5 pairs triumph in IT&E badminton tilt

The 2009 IT&E Badminton Doubles Tournament concluded Sunday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium with five teams emerging as champions in their respective divisions.

Title matches in two divisions went the distance, while the three others ended after only two sets.

Of the two three-set championship games, the men’s B division proved to be the more exciting one with the tandem of Daniel Macario and Jorge Olanda surviving the duo of the then undefeated Mario Diola and Paul Navarro.

Macario and Olanda drew first blood, winning the first set by only two points, 21-19. But they failed to sweep the finals, as Diola and Navarro regained their bearings in the second set and notched a 21-16 victory to force a third set.

Navarro and Diola controlled the first half of the third set, before Macario and Olanda showed toughness in the end for a 21-18 win.

Edwin Maratas and Afred Acosta finished third after beating the pair of Jojo Savellano and Noli Santos, 20-22, 21-10, 21-19.

Joining Macario and Olanda in the champions’ circle were the tandems of Rick Brien and Frank Villagomez, Macoi Aguda and Saul Gargallo, Ingrid Sanchez and Cristy Villaflor, and Annette Quiambao and Irene Santiago.

Brien and Villagomez also played in a three-set title game in the men’s C division and downed the team of Arnel Banzagale and Luis Camacho.

A seven-point win in the first set, 21-14, moved Brien and Gomez a game away from clinching the title. But Camacho and Banzagale recovered with a similar 21-14 triumph in the second set. The deciding third set also ended at 21-14 with Villagomez and Brien on the winning side. Puy Macario Chris Hilario placed third in the men’s C division.

In the men’s A division, Aguda and Gargallo capped their perfect record in the tournament with a 21-15, 21-9 finals win over Hapi Gabriel and Robert Reyes. In the battle for third, Lito Mendoza and Joseph Santos defeated Eric Pena and Jerry Hibi, 25-23, 21-15.

In the women’s B division finals, Sanchez and Villaflor swept Marylyn Montano and Cheng Saturno, 23-21, 21-16. Annarose Omori and Malou Malasarte prevailed in the third place game against the duo of Shirley Kim and Angie Ito, 21-16, 21-16.

Quiambao and Santiago took the women’s C division tiara after a 21-13, 22-20 victory over Hazel dela Santa and Dorie Pineda. Ruby Gozon and Jenine Savellano placed third.

The Top 3 finishers in the Northern Marianas Badminton Federation-organized tournament will receive medals at the awards banquet on May 3 at 6pm at Shirley’s Coffee Shop in Susupe.