By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

THE NMI junior tennis players topped six events in the Guam Junior Tennis Championships held at the Ninete Tennis Center in Agana on Dec. 27 and 28.
Three of the six events won by the NMI were courtesy of Melody Johnson, who ruled the girls’ 13-and-under singles, co-ed 13-and-under doubles and the girls’ 10-and-under doubles.
Joining Johnson in the winners’circle were Ilia Corella, Christian Miller, Gabrielle Race and Jake Lee.
Johnson placed first in the girls’ 13-and-under singles after beating Guam’s Katie Lai in the finals.
Later in the co-ed 13-and-under doubles finals, Johnson and partner Corella downed fellow NMI junior players Cody Race and Woo Suk Chang.
The boys’ 10-and-under singles finals was also an all-NMI affair with Miller whipping Angelo Jones in the championship match.
Gabrielle Race claimed the girls’ 10-and-under singles title after thwarting Germany’s Julianna Goehner in the finals.
Gabrielle was aiming for his second championship trophy in the two-day tournament, but she and partner Neghar Rastguiy lost to Johnson and Lai in the girls’ 10-and-under doubles.
After losing in the boys’ 10-and-under singles to Miller, Jones teamed up with Lee in beating brothers Colin and Quintin Ramsey in the boys’ 10-and-under doubles finals.
In other results, Guam’s No. 1 boys’ 18-and-under player Justin Dugan lived up to his lofty billing beating the NMI’s Johnny Johnson in the finals.
He then teamed up with Windell Galino in beating the NMI”s Johnson and Russell Buenaventura in the doubles finals.
Guam also ruled the boys’ 13-and-under singles with Michael Tan downing Woo Suk.
The NMI did not field players in the girls’ 18-and-under singles, which Ayuri Sugahara won over teammate Alea Dugan.
In the doubles finals, Dugan and Terea Tapu topped M. Pama and L. Porter.
NMI coach and Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association vice president Jeff Race thanked host Guam National Tennis Federation for inviting them for the tournament, which according to him was a motivation for the island’s young players.
“The NMITA would like to thank the Guam National Tennis Federation and Super-Krete for organizing and sponsoring this event. This event is so important for motivating the NMI’s young tennis players at this time of year.  It spurs them to pursue their goals with greater dedication, commitment and intensity,” said Race.