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CNMI jr. players start bid in regionals today
The ITF North Pacific Regional Championships 2015 will kick off today at the Rick Ninete Tennis Center in Hagatna, Guam with the 18 CNMI junior tennis players among the 57 participants in the six-day tournament.
CNMI junior tennis players and coach Jeff Race, back row, second left, pose for a photo before leaving the Saipan International Airport for Guam last Saturday to compete in the ITF North Pacific Regional Championships 2015. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
The bulk of the CNMI Junior Tennis Team arrived in Guam last Saturday and had practice sessions yesterday at the Agana Tennis Court. The Commonwealth bets are lead by U14 singles defending champion Tan Tania, who is joined by fellow girls U14 players Malika Miyawaki, Mimi Sakano, Asia Raulerson; boys U14’s Robbie Schorr, Ken Song, Vincent Tudela, Steven Goodwin, and Haruya Eda; boys U12’s Rintaro Miyawaki, Sean Lee, Seung Jin Paik, and Ji Min Woo; girls U12’s Conatsu and Coume Kaga, Erica Tuttle, and Maria Gregoire; and girls U16’s Isabel Heras and Ami Tsukagoshi. CNMI Sports Hall of Famer Jeff Race is the team’s coach.
Race joined the CNMI players who flew to Guam last Saturday and encouraged his wards in front of their parents and other well-wishers at the departure area of the Saipan International Airport to bring home good news by playing well in the regionals.
“Let’s do our very best and bring home some good news to our supporters here on Saipan,” Race said.
Meanwhile, the tournament’s boys U12 division has 12 players and is divided into two pools, while the girls U12 also has two groups and eight entries. Draws and game schedules have yet to be posted on the tournament’s website at press time last night, but the format in the U12 age group has been determined. Pool play will be implemented and only the Top 2 players in each group will advance to the playoffs.
In the U14 division, the boys group has 13 players, who are split into four groups. The Top 2 finishers in each group will march into the playoffs. The girls U14 has only eight players and they are divided into two groups with the Top 2 placers after the pool play moving into the playoffs.
The U16 age group follows the girls U14 format, as the boys U16 has only seven entries and the girls U16 has lured 10 players.
The Federated States of Micronesia is fielding the most players in the annual tournament with its 19, while Guam matched the CNMI’s entry of 18. Palau has only two players.
