The Paire goalie catches the ball, while a Matansa player attempts for a kick during their boys U14 division game in the NMIFA youth league last Saturday at the Koblerville Elementary School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

MP United Football Club got more breathing room in the boys U14 division of the 2017 NMIFA Youth Spring League after beating Shirley’s FC, 3-1, last Saturday at the Koblerville Elementary School Field.

MP United now has a 5-2-0 win-draw-loss record for a 5-point lead against TanHoldings (3-3-1), which went through a scoreless draw against Kanoa FC (1-2-3). Paire FC (0-2-4) and Matansa (2-3-2) also settled for a draw, 4-4, in the final division match last weekend.

Jon Villagomez, Dylan Kim, and Rohan Basnet scored for MP United, while Romel Mendoza gave Shirley’s (3-0-4) its lone goal in the game. Mendoza’s shot came early, as he found the back of the net in the fourth minute, giving Shirley’s the shaky lead after the first half. MP United, after being silent in the first 35 minutes of play, finally made it to the board right in the early minutes of the second half, courtesy of Villagomez’s shot in the 40th. Kim and Basnet drilled their goals in the 52nd and 62nd minute, respectively.

In the Paire-Matansa tiff, Kaden Church knocked in all four goals for the former to force the draw.

Paire used to stare a 0-3 deficit at the break after John Edward Fabia, Justin Charles Achas, and Razeff Altamirano scored for Matansa in the ninth, 20th, and 36th minute. Church then ended Paire’s drought in the 37th minute, but Matansa got the one run back off Elijah Villamero’s shot three minutes later. However, Matansa bungled the lead, while Church came to Paire’s rescue with his last two goals in a span of three minutes (65th and 68th)

Meanwhile, in the boys U17 category, MP United and TanHoldings were still neck-and-neck in the battle for the division crown.

MP United kept the top spot with its 6-0-0 mark following a 4-1 triumph over Paire last weekend at the Hopwood Junior High School Field. TanHoldings is not far behind as it improved to 5-0-1 slate after shutting down Kanoa, 3-0.

Three different players scored for TanHoldings with Anthony Fruit lighting up the board first in the 50th minute and John Paul Cruz and Mark Esalan following suit in the 57th and 71st, respectively.

MP United, on the other hand, drew a pair of goals from Sunjoon Tenorio and one apiece from Skyler Poon and Joshua Abragan. Poon scored in the 39th minute for MP United’s lone goal in the first half, while Tenorio had back-to-back shots in the 45th and 60th before Abragan closed out for the team in the 62nd. Jonah Pohl nailed the lone goal for Paire in the 47th minute.

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Saipan Swim Club’s Jinnosuke Suzuki swims in the 800m freestyle event in the 2017 SSC International Meet held last week at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Saipan Swim Club’s Jinnosuke Suzuki shattered four records in the boys 11 to 12 age groups during the 2017 SSC International Meet held last week at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool.

Suzuki started his string of record swims in the annual tournament last March 23 after clocking in at 19:04.79 in the 1, 500m freestyle event. His time was more than a minute faster than his previous personal best of 20:19:02 and over 38 seconds ahead of the old age group mark (19:43.27) that Tsunami Saipan’s Kensuke Kimura registered on July 19, 2008. The 11-year-old Suzuki posted the third best time among the nine swimmers who braved the longest race in the competition. His teammate Kento Akimaru tallied the fastest time at 17:79.95, while Palau’s Noel Keane came in at second after logging 18:05.51.

Besides the record in the 1,500m freestyle, Suzuki eclipsed two more age group marks that Kimura established and one from another Tsunami Saipan swimmer—Ryuto Yanai.

Yanai’s record fell last March 23, as Suzuki registered 2:45.87 in the 200m butterfly. Yanai’s mark of 2:52.50 was posted on May 2, 2015.

After his two record-breaking swims in Day 1 of the meet, Suzuki returned to the pool last Friday and timed in at 9:45.51 in the 800m freestyle to crush the eight-year-old record of Kimura. The SSC swimmers defeated Kimura’s mark set on April 3, 2009 by nearly 20 seconds. Suzuki was the first finisher in the 16-lap event, beating brother Lennosuke (9:56.61), fellow SSC swimmers Jin Ju Thompson (11:33.80), and Taiga Sato (10:27.64), and Palau’s Osisang Chilton (10:51.77), and Klei Andreas (12:17.80).

Then in the 400m freestyle event, the younger Suzuki submitted 4:46.50 to surpass the 4:52.68 that Kimura made on Feb. 6, 2009. Suzuki’s time was ranked No. 5 among the 21 swimmers who completed the eight-lap swim and he was second in his age group behind 14-year-old and Palau bet Keane (4:33.82).

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Mariana Resort’s J.R. Lifoifoi, left, is fouled by Best Deal/RNV Construction’s Rudy Barrios during the third quarter of their semis game in the JEM/Mobil caging last Wednesday night at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The stage has been set for the title showdown between TanHoldings and Mariana Resort as they eased their way to the finals of the JEM Company Ltd./Mobil Customer Appreciation Basketball League.
Mariana Resort booked the first finals ticket after pounding Best Deal/RNV Construction last Wednesday, 141-71, while TanHoldings also coasted past McDonald, 96-67, to arrange the championship duel of the two undefeated teams in the league.
Both Mariana Resort and TanHoldings got off to a good start, giving their respective opponents little chances to pull off an upset against the Top 2 seeds in the playoffs.

Marianas Resort dropped 31 points just in the first quarter to take a double-digit lead, 31-16, and kept going in the last three periods, showing no mercy against the depleted crew of Best Deal/RNV. Best Deal/RNV played without some of its key players, led by Ronald Rueda, who scored 34 points in his last game this season as he left the island four days before they dueled Mariana Resort in the semis.

Without Rueda, Andy Mortos single-handedly carried Best Deal/RNV as he scored a game-high 41 points. However, that proved to be not enough against the young guns of Mariana Resort, who drew double figures from seven players, while only Rey Alfonso backed up Mortos with his 13 markers.

Prince Factor led Mariana Resort’s well-oiled offense with his 27 markers, Mel Sakisat chipped in 19, and Frank Lifoifoi and Carlo Prado contributed 17 and 14, respectively. Jun Fidelino, Arthur James, and J.R. Lifoifoi chipped in 13 each for Mariana Resort, which played no let up on offense, peppering the hapless with 13 triples. Mariana Resort was so unforgiving that it finished off Best Deal/RNV by knocking three straight treys in the closing minutes of the match.

In the other semis game, TanHoldings also established a double-digit lead early, 26-14, and never looked back, as it finally ended McDonald’s hopes for a finals appearance. McDonalds, before falling short in its finals bid, booted out two higher-seeded foes to make it to the Final Four.

Douglas Schmidt drilled 9 points in the first quarter to put TanHoldings on top by 12, while the rest of his teammates made their contributions in the succeeding periods to oust McDonalds.

Schmidt finished with a game-high 19 markers, while Bart Demapan added 16, and Elmer Esdrelon and R.J. Nonato registered 14 and 12, respectively. McClain Achas had 16 to pace McDonald’s, which was held to no more than 19 points in the first three periods to fall behind all throughout the match.

Meanwhile, Game 1 of the best-of-three title series between TanHoldings and Mariana Resort will be played tonight.

First Game
Mariana Resort 141— Factor 27, Sakisat 19, F. Lifoifoi 17, Prado 14, Fidelino 13, James 13, J.Lifoifoi 13, Kani 8, Kitani 5, Ermitanio 4.

Best Deal/RNV 71 — Mortos 41, Alfonso 13, Cayanan 7, Nabal 5, Doseo 5, Barrios 2.

Scoring by quarters: 31-16, 70-41, 100-56, 141-71.

Second Game
TanHoldings 96 — Schmidt 19, Demapan 16, Esdrelon 14, Nonato 12, Matsutaro 9, Duenas 9, Quizon 3, Villamena 2.

McDonald’s 67 — Mc. Achas 16, Gaspar 15, Gapor 11, Mi. Achas 8, Macaranas 6, C. Achas 6, Ladra 2, J. Achas 2.

Scoring by quarters: 26-14, 53-32, 71-46, 96-67.

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Paire Football Club and Shirley’s FC are still perfect in the 2017 Dove Women’s Spring League following their respective wins last Sunday at the Chacha Oceanview Middle School Field.

Paire is unbeaten in six games and holds a 5-1-0 win-draw-loss record after shutting down MP United-TanHoldings in their Division A match, 7-0. Jeraldine Castillo, Guinevere Borja, and Angel Sally scored two goals apiece in Paire’s easy victory. Krizel Tuazon contributed one goal in the team’s domination of MP United-TanHoldings.

Sally and Castillo made all their goals in the first half, with the former hitting the board in the 14 th and 20th minute and the latter having back-to-back goals in the 21st and 23rd. Borja also earned two straight goals knocking in her first in the 43rd and the last in the 48th, while Tuazon scored earlier in the 17th minute.

With the victory, Paire kept its distance against Kanoa, which improved to a 3-0-2 mark following a 3-2 triumph over Shirley’s. Mary Kay Alferos drilled all three goals for Kanoa, starting her streak in the sixth minute and making her last two goals in the 32nd and 57th. Marielle Gariguez posted the lone goal for Shirley’s, which is at the bottom of the team standings with its 0-2-4 mark. MPU-TanHoldings is at third place with its 1-1-3 slate.

In Division B, Shirley’s is on top with its 4-0-0 card after a nosing out Kagman last weekend, 1-0.

Nicole Loste logged the only goal for Shirley’s, which is two wins ahead of MP United (2-1-0) and Kagman (2-0-2).

MP United remains a threat to Shirley’s after beating Kanoa, 5-1.

Misaki Suemasu canned a pair of goals for MPU, while Julia Ishikawa, Kye Tamm, and Maaya Sato contributed one apiece. Christine Beceril made the only goal for Kanoa (0-1-4).

Idle Paire completes the Division B field and holds a 0-2-2 record.

Meanwhile, three games were played in the Masters division with TanHoldings dueling MP United-2 in the opener and Matansa-Kanoa and MP United-1-Topnotch scheduled to play in the last two matches. Results of the games are not recorded as matches are non-competitive ones.

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Tsunami Saipan’s Isaiah Aleksenko swims in the 50m backstroke event during last month’s 2017 Saipan Swim Club International Meet at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Swimmers dominated the roster of Northern Marianas Sports Association’s awardees for March.

Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan’s Isaiah Aleksenko and Ashley Dangol took the NMSA/Tan Siu Lin Foundation Student Athletes of the Month plums, while Northern Mariana Islands Swimming Federation board member Carol Lynn Pierce was named Female Athlete of the Month.

Aleksenko got the March honors after his outstanding performance in the Tokyo Junior Sprint 2017 and in the 2017 Saipan Swim Club International Meet. The 10-year-old swimmer won a gold medal in the 50m freestyle event of the short course tournament in Japan held last March 4 and 5 and also made it to the finals of the 100m individual medley. Aleksenko went on to win the Most Outstanding Swimmer award in his age group in the Tokyo Sprint—a first for the club and a CNMI swimmer.

In the SSC meet, which also featured swimmers from Guam, Palau, and Pohnpei and was held from March 23 to 25, the Tsunami Saipan member also made history by setting eight records in the boys 9 to 10 age group. He earned age group marks in the 50m, 100, and 200m freestyle, 50m, 100m, and 200m butterfly, and 50m and 100m backstroke en route to getting the high-point award in the division.

Aleksenko’s fellow Tsunami Saipan member—Dangol—was in the same tournament in Tokyo and brought home two medals. She finished first in the girls 10’s 50m butterfly and second in the 100m IM.

In the SSC tournament, Dangol was the high-point winner in the 9 to 10 division, but the highlight of her performance in last month’s competition was her records in five events—50m and 100m backstroke and 50m, 100m, and 200m butterfly. The Tsunami Saipan swimmer also also joined the SSC Ocean Swim and ruled her age group.

Meanwhile, Pierce got the Female Athlete of the Month award after logging 104.75 miles in the “Saipan Polar Bear Swim” that concluded last March 21. The series of swims—both pool and open water—was organized by Dolphin Swim Club and is patterned after the program of Dolphin Club San Francisco at the San Francisco Bay.

Completing the March honor roll was bodybuilder Enrico Valdez, who took the Male Athlete of the Month award for topping the 3rd Marianas Muscle Bodybuilding and Physique Competition.

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CNMI U16 National Team’s Joshua Abragan, left, and Thaiphi Austria close in on Kanoa FC’s Rodwealth Espana during their Division 1 game in the M-League last Sunday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Hawaiian Rock and the CNMI U16 National Team scored two goals apiece to win their respective debuts in the Division 1 of the M-League last Sunday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field.

Trey Dunn and Suguru Takahashi scored for Hawaiian Rock, which shut down TanHoldings in the third match in the division. Dunn drew first blood with his shot in the 45th minute, while Takahashi found his target three minutes later.

In the second game, Thaiphi Austria knocked in the go-ahead goal for the CNMI U16 in the 44th minute to lift the Teen Ayuyus to a 2-1 triumph over Kanoa FC. Joshua Abragan made the other goal for the CNMI U16 with his coversion in the 29th minute.

Kanoa dropped its debut despite hitting the board first off Ben Poon’s goal in the eighth minute.

In other results in Division 1, MP United eased past Sun Palace, 5-0.

Northern Mariana Islands Football Association technical director Michiteru Mita debuted in the M-League and powered MP United to the lopsided victory after drilling a hat trick. He logged his goals in succession and all were made in the second half, which started with MP United just up by one. Young Ju Lee recorded MP United’s first goal in the 25th minute, while Evan Belcher had the team’s last in the closing stage of the second half.

DIVISION 2
Kanoa 4, Women’s NT 2
In the first game in the division last Saturday, Kanoa topped the CNMI Women’s National Team.

Ian Maniago nailed a pair of goals for Kanoa, while Kirt Andon and Taka Borja chipped in one apiece. Maniago scored first for the winning squad with his shot in the eighth minute, while Andon had his lone goal seven minutes later. Kanoa made it three in a row in the first half when Maniago got his second goal in the 20th minute, while Taka handed the squad a 4-0 advantage with his shot in the opening minute of the second half.

As for the Women’s NT, Guinevere Borja finally broke the team’s silence in the 50th minute, while Bernadette Horey earned one more for the losing squad in the 55th minute.

Shirley’s-2 3, Matansa 1
Jack Phan registered two goals to lift Shirley’s-2 to a victory over Matansa.

Phan recorded his first goal in the 12th minute and the second in the 38th. Hoin Ryu scored the other goals for Shirley’s in the 20th minute, while Matansa avoided a shutout, thanks to Anamul Haque’s shot in the 43rd.

Shirley’s-1 2, KFAS 2
In the first game in the division, Shirley’s-1 and Korean Football Association on Saipan settled for a draw.

Gota Kawakami posted the pair of goals for Shirley’s-1 with his first coming in the 25th minute and the second in the final half of the match. Edwin Kim duplicated Kawakami’s feat to help KFAS force the standoff.

Meanwhile, Sun Palace won its debut via default as the Thundercats failed to field enough players for the 8 vs 8 game. The Thundercats had only four players available for its first game of the season.

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TanHoldings’ Lerio Pagarao, left, stretches for a layup after slipping past the defense of Mariana Resort’s Sandrew Kani during the deciding Game 3 of their title series in the JEM/Mobil caging last Wednesday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

TanHoldings survived a scare from Mariana Resort, 91-88, in the deciding Game 3 of their title series in the JEM Company Ltd./Mobil Customer Appreciation Basketball League last Wednesday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

Returning from the Game 2 suspension, Lerio Pagarao made three pressure-packed free throws to save the day for TanHoldings, which led by as much as 15 points in the fourth quarter only to be threatened in the homestretch by the hard-fighting Mariana Resort.

Mariana Resort put the spectators of the do-or-die game at the edge of their seats as it tied the match at 88-all, after Jun Fidelino, who also came out of the Game 2 suspension, scored 5 straight points off a triple and another long jumper.

The deadlock was recorded at the last 13.2 seconds of the game and with no timeout left, TanHoldings went for the quick inbound with Pagarao on the finishing end and fishing for a foul on Frank Lifoifoi. Lifoifoi took the bait, sending Pagarao to the foul line where he nailed his first charity to give TanHoldings the shaky lead, 89-88. He missed the second free throw, but fortunately, Lifoifoi touched the ball last before it rolled out to the baseline as the latter battled the rebound against TanHoldings’ Elmer Esdrelon.

TanHoldings regained possession down to the final 8.5 seconds and with the clock ticking after the inbound play, Mariana Resort’s Prince Factor was forced to foul Pagarao. The TanHoldings player this time went perfect at the stripe, as both of his attempts hit nothing but the bottom of the net.

After Pagarao’s clutch charities, Mariana Resort had to inbound from the backcourt as it was out of timeout, too. Fidelino then received the pass from Mel Sakisat, but was quickly hounded by two TanHoldings defenders and fell on the ground. The ball rolled to the sideline, but it was touched last by Demapan so Mariana Resort kept the possession with 2.9 seconds remaining in the game. The time left proved to be not enough for Mariana Resort to pull up for a shot, as after Sakisat’s inbound, Frank Lifoifoi dribbled once and then kicked the ball out to Fidelino, who unloaded a triple from the right corner and missed after the final buzzer had already sounded.

TanHoldings saved the win and took the championship despite playing without its top gunner Douglas Schmidt, who was still nursing a sprain he sustained in their Game 2 loss last Monday.

Pagarao, who sat out in Game 2 after getting involved in a bench-clearing scuffle in Game 1, stepped up in place of Schmidt, scoring 24 points. Bart Demapan paced TanHoldings with his 26 markers, while Jarett Matsutaro, who was also suspended in Game 2, did his share, too in the win, adding 13. R.J. Nonato and Esdrelon made 14 apiece to complete TanHoldings’ box scores.

With TanHoldings’ balance offense, it opened a double-digit spread at halftime, 50-39. However, Mariana Resort moved within a deuce past the halfway mark of the third period, 57-59, as Sandrew Kitani, J.R. Lifoifoi, and Factor teamed up in the rally.

Sensing trouble, TanHoldings sued for time and when the game resumed it had a 13-3 windup to bring its lead back to twin digits. Pagarao tallied 5 markers in that surge and TanHoldings got several points from the foul line to widen the gap, entering the final canto.

TanHoldings went on to establish its biggest lead in the game, 79-64, after winning the exchange, 7-3, in the opening minute of the fourth period. However, Mariana Resort slowly trimmed the lead down with Carlo Prado starting the rally with a triple and J.R. Lifoifoi, Sakisat, and Factor also contributing in the recovery.

Mariana Resort sliced the deficit to two twice, but baskets from Matsutaro and Nonato prevented the eventual runner-up from grabbing the lead. Nonato’s point-blanked shot off an entry pass from Pagarao gave TanHoldings an 88-83 lead, 48.6 seconds left in the game.

However, that was the last field goal for TanHoldings as it turned the ball over twice, allowing Mariana Resort to even up the count before Pagarao came to the former’s rescue.

TanHoldings 91— Demapan 26, Pagarao 24, Nonato 14, Esdrelon 14, Matsutaro 13.

Mariana Resort 88 — Fidelino 23, Sakisat 15, Prado 13, J. Lifoifoi 12, Kani 11, Factor 10, F. Lifoifoi 2, James 2.

Scoring by quarters: 19-18, 50-39, 72-60, 91-88.

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Marianas High School’s Luther Lizama hits the ball against two Grace Christian Academy blockers during Game 1 of their title match in the 2016-2017 Public School System Volleyball Tournament held over the weekend at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Marianas High School’s varsity team fought out of the loser’s bracket and emerged as the winner in the boys division of the 2016-2017 Public School System Volleyball Tournament held over the weekend at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

The Dolphins completed their recovery in the double-elimination competition by defeating Grace Christian Academy in Games 1 and 2 of the finals. The Eagles had a twice-to-beat in the championship round after sweeping their first three games and getting the first finals berth.

In Game 1, MHS and GCA went neck-and-neck in the early part of the first and second sets, but the Dolphins proved to be steadier in the homestretch to pull off a 25-19, 25-17 victory and set a rubber.

In the deciding Game 2, which was played 10 minutes after Game 1 and served as MHS’ fourth straight match last Saturday, the Dolphins showed little signs of exhaustion as they cruised to a 25-14 win in the opening set and moved closer to the title.

Then in the second set, fatigue started to take its toll on MHS, as Luther Lizama, Troy Ngirarois, and Benjami Seman hit wide shots and the rest of their teammates were a step slower in receiving the ball. The Eagles, on the other hand, seemed to have found their form with the championship on the line, as Allan Hinson and Eun Syu Hahn alternately soared for several spikes with Matthew Mamaril setting them up.

With the exchanges in the net favoring GCA, the Eagles built an 8-3 lead, forcing MHS to call an early timeout. After the brief lull, GCA still kept its momentum, while the Dolphins committed a couple of service errors and setting violations, allowing the Eagles to take a 13-7 advantage.

This time, MHS did not press the panic button, and Lizama and company regrouped with the lanky player’s spike over Hahn and Hinson tying the game, 14-all. GCA then regained the upper hand after winning the short exchange, 19-15, prompting MHS to call another timeout.

The Dolphins then fought back after the break and moved within one, 20-21. It was a close battle from thereon with the second set tied for the last time at 23-all, after Hahn’s spike slipped off Ngirarois’ hands.

GCA got the ball back with Mamaril serving and MHS received it before setting up Lizama for the kill with the leather passing in between two Eagles defenders and dropping to an unguarded spot at the center of GCA’s court. Lizama went on to finish off the Eagles with another booming spike that this time dropped to the backline with a GCA player receiving it, but his return went wide to the sideline.

GCA advanced to the finals first after beating Tinian High School in the winner’s bracket semis, 25-12, 15-21. Tinian dropped to the loser’s bracket and battled MHS for the last finals ticket. The Dolphins denied Tinian for the second time after posting a 25-18, 25-20 triumph. Before facing Tinian, MHS lost to GCA in the quarterfinals of the winner’s bracket, 25-18, 25-21, and had to beat Mt. Carmel School, 25-16, 25-22, and MHS junior varsity, 25-23, 24-26, 15-7, to keep its finals hopes alive.

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A Braves batter removes dirt from his shoes before stepping to the plate during their first round game against the Comets in the Junior League division of the 2017 Saipan Little League Baseball at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Comets and Braves posted contrasting victories to remain in the Top 3 in the team standings in the Junior League division of the 2017 Saipan Little League Baseball.

The Comets outlasted the Falcons, 7-6, in the first game last Saturday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield, while the Braves blanked Bank of Saipan in the second match, 18-0.

The Falcons-Comets tiff went to three extra innings with the latter getting the go-ahead run at the top of the 10th inning as J.P. Castro’s single drove in leadoff batter Terrance Changar. The Comets kept the precarious lead when pitcher Sab Saures fanned out the Falcons first batter Jericho James and the third and fourth, leaving Crucifio Pangelinan stranded at second.

The Comets took the close victory as they shut down the Falcons from the sixth to 10th inning. Before going cold, the Falcon clung to a 6-5 advantage after four complete innings, while the Comets equalized at the top of the fifth with Zep Limes reaching home off a passed ball.

With the win, the Comets improved their record to 5-2, tying the Falcons for first place (pending results of last Sunday’s games) and boosting their chances for the pennant.

Also in the race for the pennant are the Braves, who now have a 5-3 card following their demolition of Bank of Saipan.

Tony Dizon threw a two-hitter in five innings to clobber Bank of Saipan (2-5). He also recorded nine strikeouts in the easy victory.

The Braves were never threatened in the shortened game, finding their form in the second inning after being held to one run in the first. The Braves added six runs in the third—two of them were courtesy of J.P. Celis’ single—and after being silent in the fourth inning the Braves recovered with a seven-run top of the fifth.

At the bottom of the fifth, Bank of Saipan had a good chance to end its drought as it loaded the bases. However, Dizon struck out the next three batters to deny Bank of Saipan a single run.

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Members of the CNMI U15 Girls National Team pose for a photo after the send-off ceremony yesterday at Kanoa Resort. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Commonwealth youth players’ exposure to international competition continues as the CNMI Girls U15 National Team leaves for China this weekend to see action in the EAFF U15 Girls Tournament 2017.

Twenty-one players are selected on the CNMI youth squad that will play in the East Asian Football Federation-organized event from April 15 to 22 at the Jinshan Sports Center in Shanghai. Co-captains Jerlyn Castillo and Julianne Hall will lead the team, which also has goalies Irish Viray and Theresa Toves, Princess Alcantara, Kyla Mei Tuazon, Esther Jones, Khristelle Itaas, Therese Millare, Lilian Podziewski, Paulynn Joyce, Valeria Myers, Katrina Costales, Joannah Carreon, Jannah Casarino, Leisha Sally, Francesa Bucalig, Sharmaine Francisco, Hannah Santos, and Patricia Surima as members. Olympian Luem KhenKoo will coach the squad and will be assisted by Chi Ming Tang, while CNMI Women’s National Team member Mikky Vargas and Yu Hung Lee are the manager and team manager, respectively. Completing the CNMI delegation is physiotherapist Pam Carhill.

“This tournament is another great opportunity for the girls to see and learn how other countries and players of their age play. Every time they go out of Saipan, it’s a chance for them to see how a game is played outside and find out what they can do to be in that level,” Koo said in an interview with Saipan Tribune during a send-off ceremony for the team yesterday at Kanoa Resort.

The CNMI is in Group C of the tournament that has three pools. It will play Shanghai Jinshan District U15 Team on April 16 and Chinese-Taipei on April 18. The Commonwealth players will also face Group B’s Mongolia on April 20. Mongolia is joined by Hong Kong and Guam in Group B, while Group A or the Group of Death has China, Japan, North Korea, and South Korea.

“I think we have a pretty good chance against Mongolia because the girls continue to improve and show a lot of promise during the training sessions,” Koo added.

Players selected on the team have been training since last year as they have been part of the CNMI Girls U16 pool. When announcement of the EAFF U15 tournament was made, the squad was formed and players who made the cut trained together early this year. They practice four times a week.

Meanwhile, NMIFA Executive Committee member Norman Del Rosario was among the well-wishers of the Commonwealth youth players and he delivered a brief message to the squad in absence of NMIFA president Jerry Tan and vice president Vickie Izuka.

“I am a member of a team and rely on the team. I defer to it and sacrifice for it because the team not the individual is the ultimate champion,” Del Rosario said in reference to the quote of U.S. National Team’s Mia Hamm. “Encourage each other all the time and always give your 100% until the final whistle.”

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A TanHoldings Football Club player, right, kicks the ball in front of a Kanoa-2 defender during their game in the co-ed U12 division of the NMIFA youth league last Saturday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Two more division championships were won in the 2017 NMIFA Youth Spring League with TanHoldings securing the co-ed U12 crown and MP United notching the boys U14 title.

TanHoldings reigned supreme in the co-ed U12 division as it finished the two-round robin competition with a 6-2-2 win-draw-loss record. It put icing on the cake after crushing Kanoa FC-2, 11-1, last Saturday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field.

Angelo Pulito and Anthony John Bergancia capped TanHoldings outstanding showing this season as they scored three goals apiece. Mark Joseph Roque added two, while Harry Chrisrian Domulot, Ariel Narvaez, and Anthony Austria contributed one each for TanHoldings, which earned 19 points in 10 games for a two-point lead against runner-up MP United.

MP United, which took the co-ed U12 crowns in the spring of 2015 and 2016, faltered on its three-peat bid after wrapping up this season with a 5-2-1 mark and 17 points.

Right behind MP United was fall season champion Kanoa FC-1, which ended its campaign last Saturday with a 9-6 triumph over Matansa. Kanoa-1 earned a 5-1-2 record and 16 points. Sean Gil, Jim Kurt Maniago, and Andrew Sablan scored two goals apiece in their final game for Kanoa-1 this season, while John Mark Anastacio, Daniel Mar Pablo, and Rodgel Mangalao chipped in one each.

Matansa, which is at fourth spot with its 1-0-6 slate, drew hat tricks from Alex Megino and Jin Wen Xin. Matansa has one more game this season, as it plays Kanoa-FC 2 on April 22. Kanoa FC-2, whose lone goal against TanHoldings last weekend came from Leland Isaiah Deleon Guerrero, is still winless in seven games.

Meanwhile, MP United claimed the boys U14 championship after forcing a draw against TanHoldings last Saturday at the Hopwood pitch.

Chris Kim made the crucial equalizer for MP United in the 24th minute, while Richard Waldo scored the lone goal for TanHoldings in the third.

MP United improved to a 6-3-0 record with one game left in the double-round robin contest, while TanHoldings also has one remaining match, but since it fell to a 4-4-1 slate after the draw, the latter could no longer catch the former and share the top spot in the six-team field. MP United will play Kanoa in its last game set for April 22, while TanHoldings will collide against Paire.

With MP United bagging the boys U14 title and TanHoldings winning the co-ed U12 to join girls U15 champion Shirley’s FC to the Promised Land, only one division crown is at stake—the boys U17.

In other results in the boys U14 division last Saturday, Matansa shut down Kanoa, 3-0, while Shirley’s got a free win (forfeit over Paire).

Lolobeyong Benito had a pair of goals, while John Edward Fabia tallied one for Matansa, which is in fourth place in the team standings with it 3-3-3 card. Kanoa is ranked fifth with its 2-2-4 ark. Shirley’s is slightly ahead of Matansa after improving its mark to 4-0-5, while Paire is still winless at 0-2-7.

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Sean Lee makes a backhand return to Seong Eon Heo during the first set of their boys U14 singles game in the 2017 CNMI Junior Tennis Championships last Saturday at the American Memorial Park courts. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The top-ranked players in the 2017 CNMI Junior Tennis Championships lived up to high expectations as they survived the opening week of the competition at the American Memorial Park courts.

Robbie Schorr, who is seeded No. 1 in the boys U18 singles, slipped past Ken Song in three sets yesterday, 6-0, 3-6, 6-4, to move into the finals against Michael Ren. Song arranged a semis duel against Schorr following a 6-0, 6-4 triumph over Steve Goodwin last Saturday.

The unranked Ren, on the other hand, downed Tony Kim in his first game, 6-2, 6-1, and then pulled off an upset over No. 2 Vincent Tudela, 6-3, 7-6 (7) in the semis to set up a title duel against Schorr.

Other top seeds who boosted their championship bids in the singles events were JC Ferrer, Daniel Kang, Isabel Heras, and Sean Lee.

Lee advanced to the semifinals of the boys U14 singles after shutting down Seong Eon Heo last Saturday, 6-0, 6-0. Heo earned the right to face the No. 1 seed in the quarterfinals after eliminating Jun Wang, 6-2, 6-4. Lee’s semis foe is Eugene Park, who ousted Rintaro Miyawaki, 6-1, 6-0, in the other Round of 8 match at the upper half of the bracket.

At the lower half of the 11-player draw, it will be Richard Steele versus the No. 2 rank Sam Ryu. Steele marched into the Final Four after beating Jaehoon Son, 6-0, 6-0, and Andy Kim, 6-0, 6-2. Ryu made it to the semis following a 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Hyunmin Cho—a 6-4, 6-4 winner against Seung Won Lee in the opening round.

In the boys U12, Kang eased his way to the semis after drawing a bye in the first round and winning over Brandon Lee via walkover. Kang will be pitted against No. 3 Jae Yun Jung, who knocked out Park, 7-5, 6-4. The other semis pairing will have the No. 4 seed Andrew Chung facing the unranked Jiwoong Kwon. Chung eked out a 6-4, 7-5, 10-8 victory against Danny Lee to book a semis ticket, while Kwon eliminated Ming Gi Jung, 7-5, 6-0, and then stunned No. 2 seed Anthony Gregoire, 6-1, 6-3, to complete the Final Four cast in the division.

In the girls U12 singles, Ferrer headlines the semifinalists as she got a bye in the opening week and automatically moved into the Final Four opposite Helen Kim—a 6-0, 6-0 winner over Olivia Hwang. Yejin Son and Hye Jin Elliot also qualified in the semifinals after downing Ashley Choi, 6-0, 6-0, and No. 2 Annika Camacho, 6-4, 6-3, respectively.

In the girls U18 singles, the favored Heras went 2-0 in the round-robin contest to remain in the title contention. She first defeated Malika Miyawaki, 6-3, 6-3, and then also swept Grace Choi, 6-1, 6-4. Heras will be dueling Tania Tan this weekend to determine the champion in the division. Tan has a perfect record, too, having beaten Choi last Saturday, 6-1, 6-0, and Miyawaki yesterday, 6-4, 6-4.

Meanwhile, results in other singles and the complete doubles events will be reported later this week.

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Andrew Chung serves to Danny Lee during their boys U12 singles game in the 2017 CNMI Junior Tennis Championships last Saturday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Three pairs made it first to the winner’s circle of the 2017 CNMI Junior Tennis Championships.

Andrew Chung and Min Gi Jung prevailed in their one-on-one showdown against David Kwon and Danny Lee for the boys U12 doubles title last Sunday, 6-0, 7-5, at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

In the boys U14 age group, there was also a head-to-head match between Eugene Park and Sam Ryu and Hyun Min Cho and Andy Kim with the first pair surviving the three-set game. Park and Ryu took the opening set 6-3, but missed a sweep after dropping the closely fought second set, 5-7. Then in the deciding super-tiebreaker third set, the eventual champions regained their bearings and pulled off an 11-9 triumph.

While Ryu and Park labored their way to the title win in their division, Tania Tan and Malika Miyawaki experienced the opposite, as they eased past Mimi Sakano and Ami Tsukagoshi, 6-0, 6-1.

Meanwhile, the boys U18 doubles crown will be contested by the pairs of Robbie Schorr and Ken Song and Vincent Tudela and Steven Goodwin after they downed similar foes in the opening week of the tournament.

Goodwin and Tudela were the first ones to top Andy Cho and James Kim after recording a 6-0, 6-0 victory last Saturday. Then last Sunday, it was Song and Schorr’s turn to beat Cho and Kim, 6-1, 6-1. The boys U18 doubles title will be disputed this weekend.

In other results in Week 1 of Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association’s last local competition for the 2016-2017 season, Hoo Wang and Nason Wassel boosted their chances to win the girls and boys U10 singles crowns after prevailing in their respective games last weekend.

Wang finished Week 1 of the round-robin contest in the girls U12 singles with a 2-0 record after defeating Dana Lee, 8-4, and Soarin Oh, 9-7. She will go for the sweep and the division title against La Mee Lam this weekend. Oh has yet to play in the tournament, while Oh saw action in two games, winning her other match against Lee, 8-1.

In the boys U12 singles, Wassel outclassed Sam Cope, 8-2. Wassel will duel La Hunn Lam this weekend and another victory will give the former the division championship.

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Ali’i/Blue Haus’ Elmer Esdrelon, right, sneaks in and tries to steal the ball from SSFM’s Andrew Ashburn during the second quarter of their game in the San Antonio caging last Saturday at the San Antonio court. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Ali’i/Blue Haus and Stephen’s Pawnshop earned double-digit winning margins in their respective games in the 2017 San Antonio Summer Basketball League last Saturday at the San Antonio court.

Ali’i/Blue Haus bounced back from a slow start to overhaul a 14-point deficit and steal the victory from SSFM in the nightcap, 90-80, while Stephen Pawnshop had a second-quarter assault for a 91-73 win against Marianas Variety in the curtain-raiser.

Stephen’s Pawnshop was just ahead by a hair at the end of the first period, 16-15, when it stepped on the gas in the second to build a 48-32 halftime advantage. Sean Rabasto led Stephen’s Pawnshop’s surge in the second frame, as he scored 14 of his 21 points in that canto. James Abuy contributed two triples in that run, while three other Stephen’s Pawnshop players added at least two field goals apiece.

It was cruise control from thereon for Stephen’s Pawnshop, as Ernest Duenas, Jack Aranda, and Gerald Flores took over in the second half en route to the team’s 18-point victory.

Flores, Rabasto, and Duenas combined for 64 points for Stephen’s Pawnshop, while Aranda and Abuy also finished in twin digits with 15 and 12, respectively.

In the second game, Ali’i/Blue Haus once stared a 12-26 deficit midway in the first quarter, but managed to regroup late in that period and took control of the game in the second to remain undefeated in three matches.

SSFM caught Ali’i/Blue Haus flatfooted early in the game as Andrew Ashburn found his target in the opening canto, scoring 14 points in that period, including 12 straight. SSFM eventually lost its double-digit lead at the end of the first quarter, 26-21, while Ali’i/Blue Haus successfully grabbed the driver’s seat by the halftime break, 47-42.

Ali’i/Blue Haus leaned on its balance scoring to recover and survive the hot shooting of Ashburn. Five Ali’i/Blue Haus players broke into double figures, while three more added at least 8 points each. Elmer Esdrelon paced Ali’i/Blue Haus with his 17 points.

Ashburn had a game-high 29 markers, while only Dan Barcinas backed him up, chipping in 20. Jack Lizama had 12 markers, but was scoreless in the second and third periods.

First Game
Stephen’s Pawnshop 91— Flores 22, Rabasto 21, Duenas 21, Aranda 15, Abuy 12.

Marianas Variety 73 — P. Factor 18, Fitial 18, Villarin 11, A. Factor 10, Devero 7, Pineda 4, Sablan 2, Supetran 2.

Scoring by quarters: 16-15, 48-32, 73-54, 91-73.

Second Game
Ali’i/Blue Haus 90 — Edrelon 17, Peredo 12, De Dios 13, Guiab 12, Demapan 10, Barbo 9, Pagarao 8, Talania 8, Garcia 2.

SSFM 80 — Ashburn 29, Barcinas 20, Lizama 11, Palino 8, Libuw 4, Hammond 4, Santos 2, Kapileo 2.

Scoring by quarters: 21-26, 47-42, 69-58, 90-80.

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The CNMI Girls U15 National Team players huddle before their game against Shanghai Jinshan District U15 in the EAFF U15 Girls Tournament 2017 in Shanghai, China last Sunday. (Contributed Photo)

The Commonwealth’s two youth teams had mixed fortunes with the U18 training pool having a productive training camp in Guam and the CNMI Girls U15 National Team losing its debut in the EAFF U15 Girls Tournament 2017 in Shanghai, China.

The Teen Ayuyus capped their five-day training camp with a 2-0 victory over University of Guam yesterday, 2-0. Sunjoon Tenorio scored the pair of goals for the training pool, which nearly swept their training matches in Guam, winning three of their four games.

Tenorio also made all the goals for the pool in their 3-0 triumph over Wings FC Red last Sunday, while he contributed one in the Teen Ayuyus’ 6-0 demolition of Wings FC Black last April 14. Joshua Deleon knocked in a pair of goals in the pool’s first victory, while Mareko Tekopua, Alex Park, and Dai Podziewski chipped in one apiece. Quality Distributor handed the visiting squad its lone loss last Saturday, 1-0.

The pool had a training camp in Guam in preparation for its participation in the 2018 AFC U19 Championship Qualifiers, which will be held from Oct. 31 to Nov. 8 with the venues yet to be announced. The CNMI is in the East Zone of the qualifiers and will be playing in Group D against Macau, Cambodia, Brunei, and Guam. Only the top finisher in each group will qualify to next year’s finals.

Meanwhile, the CNMI U15 team bowed to Shanghai Jinshan District U15 Team, 0-7, in its first match in the EAFF competition last Sunday.

According to team manager Mikky Vargas, the Commonwealth players struggled in the bigger and grassy pitch at the Jinshan Sports Center, while the hosts capitalized on their familiarity with the field.

“Our girls had a difficult time adjusting to the size of the field and the thickness of the grass. Today (last Sunday) they played on a standard adult sized field that is much larger than the field dimensions they are used to. Also, a lot of their passes were not connecting. Because of the fullness of the grass on the field, a lot of their balls were not traveling far or fast enough and our passes were easily intercepted. The size of the field and thickness of the grass made it very difficult for the team to transition from defense to offense. It was obvious in their performance during the first couple of minutes of the game that the girls were very nervous,” Vargas said in an email sent to Saipan Tribune.

“For this match, Jinshan was definitely the stronger team. They were quick to pressure, organized in both defense and offense and had good passing quality and very strong chemistry,” Vargas added.

Despite losing their first match, Vargas said the coaching staff headed by Olympian Luam Khen Koo lauded the team’s efforts as they fought for every possession all throughout the game.

Up next for the CNMI U15 is Chinese-Taipei and Koo and company are hoping that the squad will be more relaxed and confident in the second game as it will face a much tougher team this afternoon. For its final game, the Commonwealth will duel Mongolia (on April 20).

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A peeled off portion of the flooring of the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium is shown here during a game in the Diaz youth caging yesterday. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Good news.

The repair works at the Oleai Sports Complex’s track and field facility is on schedule, while the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium will undergo the needed facelift soon.

Tony Rogolifoi, executive director of Northern Marianas Sports Association, which is in charge of the management and maintenance of the two facilities, said that the contractor doing the resurfacing work at the track is just waiting for the asphalt to dry so it can proceed with the pouring of the rubberized surface.

“I was told it will take up to 20 days to dry up the asphalt. They poured it in early this month and if I am not mistaken, we’re on the ninth day (yesterday). After that, they will begin working on the rubberized surface. The materials are all on island, so if the weather will cooperate, we will have the track back third or last week of May,” Rogolifoi said in an interview with Saipan Tribune yesterday.

After the rubberized surface is put into place, it has to be dried up, too and cleaned/flattened, while markings will be done last. The track will retain its reddish color.

As for the Ada Gym, Rogolifoi said they are just waiting for the project specification from the contractor and they are hoping to receive it before the month ends.

The NMSA executive director said the flooring of the gym will be replaced with an appropriate one—unlike the previous materials that were for household use. Materials for the new flooring are available in Guam, so it will be much easier for the contractor to bring them to Saipan.

Besides the floor, the dilapidated scoreboard will also be replaced with a new one, while leaks on the roofs will be fixed. The offices at the Ada gym will also be renovated with the floors and ceiling to undergo repairs/replacements. Completion of these improvements will take three to four months, according to Rogolifoi.

Funding for the resurfacing works at the Oleai track and the renovation of the Ada gym both came from local and federal agencies and improvements are being done in preparation for the CNMI’s hosting of the Pacific Mini Games for the first time.

The quadrennial meet will come to Saipan in 2021 and the Pacific Games Council would like to see improvements from the various sports facilities on island a few years before the competition is held here.

Last year, Council president Vidhya Lakhan and executive director Andrew Minogue had a three-day visit on Saipan to check the facilities and talk to the people involved in bringing the Mini Games to Saipan. They are expected to meet with NMSA officials and other stakeholders in December in Vanuatu to get updates on the Commonwealth’s preparation for the hosting of the 2021 event.

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Kento Akimaru rushes to the Micro Beach shore to complete last Saturday’s 2017 Escape from Managaha. (Contributed Photo)

As expected, perennial first finisher Kento Akimaru completed the 2017 Escape from Managaha ahead of the pack.

Kento clocked in at 32:55 in the 2.4-kilometer crossing from Saipan’s famous island to Micro Beach to rule the race for the eighth straight year. His time in last Saturday’s swim was also his fastest since he started dominating the swim in 2011. The Then 10-year-old Kento posted 40:04 to lead the finishers in the 2011 race. His other times were 38:09 (2012), 38:00 (2013), 36:50 (2014), 38:06 (2015), and 33:25 (2016).

Joining Akimaru in the Top 3 of last weekend’s Escape from Managaha were Jinnosuke Suzuki and Christian Villacrusis, who submitted 33:39 and 35:44, respectively. Last year’s No. 2 finisher and Jinnosuke’s brother, Lennosuke, dropped to fourth place with his 36:05, while David Boyer rounded out the Top 5 after recording 36: 37.

Forty-five out of the 47 who started the race made it to the finish line with some using fins and snorkels to complete the challenging course. The race began at 6am and cut-off time was one and a half hours with the last finisher making it to Micro Beach with about six minutes to spare.

“The event was a huge success. Despite the choppy conditions there were several first time crossers. It was a great way to start the morning,” said coach Jacoby Winkfield of the organizing Saipan Swim Club.

“The Saipan Swim club would like to thank all the volunteers who worked tirelessly to organize this year’s swim. Thanks to the Department of Public Safety, Boating Safety for the excellent protection on the water as well as rest of the safety crew who battled the choppy waters to ensure the participants made the crossing. Thank you too to Eddie Johnson and his World Resort lifeguards and the extra level of safety they add to the event,” he added.

The 2017 Escape from Managaha was among the last few races in SSC’s calendar of events for the 2016-2017 season.

Next weekend (April 29), SSS will have the 2017 Sak Sprint Meet, which will be on its second year and is being held in recognition of club founders Bil and Jeane Sakovich. The meet will run from 7am to 11am at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool.

Then from June 30 to July 2, SSC will send its swimmers to Hawaii for the 69th Keo Nakama Swim Meet that will take place in Mililani, Oahu.

“Thanks to Doug Brennan and Atkins Kroll (Saipan) Toyota whose contribution will go to supporting SSC swimmers in the 69th Keo Nakama Swim Meet. The ‘Keo’ a premier long-course meet which attracts clubs from Hawaii, U.S.mainland, and club teams worldwide,” Winkfield said.

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The Ol’Aces Elite’s Joaquin Fleming pulls up for a point-blanked shot against Agape Christian School’s Tychicus Xu during the first half of their boys U15 division game in the Diaz youth caging last Saturday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Natibu Warriors made it past the century mark to crush Agape Christian School, 104-33, in the boys U18 division game in the 2017 Francisco M. Diaz Memorial Youth League last Monday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Natibu capitalized on Agape’s lack of manpower to cruise to victory, as the latter reported for the match with only seven players. Natibu, on the other hand, was in full force and 10 of the 14 players listed on its roster scored.

With Natibu having the advantage in the number of players, it had the game in the bag right at the end of the first half after enjoying a 45-12 advantage. Natibu went on to pad its lead in the second half to hand Agape a beating.

Henry Aguon paced Natibu with his 26 points, while Jun Aguon and Rawhoo Sulap chipped in 15 and 12, respectively. Six other Natibu players contributed at least 6 points each.

Alan Zhao led Agape with his 12 markers.

In the boys U15 division, Agape also lost, as the Ol’Aces Elite posted a double-digit victory in their duel last Saturday, 54-42.

Agape showed up for the weekend match with enough players, however, the Ol’Aces Elite proved to have the better skills, as it led from start to finish to remain unbeaten in the division.

Joaquin Fleming top-scored for the Ol’Aces Elite with his 11 points and he drew enough support from his teammates, as seven of them added at least two field goals apiece.

Yang Chenxuan had 11 markers on a losing effort for Agape.

In the first game in the boys U15 last weekend, the Young Warriors defeated Kagman Rollers, 49-21.

Francisco Kumuch and Aven Evangelista stood out for the Young Warriors after logging 14 and 11 points, respectively, while no Kagman Rollers broke into double figures.

BOY U15
First Game
Young Warriors 49 — Kumuch 14, Evangelista 11, J. Norita 8, M. Norita 4, Atalig 4, Cruz , Salilin 2, Daikichy 1.
Kagman Rollers 21 — Wenio 6, J. Agulto 4, A. Agulto 4, Agustin 3, J. Cruz 2, L. Cruz 2.
Scoring by halves: 26-15, 49-21.

Third Game
Ol’Aces Elite 54 — Fleming 11, Abejo 8, Omelau 6, Laxa 6, Elchico 4, Camacho 4, Saralu 4, Oagasawara 4, Naraja 3.
Agape 42 — Chenxuan 11, Cai 9, Wang 7, S. Xu 6, T. Xu 5, Hao 2.
Scoring by halves: 26-19, 54-42.

BOYS U18
Natibu Warriors 104 — H. Aguon 26, J. Aguon 15, R. Sulap 12, Fejeran 8, T. Sulap 7, Omar 7, Kainoa 7, Malwelbug 6, Evangelista 6, Gande 4.
Agape 33 — Zhao 12, Xiong 8, Wang 7, Luke 4, John 2.
Scoring by halves: 45-12, 104-33.

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Frank “The Crank” Camacho, left, keeps his hands up to defend himself against the attack of Korean Han Seul Kim during the first round of their match in PXC 54 in July last year at the University of Guam Calvo Field House. (Pacific Xtreme Photo)

Frank “The Crank” Camacho is leaving no room for complacency even if he will be facing a relatively newcomer in Xtreme Combat’s Gun Hwan Park in next month’s Rites of Passage 21: Throwdown.

“I will approach this fight the same way I approached my previous bouts. I am having my usual preparation, getting the gym time in, drilling, and conditioning. The beauty of martial arts is not only the constant growth but also the constant search for ‘yourself.’ I need to bring back to old Crank and combine him with better fight IQ and wisdom,” said Camacho, who will be up against a new opponent as his rematch with Hyun Joo Kim did not materialize after the Korean got a better offer to fight in Japan the same weekend ROP 21 is scheduled.

Camacho and Kim met in ROP 20: Conquer in August last year with the Trench Tech bet earning a TKO win at the 3:17 mark of the opening round of their five-round bout after peppering the latter with powerful strikes.

Taking the place of Kim was his compatriot, who just started seeing action in the octagon cage in 2015. Despite his limited experience, Park boasts an impressive record of 3-1. The 6’1” Korean won his debut on the eight sides after stopping Kan Hosa via TKO (punches) at the 2:39 mark of Round 1 of their welterweight duel in Wardog Cage Fight 4 last May 31, 2015. Park then fell (TKO/punches) to fellow Korean Yul Kim in Top FC 11 in May 2016, but bounced back with two straight victories in the same Top FC event. In Top FC Dream 1, Park used a rear-naked choke on Dae Sun Hwang to get the win just 25 seconds into the fight. For his third and latest win, Park edged (unanimous decision) Jae Young Ahn in Top FC 14 in May this year.

The Korean’s strong start in his young MMA career plus his eagerness to put on a great show in his debut on Saipan in front of the partisan crowd would make Park a tough opponent, according to Camacho.

“At the end of the day, this dude is going try to whoop me up and finish me in front of my home island. He is going be behind enemy lines, I know that, and that can make opponents like him very dangerous,” said the 27-year-old fighter.

Camacho will put his 19-4 record on the line when he square off against Park in the main event of the May 26 competition that will be held at the Marianas Business Plaza’s parking lot.

Park will be the fourth Korean to challenge Camacho, who holds a 2-1 record against the former’s compatriots. Besides beating Hyun Joo Kim last year, Camacho also downed Jae Woong Kim (arm triangle choke) in the first round (4:38) of their bout in Trench Warz 18: Rock and Rumble in December 2014. Camacho’s lone loss to a Korean was courtesy of Han Seul Kim, who registered a TKO win in the first round of their match in PXC 54 in July last year.

Meanwhile, Camacho will warm-up for his anticipated clash against Park by joining the Marianas Open 2017 (grappling and submission competition) that will take place at the end of the month.

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The CNMI Girls U15 National Team’s Theresa Toves, left, catches the ball while her teammate Patricia Surima looks on during their game against Chinese-Taipei in the EAFF U15 Girls Tournament 2017 last Tuesday at the Jinshan Sports Center in Shanghai, China.
(EAFF Photo)

The CNMI Girls U15 National Team is down to one game and is aiming for a strong finish as it faces Mongolia in the EAFF U15 Girls Tournament 2017 today at the Jinshan Sports Center in Shanghai, China.

“We will be playing against Mongolia for our last game. It is likely that they are a fairly new team. Because of this and now that the girls are accustomed to the weather here, the coaches are anticipating a good game. We will continue to encourage the girls to do their best and make our island proud,” said team manager Mikky Vargas in an email sent to Saipan Tribune a day after the squad dropped its second straight match, losing to Pool C favorite Chinese-Taipei, 0-8.

The Commonwealth bets played against their counterparts on Chinese-Taipei last Tuesday and though the former yielded eight goals—one more than they allowed in their debut loss to Jinshan—the Luen Khen Koo-coached squad showed some improvements and were a bit accustomed to playing under the cold weather.

“They are getting used to the briskness of the air. Many of them had difficulty breathing during their first match and our fitness suffered a great deal. During this game however, it was much easier on the girls,” Vargas said.

“On the defensive end, we were a lot more organized, compact, and disciplined than we were against Jinshan. We lost some goals because of our fitness. The girls would lose discipline and concentration when they are tired. Overall, the coaches believed that they played much better in this game,” said the team manager, adding that a few of their players are injured, but they still decided to play some minutes.

Patricia Surima suffered an injury while playing defense, as she tried to block a cross from Chinese-Taipei. She is recovering well and has expressed her willingness to play against Mongolia.

“The coaches understand the difficulty of playing three games in five days. They are trying their best to give everyone the time they need to recover for the last game,” Vargas said.

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