Athletes enjoying their stay on Saipan

After their first night on the track, most of the international field of competitors opted to return to the comforts of the Aquarius Beach Tower in Chalan Kanoa for a good night’s rest, and on the way to the second day of competition in the 2nd Micronesian Athletics Championships they shared their thoughts concerning the event.

Whether they run, jump, or throw, all of the athletes agreed that they were proud to represent their homelands, and some were fortunate to well under the lights on opening night.

Seventeen-year-old sprinter Algerson Rodriguez of Pohnpei said he was happy to represent the Federated States of Micronesia in the games and that he plans to return to Saipan next summer in the 2006 Micronesian Games.

Rodriguez enjoyed the sweet taste of victory in a hurry on Wednesday night as he anchored the medley to bring a gold medal home for FSM. Yesterday he was on a mission to meet or beat his personal best 52.9 in the 400m.

Much like the CNMI, the athletes from the FSM have a unique challenge as their team hails from three separate islands. This time around Chuuk and Pohnpei are fielding competitors, but they expect Yap to send a delegation as well when they return in June.

Sixteen-year-old Guamanian distance runner Leana Peters echoed Rodriguez’s sentiments a day after breaking a record in the 800m and taking second in the 5,000m race with her fastest track time in the event.

“It’s just nice to represent where you’re from and feel that pride. I just try to do my best in everything. Last night I think I did the best I could. Today I am just going to try and do the same of not better,” she said.

On the bus ride from the hotel to the track, Peters was looking forward to running the 1,500m race, and said the journey to the MAC was not an easy one. While this is the fourth time she has represented Guam in an international competition, Peters said that she couldn’t possibly add up the hours of training that she put in to get to her present level.

“That’s kind of hard. Back in Guam we train everyday except for Sundays from 3pm to 5pm after school,” she said.

Her teammate Nicole Layson said that the training was worth it and that Saipan has a familiar feel to it.

“It’s a very nice place. It’s a lot like Guam so it’s like running at home. Everyone has been very nice and very friendly. It’s beautiful where we’re staying. The view is nice and everything. It’s like a five star hotel,” she said.

The distance runner said that she not only enjoys coming to Saipan for the MAC, but could possibly take the next step in the future as well.

“It’s an honor to represent Guam for something you like doing. It’s a good feeling to have. It would be nice to represent Guam in the Olympics. I haven’t really thought about it much, but if we train for it most of us will probably do it,” she said.

Seventeen-year-old Purayata Yeegin from Kiribati is certainly enjoying his first time to Saipan as well, as the triple, long, and high jumper bagged a gold and silver in the first night’s events. The young man has already competed in Morocco and Australia and said that he has benefited from coming to the CNMI.

“It’s a good experience for me and I feel good,” he said.

Yeegin said that felt good about his chances of reaching his personal best and said that he will try to come back for the Micro Games in June. After heading home, the jumper said that he will first have to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia next March.

His coach Tonana George also made the trip to Saipan for the first time and said that the entire team has been shown the local hospitality since arriving on island.

“The people are very good. They treat us very good. The people are great, really great, and nice. They welcome us wherever we go,” he said.

Fellow coach David Little agreed and said that while the track is suitable for the games that the facility could stand to benefit from an added practice area for the throwing events.

“The track is good. You can’t grumble about it. They weather (on Wednesday night) was much more of a problem than the track. This track is a good track. The facility is fine. I think something they can do eventually is maybe put in a circle or two so that people doing throws can actually practice without using the competition area. There’s no grumble with the facilities,” he said.

Aside from the hoops that his team had to jump through to get their visas, the only thing that Little had to grumble about was that he would have brought more athletes to the MAC if it were more practical.

“People have to pay an awful amount of money to get us here so we only have eight people, so we have to cover 23 events with eight people.