nation); 100 backstroke, 51.31 (11th in nation).
• Hongzhe Sun, Iolani, grade 11, 100 butterfly, 49.40 (2nd in nation); 100 backstroke, 50.33 (3rd in nation); 200 individual medley, 1:51.39 (5th); 100 freestyle, 46.48 (6th); 200 freestyle, 1:40.60 (7th); 100 breaststroke, 58.93 (17th); 500 freestyle, 4:35.41 (20th).
• Noa Sakamoto, Punahou, grade 10, 200 freestyle, 1:40.06 (3rd in nation); 500 freestyle, 4:31.57 (9th).
• Nicholas Borreca, Punahou, grade 12, 50 freestyle, 20.88 (5th in nation).
• Randall Tom, Seabury, grade 10, 50 freestyle, 21.23 (13th in nation); 100 butterfly, 50.98 (15th).
• Justin Lee, Hawai'i Prep, grade 12, 100 freestyle, 46.67 (12th in nation); 50 freestyle, 21.44 (20th).
• Nicholas Tyau, Punahou, grade 12, 50 freestyle, 21.53 (26th in nation).
• Iolani 200 freestyle relay (Hongzhe Sun, Mark Eckert Jr., Joshua Anaya, Pat Morrissey), 1:25.22 (2nd in nation)
• Iolani 200 medley relay (Hongzhe Sun, Daniel Toba, Mark Eckert Jr., Joshua Anaya), 1:35.98 (6th in nation).
• Iolani 400 freestyle relay (Hongzhe Sun, Joshua Anaya, Mark Eckert Jr., Kimo Yamashiro), 3:12.49 (18th in nation).
• Punahou 400 freestyle relay (Nicholas Tyau, C.J. Smith, Noa Sakamoto, Nicholas Borreca), 3:10.44 (9th in nation).
• Punahou 200 freestyle relay (Nicholas Tyau, C.J. Smith, Noa Sakamoto, Nicholas Borreca), 1:27.13 (15th in nation).

Honorable mention

• Hongzhe Sun, Iolani, grade 11, 50 freestyle, 21.51 (25th in nation).
• Drew Wallace, Punahou, grade 9, diving (17th in nation).

Hawai'i list compiled by Andy Nagata.