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Swim coach, kids garner state honors Suha Tokman of Superior Aquatics has been named coach of the year for age-group swimming. He and some of his swimmers were honored at the Oregon Swimming Top 5 Awards at Oregon State University. It was the second such honor for Tokman. He also received it in 1997. Tokman was born and raised in Turkey and swam competitively there until an injury at age 14 forced him to the sidelines for a year. During that time he undertook youth coaching. He later resumed his competitive career and competed as a backstroker for Turkey in the 1972 Munich Olympics. Tokman came to the United States in 1979 and spent 16 years coaching in Sitka, Alaska. He and his family moved to the Rogue Valley seven years ago. The state award was voted on by his coaching peers. Superior Aquatics swimmers who also garnered awards were: Jamie Buckley, Erin Ebert, James Gilmore, Kayla Haugen, Krystle Haugen, Ashley Johnson, Ryken Robbins, Tolga Tokman, Luke Tylutki and Darian Wallis. Any swimmer who turned in one of the top five times in any age-group event in Oregon received an award. Buckley, Gilmore and Chloe Beecher were all state champions. The girls freestyle relay team of Wallis, Kayla Haugen, Krystle Haugen and Jesse Bright turned in the fifth fastest time in the nation at the 11-12-year-old level. Buckley recorded the state's fastest time in the 100-meter freestyle. Tolga Tokman finished fourth in the 1,650 freestyle at the Oregon sectionals in the 12-year-old boys division. He also swam at the 2001 Turkish nationals, winning the 1,500-meter freestyle and breaking the record for his age group by 12 seconds. Tolga Tokman has been offered a spot on the national team to compete in the European Championships. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.