Among the 20 NMI athletes who participated in this year’s tournaments, 16- year-old Jacque Wonenberg took the courtesy of giving the host island the latest gold of the Championships.
There was an NMI athlete who won gold a few years back, according to Northern Marianas Athletics President Kurt Barnes C. Barnes.
Wonenberg who also dominated three events in the first two days of last week’s Championships scored a total of 3623 points to win the gold medal.
On Thursday last week, she topped the Under 18 Heptathlon in 200 Meter Sprint finishing it in 28.03 seconds; the 100 Meter Hurdles in 16.83 seconds and threw 8.92 meters in Women Shot Put.
“I’m happy and I’m proud I guess,” says Wonenberg who punctuated the interview with gasps for breath right after the 800-meter run.
She recalled how coach Elias Rangamar helped her and the rest of NMI athletes regain their strength during the last day of the Grand Prix Series.
“He was emotional that time as he talked so we could understand how important this petition is. He just helped us a lot,” she said, admitting some of them were intimidated to see the visiting athletes during the Grand Prix Series “but coach Ely kinda helped us overcome the fear.”
Wonenberg also tried to lift the NMI team in the Mixed Distance Medley where she, Li’amwar Rangamar, Juan Iguel and Kenti Clayton trailed first placer, Australia, Papua New Guinea and Guam.
Next to Wonenberg in Under 18 gold standing is Tonga’s Unaloto Tauki’uvea who garnered 3369 points.
Tauki’uvea jumped 4.48 meters far, finished the 800 Meter Run in three minutes and 6.51 seconds, completed the 200 Meter Sprint in 29.20 seconds, finished the 100 Meters Hurdle in 16.90 seconds and threw 8.68 meters in Women Shot Put.
Wonenberg settled for third place in the Women Triple Jump as she averaged 9.66 meters. The first placer was Kathryn Kennedy of New Zealand who leaped an average distance of 11.07 meters.
Jenequa Benavente placed second in Women’s Discus Throw with 33.67 meters. She beat French Polynesia’s Perle Buard.
The winner in the said event was Tasele Iva Margaret Satupai of Samoa with 45.08 meters.
Li’amwar Rangamar topped the Women Javelin Throw with 28.63 meters just less than a meter farther than Wonenberg who placed second with 27.03 meters.
In Men High Jump Under 18 Octathlon, Trevor Ogumoro also placed as he went 1.62 meters high.
Meanwhile, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea dominated many events Friday and Saturday.
Olivia Blundell of New Zealand led the 100 Meter Sprint finishing it in 12.87 seconds; while Alex Jordan win the first place in Men 100 Meters with 11.38 seconds.
Michael Cochrane also of New Zealand won first place in the Men 400 Meter Hurdle in Under 18 and Joel Armstrong placed first in 400 Meter Sprint finishing it in 49.53 seconds. Tom Hall topped the Men 1500 Meter Under 18 with 4 minutes and 24.14 seconds, Laura Nagel topped the Women 1500 Meter Run Under 18 completing it in four minutes and 39.91 seconds and Kathryn Kennedy placed first in the Women Triple Jmp Under 18 with 11.07 meters.
Papua New Guinea’s Mae Koime, Toea Wisil and Betty Burua dominated the Women 200 Meter Sprint Open. Koime finished the run in 14.11 minutes, Wisil in 24.45 and Burua in 25.05 seconds.
Sharon Henry also of PNG won the Women 400 Meter Hurdles Open with 61.83 seconds and Mowen Boino came first in the Men 400 Meter Hurdles Open with 52.07 seconds.
In the Under 18 Men’s Octathlon, Lars Fa’apoi of Tonga dominated the competition winning seven of the eight events. He is an accomplished hurdler, and earned 733 points in 100 Meters Heptathlon.
Fa’apoi was more than 1000 points ahead of NMI’s Trevor Ogumoro who placed second with a total 3256 points.
