3 more gold medals for CNMI

The CNMI’s Nick Gross competes in the men’s javelin throw event in the 2016 Micronesian Athletics Championships last Friday in Pohnpei. (Kaselehlie Press)

The CNMI collected three more gold medals in the last two days of the 2016 Micronesian Athletics Championship in Pohnpei, bringing its total to seven, four silvers, and three bronzes.

Zarinae Sapong, Jerald Castillo, Nick Gross handed the Commonwealth the gold medals after prevailing in their respective events.

Sapong, who topped the women’s open 100m run in Day 1 of the competition, added another gold last Saturday when she ruled the 200m race. She clocked in at 27.87 seconds to beat Pohnpei’s Lerissa Henry (27. 97 seconds), Chuuk’s Sinsina Kau (29.31 seconds), the Marshall Islands’ Ilania Keju (29.77 seconds), and Chuuk’s Maria Carmella Robert (30.14 seconds).

The Marianas High School graduate also competed in the women’s Open 400m run last Friday and earned the silver medal after submitting 1:03.46. Guam’s Maria Ollet (1:03.46) took the gold, while Pohnpei’s Reloliza Saimon (1:10.26) claimed the bronze.

Sapong’s fellow MHS student—Castillo—got his second gold (his first was in the 100m run last Thursday) last Saturday after winning the U18 200m run in 23.93 seconds. He was the only runner to break the 24-second barrier as runners-up Mitchell Marrino and Micah Ohli of Pohnpei logged 24.26 and 24.29 seconds, respectively. Palau’s Adolph Demei Jr. (24.84 seconds) and Keilan Kenny (27.03 seconds) were the other participants in the 200m run.

In the men’s javelin, Gross defeated eight other entries, including teammate Benjamin Jones. Gross registered 43.97m to prevail against Pohnpei’s Herney Ringlen (43.34m) and Daniel Ekiek (40.58). Jones had 33.63m to rank ninth.

Meanwhile, 13-year-old Conatsu Kaga gave the CNMI two more silver medals, while the Commonwealth women’s team bagged bronze medals in the 4x100m and 4x400m relay races.

Kaga was the runner-up in both the women’s U18 1,500m and 800m runs. The youngest participant in the three-day competition clocked in at 5:30.83 in the 1,500m race last Friday to place behind Guam’s Emma Sheedy (5:20.27). Elizabeth Quintanilla, also from Guam, rounded out the Top 3 after posting 5:36.72. In the 800m run last Saturday, Kaga made it to the finish line at the 2:37.46 mark for her second podium finish. Sheedy also ruled the shorter event with her 2:27.69, while teammate Kaitlynn Calma came in at third (2:43.14).

In the relays, Sapong, Bernadette Horey, Pinyarat Shankweiller, and Chloe Salvosa timed in at 4:51.28 and 55.54 seconds in the 4x400m and 4x100m relays, respectively, to win the bronze medals.