Roligat, Ichiou maintain their dominance

Runners, leapers and hurlers gathered at the Oleai oval last weekend as the fastest men and women in the CNMI gathered at the Oleai Sports Complex to compete in another round of time trials hosted by the Northern Marianas Track and Field Federation for the 2004 Oceania Open and 18-and-Under Championships that will be held this December in Australia.

The list of first place finishers reads like a list of a CNMI athletics who’s who catalog. While several managed to make the Top 3 often, nobody took the tape more often and more consistently than Darryl Roligat and Antonio Ichiou.

The 15-year-old Roligat took the individual title in the long jump (4.33 meters), the 100-meter (12-flat) and the 200m (25.1) in the 18-and-under division, while teaming up with the Ichiou, Jack Kabiriel and Wylie Peas of the Wanna Be Stars to win the medley relay (1:53.9) in the open division.

The 39-year-old ageless Ichiou also had one heck of a day, taking the 100m (11.9) and the 200m (24.5) in the open division. Ichiou usually enters and wins the 400m as well, but this time out he did not finish.

While Roligat and Ichiou were tops once again, they faced some stiff competition from the rest of the field. Roligat was chased by 16-year-old Francisco Dillay (4.21) and Trevor Ogumoro (3.78) in the long jump, Ivan De Vero (12.2) in the 100m and Jeremy Winkfield (25.2) in the 200m.

Ichiou legged out a faster finish than 19-year-old Dexter Dillay (12.8) in the 100m, and Ketson Kabiriel (25.4) in the 200m.

The 27-year-old Kabiriel took the 400m with a time of 55.2, followed by 18-year-old Marcan Aldan (59.9) in the open division, while Winkfield was the only runner in the 18-and-under to break the minute mark with a time of 54.9.

None of the competitors in the open division tried their hand at the 800m, however, there was a list of two-lappers in the 18-and-under. The 13-year-old Vaughn Wonenberg led the pack, as he ran a pair of laps in 2:38.3 to nip 17-year-old Carlos Feger (2:38.7).

Wonenberg returned to wow the field again in the 1500m as he breezed through roughly four laps in 5:35.2 for the victory. Wonenberg was fahvromdraggin in his raced around the track more than 30 seconds ahead of second place Yu Pai (6:04.4).

Pai returned to team up with Feger, Nathan Pangelinan and Xingi Liu to take the 18-and-under medley relay with a time of 2:09.6 ahead of Douglas Dillay, Eugene Dillay, Trevor Ogumoro and Heartim of the Hard-Kors (2:19.3).

The throwing events were all about Borja, as Anthony Borja and Shaun Borja finished one-two in the shotput and the discus. Anthony propelled his shotput a distance of 10.67m, and his discus 26.04, while Shaun managed 8.75m with the shotput and 18.40 with the discus.