Previous Story
Tan, Santos to race in Aussie cross-country
The CNMI’s Tania Tan, right, races in the 5,000m run during the Oceania Micronesian Regional Championships 2018 held on Saipan last June at the Oleai Sports Complex. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
Saipan’s Tania Tan and Tinian’s Tyler Santos are heading to Australia tomorrow to represent the CNMI in the 2018 Australian Cross-Country Championships.
Tan is entered in the 4-kilometer race, while Santos will be doing the longer 6K event. The tournament will be held this Saturday at the Maleny Golf Club in Sunshine Coast, Queensland with Tan among the 87 runners competing in the 16 to 17 age group and Santos also racing in the same division, which has 88 runners from various cities and states in the Land Down Under.
“I am beyond thankful and honored to be selected by the NMA to participate in this competition. Since we’re such a small group of islands and hardly anyone knows us, I feel like this is my chance to show the world that even though we’re small and might not have all the opportunities and resources to compete in other global events, we are still willing to challenge the other nations and give them good competition,” Tan said, who will be representing the CNMI in an international tournament for the second time this year.
She first joined the Oceania Micronesian Regional Championships 2018 held here last June and won gold medals in the 3,000m and 5,00m runs and took the silver in the 1,500m race.
“I will be running on a golf course and I have never ran a 4K race before so I will do my best to have a good time,” said Tan, who completed the 5K run at the Oleai Sports Complex oval during the Oceania Micronesia meet under the 22-minute mark (21:49.52).
Santos also participated in the Oceania Micronesia competition and suited up for the CNMI National Team in the 9th Micronesian Games in Yap last month. He earned a bronze medal in the 1,500m race in the Micro Games.
Saipan International School headmaster Ron Snyder will coach Santos and Tan in the Australian competition.
