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Angels, CNMI jr. netters, Fitial shine
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Posted on Jun 19 2011
The St. Michael Angels championship win in the 2010 Saipan Major League and the CNMI Junior Tennis Team’s dominance of the 2011 North Pacific Qualifying Tournament, and Kelvin Fitial’s triumph in PXC 24 led last week’s headlines.
The Angels won the best-of-five SML championship series against the Tan Holdings Brewers, 3-1. The John Flores-managed squad clinchéd the championship after winning the last three games of the title showdown, including a thrilling 2-1 victory in 12 innings in Game 4.
Pitcher Thomas Joab took the Finals MVP award, while the Brewers’ Byron Kaipat claimed the regular season MVP plum.
In an off-island tournament, the CNMI junior tennis players swept the five doubles events in the NPQ played at the Rick Ninete Tennis Center and topped five of the six singles competition in the five-day netfest.
Thea Minor and Rafael Jones ruled the U18 singles, Christian Miller and Mikayla Lopez prevailed in the U15 age group, and Carl Dela Cruz won in the U12. In the doubles, delivering wins for the CNMI were Miller and Jake Lee, Thea and Theecel Minor, Dela Cruz and Moris Villanueva, Negahr Rasguiy and Tammy Ackerman, and Lopez and Melody Johnson.
In another off-island competition, Fitial was in the Philippines for the Pacific Xtreme Combat 24 and scored a TKO win in the fourth round over Guam’s Roque Martinez in their heavyweight bout rematch.
Other notable events last week were the Philippine Independence Day Open Golf Tournament, the announcement of CNMI U15 basketball teams competing in Palau, and the withdrawal of the CNMI Junior and Senior all-stars from the Asia Pacific Regional Tournament.
Former junior golfer Leina Kim won the PH Open; the CNMI sent seven male players and nine female in the 2011 U15 Micronesian Basketball Tournament in Palau; and two CNMI little league teams pulled out from the ASPAC due to funding problems.
Other on-going leagues/competitions on Saipan continued last week with QQ Cup caging completing its regular season games, the Miller Lite league holding its playoff matches, and the IT&E badminton playing its penultimate week.
