By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

THE Northern Marianas Athletics’ Jacque Wonenberg and Robin Sapong left for Australia yesterday to represent the NMI at the 2007 Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney.
Wonenberg is a member of Oceania Athletics Association’s women’s 4x400m relay team, while Sapong is part of OAA Team Management.
The Marianas High School student will team up with Tonga’s Penetiti Feke and Fiji’s Salote Niulevu and Milika Tulvanuavou, while joining Sapong in the Oceania Team Management are Fiji’s Diana Lewis and Kiribati’s Tierata Taukaban.
In an earlier interview with the Variety, Sapong said they are not expecting too much from Wonenberg, but the tournament will give the young sprinter the kind of experience she needs for future international and off-island tournaments.
“This tournament is where the future Olympic medallists will come from. The level of competition is very high,” Sapong said.
Wonenber was chosen for the team after topping the cross country event of the Oceania regional 18-and-under championships last month in Apia, Samoa.
She along with seven other NMI athletes was in Samoa from Dec. 11 to 13 and had only about two weeks to prepare for the Australian trip.
“But Jacque is ready and is in good shape. I am sure she will do her best to help OAA’s 4x400m team have a good finish,” Sapong said.
The Australian Olympics will run from Jan. 17 to 21 and feature 19-and-under athletes from 23 nations.
OAA is fielding 23 athletes in the five-day event.
Aside from athletics, 15 other sports will be played in Sydney. These are badminton, canoe/kayak racing, diving, figure skating, football, gymnastics, hockey, rowing, sailing, shooting, short track speed skating, swimming, table tennis and taekwondo.