Wong, Kabiriel shine, Set/Natara win softball tilt

Individual athletes Ketson “Jack” Kabiriel and Rezne Wong shared the sports spotlight last week with Set/Natara and awardees of Northern Marianas Athletics 2008 Athlete of the Year banquet.

Ketson “Jack” Kabiriel recorded the fastest time in Northern Mariana Islands Triathlon Federation’s First Enticer Race held last Feb. 7 in Marpi.

Kabiriel conquered the 500-meter swim, six-mile bike, and two-mile run triathlon in a time of 39:09.

Meanwhile, the first woman to arrive at the finish line was veteran multi-sport athlete and Pacific Islands Club executive Kanae Quinn, who clocked in at 44:09.

Wong, for his part, admitted he was humbled after being invited to take part in the 50th Japan Swimming Championships set this month.

The Marianas High School senior was invited to the high-level meet after an official of the Japan Swimming Federation noticed his prowess while competing in the 2009 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Guam last month.

“I had no idea that I was going to Japan Open until a few days after I got back from Guam. One moment that still sticks to my mind is when I was cooling down in Lane 1 after a race. I was breathing to the left [I usually breath to my right] and I saw a man wearing the Japanese National Team uniform, standing on the pool deck, looking at me. I just kept on swimming, thinking that he was just looking at me for no apparent reason. Little did I know that he was JSF’s Kiho Abe, who chaired the organizing committee for JPP,” Wong said.

NMA capped a very successful 2008 season, which included Saipan’s hosting of the 2008 Oceania Championships and Grand Prix, by giving out awards to its top athletes during the NMA Annual Awards Banquet held Thursday night at the Minatchom Atdao Pavilion.

Named 2008 NMA Athletes of the Year in their respective age groups were Neghar Rastguiy and Maxten Doone (8-and-under); Gabrielle Race and Jesse Brel (10-and-under); Ilia Corella and Angelo Jones (12-and-under); Lia Rangamar, Damart Teregeyo, and Brandon Phillip (14-and-under); Jacque Wonenberg, Jenequa Benavente, and Jeusus Iguel (18-and-under); and Yvonne Bennett and Tyrone Omar (Open). Long distance runners Jack Kabiriel and Mamiko Oshima-Berger were selected Road Runners of the Year, and together with the Athletes of the Year in various age groups, they received trophies from NMA president Kurt Barnes and vice president Lou Wabol.

Ruling the 7th Annual Crime Stoppers Softball Tournament Team was Set/Natara, which beat Team Becks/No Zone in the finals, 6-3, last Sunday at the Capital Hill Ballfield.

It was a repeat of Set’s win earlier in the day over the same team when they met for the first time in the semifinals of the winners’ bracket, 8-7.

In other news, the 2009 Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino Invitational Basketball League kicked off Monday night at the Tinian Municipal Gymnasium with three teams opening their campaign in the inaugural caging on a winning note.

Saipan World Resort posted the closest win in the triple-threat opener outlasting host Club TDHC, 72-68, in the first game.

Hyatt Regency Saipan drew 30-plus points from Jericho Cruz and Cris Arreza to beat Pacific Islands Club, 107-94, in the second game. In the third game, Aqua Resort Club outlasted Asia Pacific Hotel, Inc., 85-73.

Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association also kicked off the 2009 Coconut Classic Tennis Tournament and it attracted 104 participants last Feb. 7 at the American Memorial Park.

Last Wednesday also saw the NMIVA Two-man Beach Volleyball League start on the Pacific Islands Club sand court with eight teams joining the Marianas Cup tune-up competition.

The past week also saw action continue in the 2008-2009 BANMI/Budweiser Basketball League, 2008-2009 MISO Basketball League, 2009 Navy Hill Friendship Basketball League, and the Budweiser Inter-Government/Business Slow-pitch Softball League.