Four named March athletes of the month

Softball’s Mel Sakisat, swimming’s Nina Mosley, athletics’ Darrel Roligat, and triathlon’s Dominique Austin are March’s recipients of the Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association athlete of the month honors.

Sakisat won the male athlete of the month plum after becoming the first player in the history of the Saipan Softball Association to win both MVP awards of the Men’s Island-wide Fastpitch League and Men’s Island-wide Slowpitch League.

The D9ers shortstop almost swept the offensive category in the fastpitch league, taking home the most runs, most doubles, most triples, most homeruns, and most RBI titles en route to winning the regular season MVP. The only award that escaped Sakisat’s grasp was the batting crown, which went to Jeff Cabrera of the Islanders.

Sakisat won three more individual awards in the slowpitch league etching his name on the trophies for most homeruns, most RBI, and the regular season most valuable player.

Mosley, for her part, got the nod for female athlete of the month for her performance in the Guam All-Island Invitational held at the Hagatna Pool last March 5.

The 15-year-old star of the Saipan Swim Club broke the CNMI age group record in the 50m freestyle with an impressive time of 28.57.

The 2003 Suva South Pacific Games veteran also finished first in three of the four events she competed in, recording Life Time Bests in the 50m freestyle, 50m breastroke, and 50m butterfly events.

Mosley also swam and won her age group in the Saipan Ocean Swim held last March 19 off the waters of AJ’s Restaurant. She swam the 2.5-kilometer distance in a time of 35:36.

She will swim for the CNMI in the 2005 South Pacific Mini Games set for this July and August in Palau.

Male student athlete for March was Roligat, whose victories in the 100m and 200m in the All Comers Meet last March 19 at the Oleai track and field facility made him the most bemedaled athlete of the event.

The 16-year-old Marianas High School student broke the CNMI Junior National Record after sprinting for 11.25 seconds in the 100m. He did not miss a beat in the 200m either, tearing the tape in 23.87.

He also teamed up with good friends Dan Barcinas, Jeremy Winkfield, and Dexter Dillay in the 4x100m relay and the quartet took first place with a time of 46.37.

Roligat also has been selected by the Northern Mariana Islands Track and Field Federation to represent the CNMI at the World Youth Championships in Morocco from July 14 to July 17 and the World Championships in Finland from Aug. 6 to Aug. 14.

Austin earned recognition competing in the Northern Mariana Islands Triathlon Federation’s Rumble on the Road, where she finished first in the girls 10-12 age group.

In the race held on Black Saturday, March 26, Austin shone the most and finished with a time of 21:16. She emerged from the 100-meter swim in the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool in a time of 3:38, negotiated the 3-kilometer bike course in 4:36, and laced up her running shoes for the 1km run in 13:02.

Other athletes nominated for the monthly awards showered by the governing sports body of the islands were Mark Lero, Reylyn Sapong, and Bo Wang of athletics, Juan Camacho, Ilia Corella, and Kensuke Kimura of swimming, and Tyce Mister, Dawn Hammermeister, and Andrew Johnson of triathlon.