WITH the year drawing to a close, NMI sports organizations and athletes made sure to leave their mark.
At the 2024 Micronesian Games in Majuro, the Marshall Islands in June, Team Marianas notched a record-breaking 70-23-29 gold-silver-bronze medal tally.
It was the first time since 2002 that Team Marianas ranked No.1 in the final medal standings. In 2002, the NMI recorded a 24-26-17 gold-silver-medal tally at the Micronesian Games in Pohnpei. In Majuro in 2024, the 120 total medals that NMI athletes won surpassed the 92 medals (44-23-25) that Team Marianas garnered at the 2010 Micronesian Games in Palau.
In Majuro, Team Marianas dominated the swimming competition — pool and open water swims — earning 49 golds, 15 silvers, and 14 bronzes.
Coached by Jeff Race, the NMI National Tennis Team earned the second most gold medals for Team Marianas with seven while also taking home two bronze medals.
Athletics contributed five golds, two silvers, and six bronzes, while weightlifting chipped in three golds, five silvers, and four bronzes. Basketball (women’s division) added a silver medal, the women’s fastpitch team won a bronze, and beach volleyball delivered a pair of bronze medals.
Wrestlers James Attao-Greene Jr. and Ryan Babauta sealed the deal for Team Marianas in the 2024 Micro Games by winning two gold medals. The two topped their respective beach wrestling competitions and contributed a total of six gold medals as they also prevailed in the freestyle and Greco-Roman events.
Attao-Greene Jr., Babauta and Coaches Jason Tarkong and Rick Bauer joined the NMI Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams as well as the NMI Women’s Fast-Pitch Softball Team in the closing ceremony. Babauta and women’s basketball player and athletics representative Lia Rangamar were the NMI flag bearers.
First appearance
Another highlight of the year was Team NMI making its debut in the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup.
In the Davis Cup, the NMI men’s team performed well, beating three teams before losing to the Philippines, 1-2, in the finale between the top teams of Pools B and C at the Bahrain Tennis Federation tennis courts in Isa Town, Bahrain.
In the Billie Jean King Cup, the NMI’s women’s team not only topped their group but earned a promotion to Group 2 as well.
The NMI women defeated Myanmar, 2-1, in the Asia/Oceania III promotional playoff. Prior to that, Team NMI dominated Macau, 3-0, and Brunei, 3-0.
24th Micro Cup Canoe Race
The NMI’s Marianas Outrigger Club and Saipan Paddling Club shared the spotlight with medal finishes throughout the three-day 24th Micronesian Cup Canoe Race at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan Beach in October.
Against Guam’s clubs, the two NMI organizations shone brightly, with the Saipan Paddling Club earning 12 gold, 7 silver, and 7 bronze medals, while the Marianas Outrigger Club secured 10 gold, 5 silver, and 4 bronze medals.
Marianas Cup
In a thrilling conclusion to a two-game soccer match, the NMI Men’s National Team emerged victorious against Guam in a penalty shootout, 5-4, to secure the 2024 U20 Men’s Marianas Football Cup at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville in August.
Before going to a penalty shootout, Guam found redemption in their second match against the NMI with a 2-0 victory. The NMI won game one with a similar score, 2-0.
Weightlifting uplifts NMI
Leowell Cristobal made NMI sports history by becoming the first male weightlifting athlete from the islands to compete in the International Weightlifting Federation World Championship. This year’s event was held in Manama, Bahrain where Cristobal placed sixth in the C session of the 67kg weight class.
With a snatch of 105kg and clean & jerk of 143kg, Cristobal recorded a total weight of 248kg to place 20th overall.
Other NMI weightlifters continue to push past their limits.
Recently, Antonette Labausa and Devine Pua won gold medals in their respective weight classes at the 2024 Guam National Championships in Guam.
Labausa exceeded all expectations as she lifted a total weight of 168kg to claim gold in the 86kg weight class.
Pua earned gold in the 63kg weight class with a total weight of 118kg — a snatch of 53kg and clean & jerk of 65kg.
For their part, GetFit CNMI weightlifters collected a total of 20 medals — nine golds, eight silvers, and three bronzes — at the 2024 Guam Weightlifting Federation Youth, Junior & Senior Championships.
Jaden Andrew won two golds, three silvers, and two bronzes; Aiden Gimed earned three golds and two silvers; Lucio Eugenio collected two golds and three silvers; and Angel San Nicolas brought home two golds and one bronze.
During the sendoff ceremony for the 2024 Micronesia Games at the Ada gym, Antonette Labausa, center, waves the NMI flag after being selected as Team Marianas’ flagbearer.
Leowell Cristobal smiles after a successful clean & jerk lift attempt in the 67kg weight class of the 2024 International Weightlifting Federation World Championship in Manama, Bahrain.
Team NMI’s Isabel Heras, Asian Raulerson, Carol Lee and Hye Jin Elliot, with team captain Lydia Tan, pose with their promotional medals in the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup at the Bahrain Tennis Federation tennis courts in Isa Town, Bahrain.
Team NMI’s Robbie Schorr and Colin Sinclair pose with their opponents before a match in the 2024 Davis Cup at the Bahrain Tennis Federation tennis courts in Isa Town, Bahrain.
Tyler Andrew (wearing a cap) of the Saipan Paddling Club won gold in the junior men’s V1 500m race at the 24th Micronesian Cup Canoe Race, held at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan beach.
The Marianas Outrigger Club’s men’s team make their way to shore after competing in the 24th Micronesian Cup Canoe Race at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan beach.
The NMI’s Andrew Sablan slides to deny the entry pass from Guam during a 2024 U20 Men’s Marianas Football Cup match at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville.
Team NMI players pose for a photo after their victory in the 2024 U20 Men’s Marianas Football Cup at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville.