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CNMI athletes set personal best records
Four members of the seven-man CNMI Athletics Team posted personal best records in last month’s Oceania Regional Championships 2012 at the Barlow Park in Cairns, Australia.
The list includes Rachel Abrams, Michael Mancao, Beo Ngirchongor, and Lia Rangamar.
Abrams crushed her personal best in the 200m run twice, doing it first during the qualifying heat when she timed in at 27.20 seconds. Her previous PBT was 27.46 seconds logged during the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia.
The 17-year-old sprinter went on to advance to the finals of the U20 200m race where she reset her PBT after clocking in at 26.45 seconds-the seventh fastest among 13 qualifiers.
Mancao ran in a longer race-the 800m-where he recorded a PBT of 2:07:10. According to Robin Sapong, who also attended the June 27 to 29 tournament as one of the meet directors, Mancao’s mark is the unofficial CNMI junior record and the fastest in 14 years since Sapong himself complete an 800m race at 2:06.50 in 1998.
Mancao also run in the 400m event and submitted 57.43 seconds, more than two seconds slower than teammate Ngirchongor, who had a PBT with his 55.05 seconds.
Rangamar was the CNMI’s lone entry in field events and set a new PB and CNMI records in the javelin throw after posting 35.31 meters. She went on to win the bronze medal in the event.
Rangamar’s 35.31m eclipsed the 35.17m she also made during the 2011 edition of the championships in Apia, Samoa. Her 2011 mark shattered the 29-year-old CNMI national record of Emiliana Quitugua, who listed 34.68m in the first Pacific Mini Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands in 1981.
The 18-year-old athlete also joined the 4x100m relay, teaming up with Abrams, Yvonne Bennett, and Reylynn Sapong and the quartet won a bronze medal after timing in at 53.79 seconds.
Meanwhile, Abrams stayed in Australia for one more week after the championship to, participate in a junior camp in Brisbane. She then left the Land Down Under last Saturday to travel to Barcelona, Spain for the 2012 IAFF World Junior Championships that will run from July 10 to 15.
By Roselyn Monroyo
Reporter
