Winkfield, Babauta, Johnson are month’s best

The Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association named athletics’ Jeremy Winkfield, basketball’s Bill Babauta, and swimming’s Amanda Johnson athletes of the month for December.

Winkfield got the nod for male athlete of the month after his strong performance in the Oceania Open & Under 18 Area Track and Field Championships held in Townsville, Australia last month.

In the competition, the 17-year-old Marianas High School student became the first CNMI athlete to break the 50-meter barrier in the javelin. Winfield launched the lance to a distance of 51.98 and in doing so placed fifth out of 13 competitors in the event.

Winkfield’s throw also broke the CNMI’s junior and open records. His previous best before leaving for the Land Down Under was 44.38m, which he had set a month before the Championships, making his 8-meter improvement all the more impressive.

Babauta, for his part, was named male student athlete of the month for December for leading his 69ers to the championship of the 2004 Christmas Basketball League.

The 6’0” Babauta played center for the San Antonio team, and although finishing only third in scoring for the 69ers, the 14-year-old led his team in rebounding, blocked shots, and was their main catalyst in defense.

He also elevated his play in the playoffs and championships. After averaging just 7.0 points in three elimination round matches, Babauta upped his average to 10 points in the playoffs before capping the 69ers’ perfect record in the Holiday Hoops with a 12-point effort in the championships against rival Saipan Sixers—en route to earning MVP honors.

Johnson, on the other hand, caught Saipan Swim Club coach Michael Stewart as well as the NMASA board’s eye for her swashbuckling performance in two meets in Guam in December and took the female student athlete of the month honor.

The 13-year-old from Saipan International School first made waves by winning the High Point Trophy of the girls’ 13-14-year-old age group in the ABC meet held last Dec.11. Johnson took the title after winning four of the five events she participated in.

She returned to scene of her triumph a couple of weeks later for the Guam International Invitational, which took place from Dec. 27 to 28.

Johnson didn’t miss a beat and again touched the tile first in six of seven events she entered in, en route to winning another High Point Trophy in her age group. She also recorded Life Time Bests on all seven swims and has become the fifth swimmer to qualify for the South Pacific Mini Games set this coming for July and August. She joins Dean Palacios, Nina Mosley, Juan Camacho, and Minerva Cabrera in the list.

Kenuske Kimura of swimming also was nominated for male student athlete of the month. Like Johnson, the 8-year-old also swam his heart out in the two meets in Guam. In the ABC meet, Kimura won four of five events and bagged the High Point Trophy in the boys’ 8-and-under age group. He also recorded LTBs in all his swims.

In the Guam International Invitational, Kimura won seven of seven and captured his second High Point Trophy of the month.