SPC tops 4 events; Napu wins 2 races

Saipan Paddling Club, Napu Outrigger Canoe Club, and Hoe Lokahi members and officials pose for a group photo at the conclusion of the 2nd Annual SPC All Juniors Outrigger Regatta held last Saturday in the waters off Kilili Beach. (Contributed Photo)

Saipan Paddling Club ruled four races, while Napu Outrigger Canoe Club prevailed in two events in the 2nd Annual SPC All Juniors Outrigger Regatta held last Saturday in the waters off Kilili Beach.

The host club topped the junior girls 1,500m, co-ed 1,500m, junior girls 500m, and co-ed 500m events, while Napu won in the junior boys 1,500m and junior boys 500m races.

SPC timed in at 12:23.08 in the final race of the junior girls 1,500m, completing the longest course of the day by more than 25 seconds ahead of Napu, which submitted 12:48.01. Earlier in the preliminary race, SPC also posted the fastest time at 11.50.03, but was disqualified (race rules violation), making Napu the winner of the initial contest despite posting 12:10.99.

In the junior boys 1,500m, Napu came out on top of both the preliminary and final races after recording 10:35.80 and 11:02.89. SPC also broke the 11-minute barrier with its 10:59.44 in the preliminary, but was way slower in the finals when it clocked in at 11:21.39.

In the co-ed 1,500m, SPC stole the No. 1 spot from Napu in the finals after registering 11:38.94 against the 11:45.48 of the latter. Napu was the first finisher in the prelims with its 11:59.57. Hoe Lokahi also joined the event and clocked in at 12:39.10 in the preliminary before doing the same event in the finals with a faster time of 12:07.29.

SPC’s junior girls paddlers showed the way in the 500m sprint, both in the preliminary and final races. SPC had 3:50.16 in the finals, more than a minute ahead of Napu, which logged 4:09.17. In the preliminary, SPC and Napu timed in under four minutes after submitting 3:38.25 and 3:54.31, respectively.

In the junior boys 500m, Napu turned the tables on the host club after tallying 3:15.61 in the finals against the 3:33.49 of SPC. Napu had a better time in the preliminary round with its 3:06.05, about 20 seconds ahead of SPC’s 3:26.43.

In the co-ed 500m finals, SPC and Napu engaged in the closest race in the tournament as the former clocked in at 3:53.92 in the finals and the latter posted 3:55.67. Napu had a faster time in the preliminary roung with its 3:48.43 to beat the 3:52.07 of SPC. Hoe Lokahi was the third team to join the sprint and posted 4:05.88 and 4:17.54 in the preliminary and final races, respectively.