AFTER a two-year hiatus, the Northern Marianas Sports Association on Tuesday hosted its annual banquet at Kensington Hotel to honor the islands’ most outstanding athletes.
Jason Takong and Zarinae Sapong were named Athletes of the Year while Isaiah Aleksenko and Kaithlyn Chavez were named Student Athletes of the Year.
Each received $1,000, an Apple Watch Series 7, and a $500 gift certificate from iShop.
Before the start of the awarding ceremony, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres shared a few words about the upcoming Pacific Mini Games 2022 and the importance of sports to the community.
“To all you athletes, you represent more than just sports — you represent the CNMI. You guys make everything possible,” the governor said.
Top of the list
Jason Tarkong was named Male Athlete of the Month.
The July Male Athlete of the Month, Tarkong continues to prove that age is just a number.
In July, the 54-year-old athlete won the 6.5-mile V1 or canoe race at Kilili Beach.
Tarkong is also a member of the Marianas Outrigger Club which was named NMSA Team of the Month in May. In addition, he is the head coach of the Napu Outrigger Canoe Club.
The other Male Athlete of the Month nominees:
• Shuji Kuroda (February Athlete of the Month) finished first in the 6th Saipan Aquathon.
• Leonard Apelo (March) topped his weight class and was the best overall lifter in the 2nd Annual Marianas Cup Weightlifting Championships.
• Matthew Richardson (April) is the Finals Most Valuable Player in U19 basketball.
• Florence Antonio (May) won the 60-and-above age group division of the Paupau Taga Triathlon.
• Andreau Galvez (June) was the team captain of the Shirley’s Badminton Club which ruled the TanHoldings Badminton Team Tournament.
• David Barnhouse (September) successfully competed in the first ever Oceania Weightlifting Championships. His efforts earned him a silver medal and his first ever rank in the Oceania Weightlifting Federation and International Weightlifting Federation.
• Sefric Veloria (October) took home two titles in the TakeCare Badminton Open.
• Derek Cutting (November) topped the middleweight bodybuilding category and was named overall champion of the 2021 Dee Clayton Classic Bodybuilding & Fitness Championship.
Female athletes
The Female Athlete of the Month is Zarinae Sapong who was also the top female athlete in June.
In the Northern Marianas Athletics Track and Field Open Meet, she ran a season best of 13.42 seconds, winning the women’s open division.
Although she trains six times a week, she still finds time to mentor the under-18 squad members, helping them improve their skills.
She enjoys spending her time coaching and guiding youth athletes. If she is not on the track competing, Zarinae also volunteers her time officiating.
The other Female Athlete of the Month nominees:
• Denis Myers (February) placed second in the 6th Duathlon Saipan. She has also earned several podium finishes in other local run events.
• Antonette Labausa (March) topped her weight class in the 2nd Annual Marianas Cup Weightlifting Championships.
• Julie Rose Felipe (April) was the over-all female winner of the 40KM Saipan Unity Lions Club Bike Race. She also topped the Pika Fest 65KM Road Race on Tinian.
• Heather Calderwood (July) finished first in the women’s 6.5-mile V1 or canoe race held in July. She also came out on top of the women’s open long-distance category.
• Malou Malasarte (October) ruled two divisions in the TakeCare Badminton Open 2021.
Top student athletes
Isaiah Aleksenko, the top student-athlete in February, was named the Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
He is a formidable swimmer and was the youngest male participant in the 6th Saipan Aquathlon. He finished first in the swim portion and won the silver medal. He was one of the only two participants who finished under the one-hour mark (57:22).
In July, Aleksenko won the 1,500m event in the Saipan Swim Club Triple Crown Open Water Swim Series 1 and 2.
The other Male Student-Athlete of the Year nominees:
• Jose Maratita (April) was the best player of the team that won the championship of the Public School System Elementary Interscholastic Soccer League. A Golden Boot winner, he scored a total of 17 goals, including three in the championship match. Maratita is 10 years old and a 5th grader at Koblerville Elementary School.
• Sir-Lashu Dela Cruz (May) played for Team Natural which won the championship of the Division of Youth Services/Typhoon Sports 3v3 Basketball Tournament. He averaged double figures in points and rebounds, earning him the Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer awards in the U20 division.
• Cristobal Dela Cruz (June) won the Northern Marianas Athletics Track & Field Open Meet race with a time of 12.65 seconds. He entered the 18 & under division but ended up winning overall. He achieved this result running barefoot.
• Jazzroy Villagomez (October) was the best player on his school’s team which placed third in the PSS Elementary Interscholastic Soccer League. A Golden Boot winner, he scored a total of 29 goals, including 10 goals in the quarterfinals match. He averaged almost five goals per match in league play.
• Juhn Tenorio (December) participated in the 15th FINA World Swimming Championships in Abu Dhabi in December. He swam his personal best time in the 50m freestyle race, clocking 23.97 seconds. He achieved another personal best time in the 100m backstroke event by clocking 58.85 seconds.
Ever competitive
Kaithlyn Chavez was named Female Student-Athlete of the Year.
The 15-year-old Mt. Carmel School student is active in swimming, biking, and running.
She won the gold medal in the last Saipan Aquathlon by outpacing 14 female adults and placing sixth overall among 27 participants with a finish time of 1:07:53. Kaithlyn is also the back-to-back winner of TRAC-hosted events.
The other Female Student-Athlete nominees:
• Katrina Costales (March) is the top contender for the Golden Boot Award in Division A of the Dove Women’s Soccer League.
• Jerlyn Castillo (April) is one of the leading scorers in Division A of the NMIFA Dove Women’s Soccer League. She has been a mainstay in several girls’ and women’s NMI national teams that played in international competitions.
• Casey Cruz (May) won all three sprints — 100m at 13.50 seconds, 200m at 28.90 seconds and 400m at 1:09.95 minutes — in the recent PSS/McDonald’s All Schools Athletics Championships.
• Fiona Bucalig (June) demonstrated outstanding leadership in the Summer Heat 3v3 Basketball Tournament on Tinian, and in the Marianas International Basketball League 3v3 Season 2 Tournament at the Marianas High School gymnasium. She led her team in winning the 3v3 tournament on Tinian.
• Maria Battalones (July) topped the 1,000m race in the Saipan Swim Club Triple Crown Open Water Swim Series 1 (14:47.70) and 2 (11:09.87).
• Tiana Cabrera (August) has won many local running events over the last year and is one of the key student coaches who will work with Tanapag Middle School students in the 2021-2022 season.
• Azriel Fatialofa (September) won the first Player of the Week honors in the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League, Middle School Division. She was the dominant force in the league and led GCA to an unbeaten record in the regular season.
• Beatrice Gross (October) was selected as the Most Valuable Player in the PSS Elementary Interscholastic Soccer League. The 10-year-old is a multi-sport student-athlete of Saipan International School.
• Filomenaleonisa Iakopo (November) was the youngest athlete to enter the 2021 Dee Clayton Classic Bodybuilding & Fitness Championship. She placed first in the women’s figure category.
• Shoko Litulumar (December) represented the CNMI in the 15th FINA World Swimming Championships in Abu Dhabi, United Emirates. She swam in the women’s 50m breaststroke event and earned a new personal best time by completing the race in 39.91 second. Litulumar also raced in the 50m backstroke event and clocked 33.85 seconds.
The other athletes who received awards during the NMSA banquet will be featured in the next editions of Variety.
Jason Tarkong and Zarinae Sapong are the Athletes of the Year of the Northern Marianas Sports Association.
Andrei Kaithlyn Chavez and Isaiah Aleksenko receive the Student Athlete of the Year trophies during the Northern Marianas Sports Association annual banquet on Tuesday at Kensington Hotel.
