Antonio is top male athlete for May; Dela Cruz, Cruz get student athlete plums

Triathlon’s Florence Antonio was named Male Athlete of the Month for May, while teenagers Sir-Lashu Dela Cruz and Casey C. Cruz won male and female students athletes of the month by the Northern Marianas Sports Association. Marianas Outrigger Club took home the NMSA Team of the Month award.

NMSA announced the athletes/team of the month for May to highlight excellence among three athletes and a team across four sports during the month. Awardees are eligible to be named athletes/team of the year and will be recognized at the annual NMSA Awards Banquet.

May was highlighted by the CNMI Public School System/McDonald’s All Schools Athletics Championships, the Division of Youth Services/Typhoon Sports 3v3 Basketball Tournament, the Paupau Taga Triathlon, and the Northern Marianas National Paddle Sports Federation Sprint Competition.

Antonio won the 60-and-above age group division of the Paupau Taga Triathlon last May. Despite an extended leave of absence from sports due to health concerns, Antonio was able to outpace his younger rivals. Antonio has bounced back from setbacks and is back onto the triathlon and multi-sport race scene. He is an active member of numerous community organizations.

Male student of the month Dela Cruz is a well-rounded, passionate, and determined point guard from the Typhoon Sports Association on Tinian. He played for Team Natural in the May 2021 Division of Youth Services/Typhoon Sports 3v3 Basketball Tournament and had a huge role in their championship win. He averaged double figures in points and rebounds, earning him the Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer awards in the U20 division. He not only displayed great teamwork and sportsmanship; he also helped build team spirit and boost team performance. Dela Cruz will be a senior at Tinian High School in the Fall and plans to continue playing basketball and join future tournaments.

During the recent PSS/McDonald’s All Schools Athletics Championships, Cruz performed outstandingly as a freshman by winning all three sprint events—100m at 13.50 seconds, 200m at 28.90 seconds, and 400m at 1:09.95 minutes. She is part of the Northern Marianas Athletics Under 18 development squad. During training and competition, she displayed true sportsmanship toward her fellow competitors, teammates, coaches, and officials.

Marianas Outrigger Club members pose for a group photo after one of their recent competitions. (Contributed photo)

Marianas Outrigger Club, meanwhile, always embodied team culture based around hard work, perseverance, and sportsmanship. The team did not compete for three years due to lack of funding, unavailability of races to compete in, and the pandemic. Nonetheless, the MOC continued to train at the crack of dawn three times each week. On May 29, the training paid off with MOC sweeping the Northern Marianas National Paddle Sports Federation Sprint Competition winning all four events of the day, including two 500m races and two 1,500m races. (Saipan Tribune)