TARKONG, SAPONG NAMED ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Outrigger canoe’s Jason Tarkong, left, and athletics’ Zarinae Sapong are all smiles after winning the Male Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year awards, respectively, during the 2021 NMSA Annual Sports Banquet Tuesday evening at the Kensington Hall of Kensington Hotel Saipan. (MARK RABAGO)

In a year when competing in sports was made more difficult by COVID-19, Jason Tarkong and Zarinae Sapong were acknowledged for their athletic feats amidst the pandemic after being bestowed the Male Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year awards, respectively, during the 2021 NMSA Annual Sports Banquet Tuesday evening at the Kensington Hall of Kensington Hotel Saipan.

Tarkong, who will represent the CNMI in the outrigger canoe competition of this year’s Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022, won the coveted annual award after topping the 6.5-mile long-distance V1 race held from Kilili Beach to Garapan Fishing Base and back last July.

“Winning athlete of the year and winning that race that I won last year I just happened to be the best one that day so it was a great honor to just be able to compete,” said the Marshal Services Division officer.

Aside from winning the tough and highly competitive V1 race, the head coach for Napu Outrigger Canoe Club also has an extensive list of sports accomplishments, including being named part of the NMSA Team of the Month with Marianas Outrigger Club for May 2021, representing the CNMI and winning a gold medal in the 1,500m sprints at the 2014 Micronesian Games in Pohnpei, and again with Team CNMI winning a silver medal for the 12-mile long distance race at the 2018 Micronesian Games in Yap.

The 55-year-old dedicated his NMSA Male Athlete of the Year award to fellow paddler Jack Kabiriel as well as disabled people and people who don’t have opportunities to partake in sports activities.

Multi-sport athletes Andrei Kaithlyn Chavez, left, and Isaiah Aleksenko show off their Female Athlete of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year trophies during the 2021 NMSA Annual Sports Banquet Tuesday evening at the Kensington Hall of Kensington Hotel Saipan. (MARK RABAGO)

“Jack is battling cancer right now and is in San Diego undergoing treatment. This goes to Jack and this goes to all the people with disabilities and people with special needs who basically want to be able to do what we can. We take it for granted that we have 10 fingers and you can basically read, write, walk, see, smell, and hear. There are a lot of people in the world who basically want to live a normal life and do what you do. Because of their disabilities it’s difficult for them to live their lives and let alone compete in sports,” said Tarkong.

Sapong won the 2021 NMSA Female Athlete of the Year after she ran a season-best 13.42 seconds in the women’s 100m event of the Northern Marianas Athletics’ Track and Field Open Meet last June. It marked her first competition in more than a year since most regional events in athletics have been postponed or cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Although she trains six times a week, she still finds time to mentor NMA’s 18-and-under developmental squad, helping them improve their skills. She enjoys spending her time coaching and guiding youth athletes. If she is not on the track competing, Sapong also volunteers her time officiating,” NMA wrote when the federation nominated her for the June Female Athlete of the Month award.

Sapong said winning the annual honor was a big surprise for her since the COVID-19 pandemic not only cancelled a lot of athletics events on-island and off-island she could’ve competed in but also really did a number on the way she trained.

“I am appreciative for the nomination and very grateful to be on the CNMI National Athletics Team. Last year was full of uncertainty. My training regimen was turned upside down but being surrounded by amazing athletes and coaches helped me push through even on my toughest days,” said the wireless inventory assistant at IT&E.

For winning the award, Tarkong and Sapong each received an Apple Watch Series 7 and a gift certificate worth $500 at I-Shop courtesy of the Tan Siu Lin Foundation.

Student athlete awardees
A couple of multi-sport athletes were named 2021 NMSA Student Athlete of the Year after Isaiah Aleksenko and Andrei Kaithlyn Chavez were also honored during the 2021 NMSA Annual Sports Banquet.

Aleksenko was the only two-time monthly winner among the nominees having won in January and July 2021. The Marianas High School student won in January for finishing second in the 6th Saipan Aquathlon, while he took the plum in July for topping the first and second installments of the 1,500m event of the Triple Crown Open Water Swim Series.

He dedicated his 2021 NMSA Male Student Athlete of the Year plum to his mother, Yulia, and Tsunami Saipan Swimming Center Hiroyuki Kimura.

Dr. Ron Snyder, center, joins Northern Marianas Sports Association officials led by president Jerry Tan, right, after winning the Coach of the Year award during the 2021 NMSA Annual Sports Banquet Tuesday evening at the Kensington Hall of Kensington Hotel Saipan. (MARK RABAGO)

“I want to dedicate this win to my mom because no matter what she still pushed me to go forward and never give up, and always gave me hope to do more. I also want to dedicate this win to my coach Hiro. The reason why I dedicate this win to my coach is because no matter the struggle, he still tries his best to find us competition and pool to swim at. He also find ways to train us during COVID-19. I really wish that my coach got coach of the year because he never gave up and always pushed us to work harder, without my mom and my coach, this wouldn’t be possible,” he said.

Like Aleksenko, Chavez took home the 2021 NMSA Female Student Athlete of the Year for her feat in the 6th Saipan Aquathlon in January 2021. The multi-sport athlete outpaced 14 female adults and placed sixth overall among 27 participants by clocking in at 1:07:53.
The Saipan International School student said winning the annual awards was really a big surprise and at the same time a true blessing.
“Ever since I was young, I’ve always dreamed about this moment just watching other people receive this reward. This motivated me to work hard and try to achieve this goal. It’s one of my biggest dreams and accomplishments and here I am today proud of myself for all the hard work I’ve done to achieve this,” she said.
Chavez dedicated the award to her family who has supported every step of her athletic journey.
“I want to dedicate this award to my family for waking up early to drop me to the [Oleai track and field] to run or swim or attend competition and games. I’d also like to dedicate this to my friends for always supporting me and believing in me. As well as to my competitors for always pushing to do my best and lastly my supporters for always acknowledging my accomplishments and being there for me.”
Both Aleksenko and Chavez were earlier named to the CNMI National Triathlon Team for this year’s Mini Games. Chavez is also part of the CNMI National Athletics Team where she is expected to represent the Commonwealth in the aquathon event. Like the athlete of the year awardees, the two also got Apple Watch Series 7 and a gift certificate worth $500 at I-Shop each.

Coach of the year
Dr. Ron Snyder, CNMI National Athletics coach for this year’s Mini Games, got the nod for 2021 NMSA Coach of the Year. The 55-year-old native of Auburn, New York was bestowed the award for his nearly 30 years’ work coaching students in track and field.

Snyder currently coaches Saipan International School, which he was able to transform to an athletics powerhouse. He has also coached several teams in international competitions, representing the CNMI in Japan, Guam, and Australia.

His athletes have also been named all-stars and his SIS team brought home the first ever trophy for the CNMI at the Asia Pacific XC Championships in 2019. In addition to his work with youth athletics, Snyder was among the founding members of Run Saipan last year, putting together community events for the island’s residents at a time when other sports opportunities remained closed due to COVID-19.

Snyder has also coached adult athletes in the Micronesian Regional Championships, Oceania 10K Championships, and now is the head coach of Team CNMI and getting athletes ready for the Oceania Athletics Championships, the Pacific Mini Games, and the Micronesian Games.

He was also nominated on the Oceania Athletics Coaches Commission and constantly strives to improve himself for his athletes, having successfully completed both the World Athletics Mid/Long Distance level 2 coaching course and the level 1 Lecturer’s course.

Snyder was obviously in a state of semi-shock after winning the coach of the year award as he was a bit lost for words when he accepted the wooden replica of the latte stone trophy.

“I didn’t expect this tonight so I don’t have someting nice and long prepared, but you’re probably OK with that given the time. I’d like to thank NMA for all the support in sending me and working out events. I definitely would like to thank my wife even though she told me not to… for being supportive if I have to go up at 4am to set up meets and she had to make her own coffee. Denise Myers I’d like to thank her tonight too. She told me everybody here will have a tie on tonight. So, thanks Denise for making me standout on that one.”

On a more serious note, he said he became a coach not for personal glory but to coach the youth.

“I would like to thank the athletes that I coached over the years because that’s really the reason I’ve done it. I couldn’t have done it without them. They’re the ones that inspired me and they were the ones that made me happy about the relationships I’ve formed and I’m thrilled with their successes and that’s been my major motivation for it,” he said.