Tribune-Herald
Tribune-Herald
Decorated freestyle sprinter Beth Tsuha didn’t take long to strike gold at the state age group short course swimming championships.
The distance? Well, this one did take some time.
Tsuha conquered the 1,650-yard freestyle for Hilo Aquatic Club on Friday on Oahu.
The schedule for the first of four days of competition was abbreviated, but the meet kicked off with its longest race. Tsuha, a Hilo High senior and the reigning Hawaii High School Athletic Association champion in the 200, won the 1,650 for ages 17-18 with a time of 18 minutes, 39.9 seconds.
Warrior Aquatic Club’s Akemi King, a Waiakea senior, took fifth.
In a 15-16 race that went at a faster pace, Kona Aquatics’ Leahi Camacho, a junior at Kealakehe, just missed the medal stand, finishing fourth in 17:54.54.
Tsuha won her second gold of the day as a member of the girls 400 freestyle relay team, teaming with Madisyn Uekawa, Sharae Ichinose and Ginger Carlson.