Among males, Rezne Wong for swimming and Ji Hoon Heo, for tennis were February’s Athletes of the Month.
Wong, a high point winner at the third annual Saipan Swim Club Heptathlon, set a new CNMI age-group record in the 100m breaststroke.
Heo, NMI Junior Tennis Association’s top seeder won the Coconut Classic Men’s Open, defeating Jeff Race in the finals, 9-7.
The Athlete of Month for March is Eli Torgenson, for Triathlon. He finished fourth in the Saipan Xterra Championship with the fastest time ever recorded by a CNMI resident on the course. The following weekend, Eli was the top CNMI finisher in the Tagaman Triathlon, earning a spot in the Kaike Ironman Triathlon in Japan later this year.
He finished the month settling for second place in the Guam Triathlon.
The April Athlete of the Month is Rezne Wong again, as he competed in the Guam Swimming Federation All—Island Invitational, finishing first place in the Open 200-meter IM and the 100-meter backstroke, and second place in the Open 50-meter butterfly and 50-meter freestyle.
For month of May, Wong, again as he participated in the 2008 Guam Championships, taking the High Point Trophy in the Open Class, winning four gold medals, three silvers, and three bronzes. He set CNMI age-group and national records in the 100-meter breaststroke.
For females, Sarah Johnson was the Athlete of the Month for February. She won the third annual Meek and Mighty 5,000-meter Ocean Swim; won three medals—one gold and two silvers—in the Far North Queensland Championships; swam six lifetime bests, just missing the CNMI record in the 400-meter freestyle and finished second in high points at the third annual Saipan Swim Club Heptathlon Virtual Meet.
The Athlete of the Month of March is Mieko Carey, for Triathlon. She finished second in the Saipan Xterra Championship, finished third in the Tagaman Triathlon and won the Xterra Guam race.
For the Month of April is Rebecca Newman for soccer.
A goal keeper for the CNMI Women’s National Team, she held FIFA 75th-ranked Guam to a 0-0 overtime draw. She was superb, making 17 saves, and was unanimously voted the game’s MVP.
For the month of May is Yvonne Bennett for Athletics.
She took gold in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter sprints, and 4×100-meter relays, breaking CNMI records in the first three events, and establishing herself as the CNMI’s top woman sprinter
For male student athletes, Heo is January’s Athlete of the Month for Tennis. As student of Marianas High School, Heo solidified his claim as the No. Junior player in Pacific Oceania, competing as a member of the International Tennis Federation Pacific Oceania Touring Team in Australia.
Despite never having competed on grass courts, Heo defeated three seeded players, including the No. 2 seed, to reach the quarter-finals in a 128-person draw.
In the next event, Ji Hoon downed the #3 seed in straight sets, reaching the semi-finals.
The Athlete of Month of February is Rafael Jones also for Tennis. He won the 13-and-Under Division at the Coconut Classic, defeating the two most recent champions en route to the title.
For the month of March, Kai Staal for swimming won every event he entered at the SSC International Meet, taking the High Point Award. The 14-year-old won his age group at 2500-meter in the 30th Annual SSC Ocean Swim.
He was the third male and fifth overall swimmer out of the water at the Xterra Triathlon, and fifth male and eighth overall out of the water at the Tagaman Triathlon.
For month of April is Christian Miller for Tennis. Miller 11, a student at Whispering Palms School, won the Gatorade/Staywell and Spectrum Electric/Marianas Medical Center CNMI Junior Championships in both singles and doubles.
He is the top-ranked player in Micronesia in his age group, and will be the top seed in the upcoming ITF North Pacific Qualifying Event.
For May, Kensuke Kimura, for swimming is the Athlete of the Month. Kensuke, 23, participated in the 2008 Guam Championships, taking one gold medal, two silvers, and three bronzes, and setting a CNMI age-group record in the 200m breaststroke.
For female student athletes. .Abigail Martinsen is February’s Athlete of Month for swimming.
Abigail, 10, won the third annual Meek and Mighty 1,000-meter Ocean Swim; achieved highest points in the third annual Heptathlon Virtual Meet, swimming lifetime bests in all her events; and swan six lifetime bests in the Far North Queensland Championships.
For the month of March is Marystar Welch also for swimming. The 14-year-old won the Female High Point Award for her age group at the SSC International Meet.
For the month of April is Lia’mwar Rangamar for Athletics. Lia, 13, a multi-sport athlete, is excelling at every sport in which she competes. Competing with high school students, she won the 200-meter, javelin, discus, and 400-meter, setting CNMI age group records in the first three, and finished second in the long jump and high jump.
For the month of May is Grace Kimball for swimming. Grace finished second in the sixth Annual Escape from Managaha.
She also competed in the 2008 Guam Championships, taking seven silver medals and a bronze, and setting seven personal bests in the process.
