COACH Jeff Race on Saturday said the CNMI tennis team roster is almost complete.
The team, which will see action in the upcoming Pacific Mini Games, already includes Isabel Herras as well as 2019 Mini Games gold medalists Colin Sinclair, Robbie Schorr and Carol Lee.
“Our players fall into two buckets: those that are in the U.S. playing college tennis and those that are here,” Coach Jeff said. “We’ve selected half of the team. [The team will have] four men and four women, and in both divisions, two…spots are already reserved based on [the players’] record over the last few years.”
Colin Sinclair, one of the CNMI men’s team members, is a professional player with a career-high singles ranking of No. 410
In 2021, Sinclair reached five ITF doubles finals. In November, he won his second ITF singles title in the ITF M15 Event in Guatemala. His previous singles title was the ITF M15 Event in Claremont, California in 2019.
Carol Lee, who will lead the CNMI women’s team, is a top college player in the U.S., Coach Jeff noted.
She plays for Georgia Tech whose women’s team recently collected six wins at the Carolina Kickoff. The highlight of the event was Carol Lee and doubles partner Kate Sharabura beating the No. 2 doubles team in the country.
“And we know who the number two man and woman are: Robbie Schorr and Isabel Herras,” Coach Jeff said.
Schorr plays for William Woods University in Missouri while Herras plays for the Metropolitan State University of Denver.
“We have a few other players in the states who may be coming here,” Coach Jeff said, adding that playoffs will be held on island to determine who the numbers 3 and 4 players are on the men’s and women’s teams.
Those vying for the remaining two spots on the men’s team include Ken Song, Tony Atalig, Colin Ramsey, Bobby Cruz, Luther Lizma and Morris Villanueva.
For the women’s team, the potential players include Asia Raulerson, Tania Tan, Malika Miyawaki, Hye Jin Elliot and Serin Chung.
“We’re halfway there,” Coach Jeff reiterated.
A total of 128 tennis players are confirmed to compete in the Pacific Mini Games which are set for June 17 to 25, 2022. The venues for the tennis matches are American Memorial Park and the Pacific Islands Club.
From left, tennis players Lydia Tan, Malika Miyawaki, Carol Lee, Robbie Schorr, Ken Song and coach Jeff Race pose for a photo during the 2019 Northern Marianas Sports Association awards ceremony at the Fiesta Resort & Spa in January 2020.
Colin Sinclair
