By James Sablan
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
SATURDAY night celebrated the pinnacle of sports excellence during the Northern Mariana Sports Association annual banquet, sponsored by the Tan Siu Lin Foundation. The event, held at Hibiscus Hall of Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, also crowned two extraordinary individuals as the Female and Male Student-Athletes of the Year: Frances Raho and Seth Sablan.
The Queen of the Pool
For 16-year-old Frances Raho, 2024 and 2025 were not just years of competition — they were years of total reinvention. Representing Team Marianas on the world stage, Raho’s dominance in the water has become her identity.
In Palau, she set short-course national marks in the 50m and 200m backstroke, the 50m freestyle, and four relay events. Competing in the long-course (50m pool) competition in Singapore, she set national records in the 50m and 200m backstroke. She also competed in the Klass Lions Invitational Swim Meet 2025 in Malaysia, winning three gold medals and three silvers, and setting additional national records in the 50m butterfly, 50m backstroke, and 50m freestyle. Raho also earned two silver medals at the ONYX Stingray Last Splash Meet in Hong Kong.
Reflecting on the honor, Raho said, “I didn’t really realize the accomplishments I’ve done, and I feel like getting this award has made me prouder of myself because it made me look back on all the things I actually did do.” She identified her performance at the New South Wales State Championships in Australia as her proudest moment of the year, where she broke multiple records.
Looking ahead, Raho is focused on the Oceania Championships in May, where she aims to “break more records” and “get best times.”
The Mat Technician
While Raho was conquering the pool, 17-year-old Seth Sablan was proving his mettle on the wrestling mat. Sablan displayed tactical maturity and physical toughness that challenged older, more experienced opponents throughout the season.
His crowning achievement came during his debut at the 2025 Pacific Mini Games. Competing in the 65kg Greco-Roman category, Sablan faced home-crowd favorite Kane Tarkong of Palau. In a match that tested his resolve, Sablan secured the gold medal by pinning Tarkong, and later added a bronze medal in the 71kg freestyle event.
Despite his success, Sablan remains remarkably humble. “I was really surprised. I didn’t really picture myself up there,” he said. He noted that his favorite moments came more from the challenges than the victories. “The best moment actually was probably losing, because it taught me to be better.”
Sablan’s next challenge comes in March at a competition in Samoa, where he aims for a “triple gold” across freestyle, Greco-Roman, and beach wrestling.
Fierce competition
The contest for top honors was fierce, with nominees who left an indelible mark on Northern Marianas sports over the past year.
Female Student-Athlete nominees
Kaithlyn Chavez, Football
Addalee Taflinger, Athletics
Maria Batallones, Swimming
LoVel Spaeth, Triathlon & Athletics
Male Student-Athlete nominees
Theodore Rogers, Athletics
Seth Joshua Sablan, Wrestling
Michael Miller, Triathlon & Swimming
Isaiah Arriola-Mook, Tennis
Victor Nash Santos, Athletics
Kouki Watanabe, Swimming
Gabriel Walsh, Athletics & Swimming
As the winners stood on the podium, the message was clear: the future of Northern Marianas athletics is in very capable hands.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
