Record breakers are NMA’s top athletes for December

Northern Marianas Athletics gave special recognition to athletes who set new records in the recent 2nd Micronesia Athletics Championships.

During a board meeting last Thursday, NMA selected sprinters Tyrone Omar and Jacque Wonenberg, hurdler Dexter Dillay, and thrower Doris Rangamar as its top athletes for December. NMA will next submit the names of the athletes to the Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association this Thursday as their nominees for the NMASA monthly plums.

Omar, who normally grabs headlines with his play on the baseball field, was selected as the top male student athlete after showcasing his speed in the competition and set a new MAC record in the 200m sprint while taking gold in the process.

The Puerto Rico resident ran with pride and performed his best in front of a home town crowd at the Oleai Sports Complex on Day 2 of the contest to break the record with a time of 23 seconds. Omar upset favorite Jack Howard of the Federated States of Micronesia and eclipsed the previous standard of 23.39 seconds set by FSM’s Danny Fredrick.

The performance was also best in NMI history as he now holds both the junior and national records for the event.

Omar also won silver in the men’s 100m sprint with a time of 11.21 seconds, and according to NMA coaches director Elias Rangamar, set the new CNMI junior and national records in the event as well.

Omar was part of the CNMI Medley Relay that won bronze the night before.

For her part, Wonenberg stunned the region 13-year-old ran matched up well against older competitors and went home with five medals to earn the NMA female student athlete of the month.

Wonenberg got things started by striking silver in the high jump after clearing a height of 1.20 meters, then followed by making all proud with a bronze medal finish in the 800m after crossing the finish line in 2:35.66. She then capped the first night of her first regional competition by teaming with Omar, Reylynn Sapong, and Darrel Roligat for bronze in the Medley Relay.

Day 2 was sweeter as Wonenberg hauled in her second silver of the MAC by completing the women’s 400m event in just 1:05.28. More good news came after as Elias Rangamar said Wonenberg’s performance set new junior and national records for the event.

She then anchored the women’s 4X100m relay team to a bronze medal finish.

For his part, Dillay set the new standard for the 110m hurdles while speeding for gold. The multi-sport athlete showed good form as he cruised through the challenge and crossed the finish line in 17.43 seconds.

Dillay, who resides in Capitol Hill, was also strong in the long jump event and won silver after leaping across the sand pit for a distance of 6.04 meters.

Doris Rangamar, the Micronesian Games discus record holder, was selected as NMA’s female athlete of the month after grabbing three medals.

After taking a brief break from the sport, Rangamar made a strong return and took bronze in the discus with a distance of 29.16 meters, then had her shiniest moment of the MAC by striking gold in the javelin when her spear landed 25.71 meters across the field.

Rangamar was back on the medal stand as she won bronze in the shot put after powering through for a distance of 8.96 meters.

NMA also extended special recognition to all NMI medalists and competitors of the MAC.