The group, managed by Saipan Major League’s Tony Rogolifoi, earned the monthly title after their stunning comeback at Nouméa, New Caledonia.
They bested Guam for the title, while burying New Caledonia and defending champion Palau in a doubleheader during the semifinals.
The team — composed of Josh Jones, Manny Sablan, Vicente Cepeda, Jerome Delos Santos, Franco Flores, Miguel and Jesus Iguel, Thomas Joab, Byron Kaipat, Keoni Lizama, Juan Maratita, Tyrone Omar, Craig Sanchez, Elton Santos, and Eric Tenorio — defeated American Samoa, 9-4 and Fiji, 2-1 to reach the playoffs.
Guam and New Caledonia handed them two losses after an opening game versus Palau.
The sluggers almost didn’t make it to the Games due to financial issues, but proved their worth as one of the CNMI’s delegates.
“After winning everything and taking the gold, we really proved that we deserved to be there (Nouméa),” noted Manny Sablan in an earlier interview.
Fellow Pacific Games athlete Rachel Abrams also made it as NMASA’s Female Student Athlete of the Month for September after competing in the 100-meter and 200m events under athletics.
The 16-year-old “made CNMI history” by reaching the finals and breaking Yvonne Bennett’s 18-and-under 200m record. Aside from Abrams, no other individual in the CNMI has ever reached a finals event in athletics.
She ranked eight overall in the 200m finals along 17 other runners and made a new personal best of 13.4 seconds in the 100m event.
Ackerman, Miller take August titles
Meanwhile, junior netters Tammy Ackerman and Christian Miller were announced as August’s Student Athletes of the Month.
Ackerman dominated the girls 12-and-under singles and doubles events during the 2011 Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Lautoka, Fiji.
She defeated fellow CNMI netter Negahr Rastguiy for the singles title and — as a result — is now invited for scholarship at Fiji’s International Tennis Federation’s Regional Training Center.
Ackerman and three other players from Saipan will take part in ITF events at Australia next year.
Miller also won in the boys 15U singles division of the ITF North Pacific Qualifying Event to advance for the junior championships.
At Fiji, he struck second place after a 1-6, 5-7 loss against Heve Kelley of Tahiti.
