The Northern Mariana Islands delivered an impressive and inspiring campaign at the 14th Oceania Swimming Championships in Fiji, returning home with four medals: two gold and two silver across the individual events.
One of the defining moments of the championships came through Isaiah Aleksenko’s outstanding performances, which saw the Northern Mariana Islands national anthem played in front of the Oceania crowd and the region’s top swimmers. Across the week, the NMI team showcased resilience, determination, and a growing presence on the international stage, while many athletes achieved personal bests and valuable international experience.
Isaiah Aleksenko
Twenty-year-old Isaiah Aleksenko was the standout swimmer for the Northern Mariana Islands, winning four medals and establishing himself among Oceania’s elite swimmers.
Aleksenko claimed silver in the Men’s 50m Butterfly with a personal best 24.60 before adding another silver medal in the Men’s 100m Backstroke, where he swam a personal best 57.39 and improved by 1.19 seconds. He then captured gold in the Men’s 50m Backstroke with another personal best of 26.4 before securing his second gold medal in the Men’s 100m Butterfly in 53.89.
In addition to his individual program, Aleksenko competed in five relays for the Northern Mariana Islands, underlining his importance to the team throughout the championships.
Remarkably, his performances came after a difficult lead-in to the competition.
“I got into a motorcycle accident, so I couldn’t really practice for a really long time. And so I just started practicing last week, so it wasn’t the best race”
Despite the challenges, Aleksenko delivered one of the strongest campaigns of the meet and remained focused on improving further.
“Thank you for supporting and believing in me. I’ll do much better the next competition, I promise.”
Maria Batallones
Maria Batallones continued to establish herself as one of the Northern Mariana Islands’ strongest breaststroke swimmers with another consistent international performance.
Batallones reached the finals in all three breaststroke events, placing 7th in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke in 1.16.77, 9th in the Women’s 50m Breaststroke final in 34.56, and 8th in the Women’s 200m Breaststroke in 2.55.01.
Swimming has long been a part of Batallones’ life, first introduced to the sport by her mother. She arrived in Fiji following strong performances at the NSW Age Group Championships in Sydney, where she achieved personal bests across all her events and placed 3rd in her age group in the 50m Breaststroke.
She also reflected proudly on her performances previous at the Pacific Mini Games in Palau.
“My finest performance would be the Pacific Mini Games that was held in Palau. I was caught by surprise with my performance when I was able to podium for all of my main events.”
Looking ahead, Batallones hopes to continue expanding her abilities across multiple strokes and events.
“My hopes for 2026 would be to keep updating my time for 50, 100, and 200 breaststroke. I would also like to discover what other strokes I am somewhat decent in and train. I would also like to diversify my races and race in strokes other than breaststroke.”
Her faith remains central to both her swimming and personal life.
“My role models include Jesus Christ, who never gave up for the sake of our sins.”
She also offered thoughtful advice to younger swimmers.
Sari Barman
Sari Barman competed in sprint freestyle and butterfly events for the Northern Mariana Islands, racing in the Women’s 50m Butterfly where she placed 34th in 33.47 and the Women’s 100m Freestyle where she finished 32nd in 1.09.30. She also competed in the Women’s 50m Freestyle and represented NMI in relay events.
Barman first discovered swimming through a friend when she was just five years old.
She credited previous Oceania competition in the Marshall Islands for helping build her confidence in international racing environments. “Smaller crowd, smaller pool, just gave me more confidence from that.”
Looking towards the future, Barman hopes to compete at even larger international events. “Make it to bigger competitions such as world championships or world junior championships”
She also shared a powerful message for younger swimmers.“The days you don’t feel like training are the days you will improve the most.”
Maria Guerrero
Maria Guerrero delivered a strong all-round campaign with several personal best performances and finals appearances.
Guerrero swam a personal best 32.37 in the Women’s 50m Butterfly before reaching the finals of the Women’s 100m Backstroke, placing 16th in 1.15.90. She also recorded a personal best 34.97 in the Women’s 50m Backstroke and competed in the Women’s 100m Butterfly final where she again achieved a personal best. In the Women’s 200m Individual Medley she placed 16th in 2.47.98.
Already experienced at the international level through the World Junior Aquatics Championships, Guerrero reflected fondly on one of the biggest moments of her career at the 2024 Micronesian Games in the Marshall Islands.
“My finest performance was in Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, the 2024 Micronesian Games. I would consider it my finest performance because I won a total of six medals, and it was when I met a lot of friends and got a lot closer with the NMI team.”
Looking ahead to 2026, Guerrero hopes to continue improving both inside and outside the pool.
“My hopes and aspirations for 2026 include that I inspire others to put their faith in Jesus Christ and use Him as a guidance and support for their race. I also hope that I renew a lot of times and I find more confidence and discipline in myself.”
Her sporting hero is legendary American swimmer Katie Ledecky. “She, in my opinion, shows that women can be extremely powerful in a sport where men get recognized more frequently.”
Nagisa Litulumar
Seventeen-year-old Nagisa Litulumar gained valuable experience at her first senior international championships in Fiji.
Competing in the breaststroke events, Litulumar placed 15th in the heats of the Women’s 100m Breaststroke in 1.31.77 and 22nd in the 50m Breaststroke in 41.58. She also contributed to two relay teams during the championships.
Litulumar trains in a hotel pool while living in Saipan and first became interested in swimming after watching her older sisters participate in the sport.
She described the Palau Mini Games as an important stepping stone in her swimming journey.
“It was a very competitive and a great experience for me as it was my first trip as a whole team and to be able to see all the fast swimmers from other countries.”
Looking ahead, Litulumar hopes to continue climbing the rankings internationally.
“My hopes and aspirations are to get faster and to be at least in the top 10 category for a race next time.”
Justin Ma
Justin Ma represented the Northern Mariana Islands in middle-distance freestyle events and multiple relay teams throughout the championships.
Ma reached the finals of the Men’s 200m Freestyle where he placed 15th in 2.08.56. He also swam a personal best 55.65 in the Men’s 100m Freestyle, competed in the Men’s 400m Freestyle in 4.43.50, and finished 26th in the Men’s 50m Freestyle in 25.27.
In open water competition, Ma joined teammate Richard Zhao in the challenging 5km event.
Mia Camacho
Mia Camacho competed across butterfly, backstroke, and freestyle events for the Northern Mariana Islands.
Her championships included the Women’s 50m Butterfly in 37.04, the Women’s 50m Backstroke where she placed 24th in 39.03, and the Women’s 100m Butterfly in 1.28.35.
Camacho also produced personal best performances in freestyle, improving by 2.21 seconds in the Women’s 100m Freestyle to swim 1.13.24 and recording another personal best of 33.11 in the Women’s 50m Freestyle.
Michael Miller
Michael Miller enjoyed a productive championship, highlighted by multiple personal best performances across sprint freestyle, butterfly, and breaststroke events.
Miller swam a personal best 27.25 in the Men’s 50m Butterfly, improving by 0.38 seconds, before dropping 4.57 seconds in the 200m Freestyle final to place 14th. He also improved in the 100m Butterfly with a personal best 1.02.17 and swam 56.12 in the 100m Freestyle.
Additional personal bests came in the 50m Breaststroke with 34.71 and the Men’s 50m Freestyle where he clocked 25.38.
Piper Raho
Piper Raho delivered one of the most emotional and resilient campaigns of the championships while representing the Northern Mariana Islands during a difficult time for her community following a devastating typhoon.
Raho competed across a demanding program that included the Women’s 50m Butterfly in 30.68, the 100m Backstroke final where she placed 11th, and the 50m Backstroke final where she finished 12th.
She placed 19th in the 100m Freestyle in 1.04.14, 15th in the 100m Butterfly in 1.15.01, swam 2.43.10 in the 200m Backstroke, and placed 14th in the 200m Individual Medley in 2.41.65. In the 50m Freestyle she placed 13th in 28.48.
Speaking after her races, Raho reflected on the significance of representing the Northern Mariana Islands during such a challenging period back home.
“It feels amazing. We’ve been going through a lot of tough times back at home. So I feel like being able to represent throughout that shows our resilience.”
She also thanked those supporting her from home.
“I would like to thank the Northern Mariana Islands for supporting me even though we just got hit by a typhoon and also thank you to my family, friends and coaches.”
Raho’s advice for younger swimmers reflected the determination she displayed throughout the championships.
“Never give up, even when you’re struggling or times get hard. Learn to love swimming and grow with it.”
Moshe Sikkel
Sixteen-year-old Moshe Sikkel gained valuable international experience across freestyle and backstroke events in Fiji.
Sikkel reached the finals of the Men’s 100m Backstroke where he placed 14th in 1.04.92. He also swam 29.09 in the 50m Backstroke, 55.59 in the 100m Freestyle, 2.24.78 in the 200m Backstroke, and 25.19 in the 50m Freestyle.
Still early in his swimming career, Sikkel contributed strongly to the relay teams while continuing to develop against Oceania’s top swimmers.
Matthew Szefler
Matthew Szefler competed in a wide range of events throughout the championships, highlighted by a 4th place finish in the Men’s 200m Butterfly in 2.29.02.
Szefler also recorded a personal best 28.52 in the 50m Butterfly and swam 5.32.09 in the 400m Individual Medley heats.
His program included the 100m Freestyle in 1.01.29, 50m Breaststroke in 36.34 after improving by 0.57 seconds, 100m Butterfly heats in 1.05.19, and the 200m Individual Medley final where he placed 16th in 2.32.62.
His versatility across butterfly, breaststroke, freestyle, and medley events highlighted his growing potential within the Northern Mariana Islands team.
Juhn Tenorio
Juhn Tenorio narrowly missed the podium in two sprint events while producing personal best performances for the Northern Mariana Islands.
Tenorio placed 4th in the finals of the Men’s 50m Backstroke with a personal best of 26.89 and also finished 4th in the Men’s 50m Freestyle final with another personal best performance.
His sprinting ability also played a crucial role in several relay teams throughout the championships.
Nagi Tenorio
Nagi Tenorio continued to build her international experience with several personal best performances in Fiji.
Tenorio swam a personal best 42.43 in the Women’s 50m Butterfly after improving by 1.86 seconds. She also competed in the 200m Freestyle in 2.49.58, placed 16th in the 100m Breaststroke with a personal best 1.32.23 after improving by 1.19 seconds, and raced in both the 50m and 200m Breaststroke events.
Her biggest improvement came in the Women’s 200m Breaststroke where she dropped an impressive 26.51 seconds to finish in 3.22.86.
Kouki Watanabe
Eighteen-year-old Kouki Watanabe competed strongly across the breaststroke events for the Northern Mariana Islands.
Watanabe reached the finals of the Men’s 100m Breaststroke where he placed 11th in a personal best 1.08.02. He also reached the finals of the Men’s 50m Breaststroke, placing 15th after improving by 0.21 seconds, and achieved another personal best while finishing 8th in the 200m Breaststroke final.
Despite his strong results, Watanabe remained self-critical after the 50m Breaststroke.
“I’m very disappointed in my swim. I was planning to cut 31, but I couldn’t cut it.”
He remained focused on technical improvement and mental preparation for future races.
“I think I would like to reflect on my catch. I would like to grab the water better and I want to go in the race with a better mental mindset.”
Richard Zhao
Richard Zhao delivered an impressive endurance-based campaign in both pool and open water events.
Zhao placed 6th in the Men’s 1500m Freestyle final and swam a personal best 9.45.89 in the Men’s 800m Freestyle after improving by 5.21 seconds. His program also included the Men’s 400m Freestyle in 4.39.97, 100m Breaststroke final in 1.13.00, and 200m Breaststroke in 2.51.45.
In open water competition, Zhao placed 7th in the 5km event with a time of 1.10.04.90, finishing inside the qualifying standard while competing alongside teammate Justin Ma.
Competing in Fiji also marked Zhao’s first experience swimming in a long course pool.
“This is really a good experience to do a long course as this is my first time swimming in a long course pool. So this is a really good opportunity for me to experience.”
He also shared a motivational message for aspiring swimmers back home.
“If you want to swim, start swimming it’s never too late to start and just always believe in yourself, never give up!”
RELAY
The Northern Mariana Islands relay teams played a major role throughout the championships, demonstrating teamwork, resilience, and depth across both the men’s and women’s squads.
On Day One, the Mixed 200m Freestyle Relay team of Juhn Tenorio, Maria Batallones, Piper Raho, and Isaiah Aleksenko placed 5th in 1.42.63 while recording a personal best performance.
Day Two featured a 6th place finish in the Women’s 800m Freestyle Relay, with Maria Guerrero, Sari Barman, Piper Raho, and Maria Batallones swimming 9.54.87. Impressively setting a new National Record originally set in 2006.
The Men’s 800m Freestyle Relay team of Isaiah Aleksenko, Justin Ma, Michael Miller, and Juhn Tenorio delivered a strong performance to place 4th in 8.25.44.
On Day Three, the Women’s 400m Freestyle Relay team of Maria Batallones, Maria Guerrero, Sari Barman, and Piper Raho finished in 4.18.58.
The final day saw the Men’s 400m Medley Relay team place 5th in 4.00.40 through the efforts of Juhn Tenorio (backstroke), Kouki Watanabe (breaststroke), Isaiah Aleksenko (butterfly), and Moshe Sikkel (freestyle).
The Women’s 400m Medley Relay team also finished 5th in 4.59.10 with Piper Raho swimming (backstroke), Maria Batallones (breaststroke), Maria Guerrero (butterfly), and Sari Barman (freestyle).
OPEN WATER
The Northern Mariana Islands also featured in open water competition, where Richard Zhao finished 7th in the Men’s 5km Open Water event inside the qualifying time, while Maria Batallones and Maria Guerrero represented NMI in the Women’s 5km race.
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Across the championships, the Northern Mariana Islands showcased medal-winning performances, resilience, ambition, and a close-knit team spirit that continues to drive the nation forward on the Oceania stage.
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Thank you to Oceania Aquatics and World Aquatics continental support funding a new generation of Pacific Island reporters during these Championships, with eight trainees from Fiji and Samoa swimming federations working alongside The Reporters’ Academy to develop their skills, capture athlete stories, and share the voices of Pacific swimmers with a global audience. Photo credit to Andrea Schuster.