CNMI jr. netters favored in NPQ

The CNMI Junior Tennis Team is still the squad to beat in next week’s 2012 North Pacific Qualifying Tournament in Guam.

“The CNMI junior tennis players will dominate the NPQ again this year,” a confident coach Jeff Race said in an email to Saipan Tribune.

Race will bring 27 players to Guam to compete against the host, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia. The strong-CNMI Team is composed of U18’s Thea and Theecel Minor, Alina Ishikawa, Melody Johnson, Christian Miller, Rafael Jones, Amami Sakano, and Jake Lee, U15’s Christopher Cajigan, Seiya Eda, Moris Villanueva, Dylan Ackerman, Tommy Choi, Mikayla Lopez, Negahr Rastguiy, Emily Jones, and Tammy Ackerman, and U12’s Luther Lizama, Vincent Tudela, Robert Schorr, Michael Ren, Michael Jones, Carol Lee, Isabel Heras, Julia Ishikawa, Elizaveta Atalig, and Ami Tsukagoshi.

The Commonwealth bets will be battling for slots on the North Pacific Team that will challenge the West and East squads in the 2012 Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Fiji in August and Race is confident his wards will get 11 of the 12 allowed berths for the CNMI.

“I think we’ll get 11 or 12 of our 12 possible spots on the North Pacific Team. We are so strong in the U12, with Michael Ren and Luther Lizama in the boys and Carol Lee, Isabel Heras and Julia Ishikawa in the girls. Our U15 are the toughest in the Pacific, with Chris Cajigan playing inspired tennis and backed up by Tommy Choi, Seiya Eda, Moris Villanueva, and several other tough players. Mika Lopez should rule the girls U15 with Negahr Rastguiy close behind. Christian Miller will be top seed in the U18 along with Thea Minor. We have several other boys, particularly 2011 champ Rafael Jones, who ought to be at the top as well,” the CNMI coach said.

“Almost every division will mainly be a dogfight between CNMI players. We’re really looking at a couple of players from the other islands who are expected to be tough. Christian Penefiel from Guam in the boys U18 is very good and finished No. 2 last year. Abigail Gwewonyo from Palau also finished No. 2 in 2011. Because only two players in the U18 will go to Fiji, these are the players to watch. In the U15 and U12, we should finish 1-2 or 1-3 and get our best players in POJC,” he added.

Besides the Top 2 in the boys and girls U18, POJC berths will also be given to the Top 4 finishers in both the boys and girls U12 and U15 age groups. Last year, the CNMI got 10 regular slots and one wild card entry.

Race said the CNMI’s success in the NPQ for the past several years was due to the players’ hard work and support from their families, coaches, and sponsors.

“Our players have been training hard to improve their games all year. They have had more tournaments played than almost any other players in the Pacific, outside of New Caledonia. Most of them are joining the final tune-up, Camp Courage, and will be training intensively every day until we depart,” said Race, who will leave with his players this Sunday.

“We wouldn’t have the best national junior tennis program in the Pacific without the dedication of the players, the sacrifices of the parents, the support of the sponsors, and the commitment of the coaches,” he added.

The NPQ will run from June 11 to 15 at the Rick Ninete Tennis Centre in Tamuning.

Mikayla Lopez, seen here in action in last month’s Micronesian Junior Tennis Championships, will lead the CNMI’s U15 team in next week’s 2012 North Pacific Qualifying Tournament in Guam.