Ray Santos, center, the Male Athlete of the Year, poses with Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang and Northern Marianas Sports Association President Jerry Tan during the 2023 NMSA Annual Sports Banquet in the Hibiscus Hall of Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan on Wednesday.
Student Athletes of the Year Isaiah Aleksenko and Kaithlyn Chavez pose for a photo during the 2023 NMSA Annual Sports Banquet in the Hibiscus Hall of Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan on Wednesday.
WEIGHTLIFTER Raymond Santos and long-distance runner Tania Tan were named male and female Athletes of the Year by the Northern Marianas Sports Association during its annual sports banquet in the Hibiscus Hall of Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan on Wednesday evening.
At the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands, Santos bagged a gold medal with a 55kg snatch and a silver medal for a total weight of 208kg. He also won a silver medal in the Oceania Championships and a gold and bronze medals in the Marianas Cup 2023.
The Student Athlete of the Year in 2018, Tan represented the NMI at the World Athletics Cross Country Championship in Bathurst Australia in February where she joined the 10K race and recorded a time of 44:41. Tan also broke her own record and set a new NMI record in the 3,000m with a finish time of 10:18:81. In the 2023 Pacific Games, she became the first NMI female athlete to win two gold medals in the 5K and 10K distances.
Tan was off-island and it was her parents, Jerry and Lydia Tan, who received the award on her behalf at the NMSA sports banquet.
“As you know, Tania studies abroad so all her training and regular competitions are off island,” said Jerry Tan, who was inducted into the NMI Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday evening.
“As her father,” he added, “I don’t know what to expect, but I know Tania is always very proud to represent the NMI. I know she trains very hard every day and pushes herself. It was beyond expectations that she would have brought home two golds from the 2023 Pacific Games. It’s really hard work that produces results. She pushes herself and continues to improve her time. I am extremely proud of her.”
Other awardees
The other athletes who vied for the 2023 Male/Female Athlete of the Year titles were Colin Ramsey of tennis; Leowell Cristobal, weightlifting; Leo Apelo Jr., weightlifting; Christina Tudela, bodybuilding.; Joel Buco, cycling; Douglas Schmidt, basketball; Erin Frink, athletics; Nokki Saralu, baseball; Joey Colisao, weightlifting; Antonette Labausa, weightlifting; Janelle Pangilinan, badminton; and Pipit Ball, va’a;
This year’s Student Athletes of the Year are Isaiah Aleksenko and Kaithlyn Chavez.
Both are multi-sport athletes, but Aleksenko thrives mainly in swimming while Chavez is into athletics and soccer.
Aleksenko was another main contributor to Team NMI’s medal haul in the 2023 Pacific Games, winning a gold medal in the 200m butterfly, a bronze in the 100m butterfly, and another bronze in the 4x200m freestyle medley and the 4x100m medley relay.
“I feel great and honored to win the award,” Aleksenko said. “I thank my coach, my mom, and teammates. I wouldn’t have won this award without them. I didn’t think I was going to win because there are other great athletes in weightlifting and tennis. Overall, 2023 was a good year — a lot of memories. I hope to improve and do better. The 2023 Pacific Games were definitely my best memory.”
For her part, Chavez was recognized for her numerous achievements in the PSS All-School Cross Country as the fastest runner for the third year in a row. She also set a new NMI record in the 800m event of the 2023 Oceania Cup while seeing action in regional soccer competitions as a NMI national player.
The Coach of the Year, the Administrator of the Year, and the Team of the Year will be featured in Variety’s next edition.
