Top performers of Nationals recognized

Northern Marianas Athletics recognized the top performers of the recent CNMI National Track and Field Championships and will nominate four of them in the Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association athlete of the month plum.

While the association applauded all competitors in the competition, Tyrone Omar, Bo Wang, Champ Untalan, and Jacque Wonenberg stood out from the rest.

Omar will be nominated as male athlete of the month after topping the 100m and 400m men’s open races. He exploded off the blocks and finished in 11 seconds to win the 100m, while Darrel Roligat and Tony Ichiuo followed with times of 11.22 and 11.77 seconds.

Omar then finished the one-lap 400m race in just 58.88 seconds, while Ketson Kabiriel and Jang Gun Kiyoshi finished in second and third place with times of 59.16 seconds and 1:03.57.

For her part, Wang raised the bar in the women’s 1,500m race and won the 800m event to get NMA’s female athlete of the month nomination.

Wang posted the best time ever in the CNMI for the 1,500m as she clocked in at 5:07.64. She dominated the race from the start and by the time she finished, the next competitor on the track was 200 meters away. Finishing in second was Chang Wang in a time of 5:50.87, while Liane Riley won the 11-and-under category after clocking in at 6:24:61.

Wang also had a strong performance in the 800m race as she crossed the finish line in 2:37.68. Chang Wang placed second in 2:50.44.

Like Bo, Untalan was successful in both the 1,500m and 800m races and will be NMA’s nominee for the male student athlete award. Untalan was given a run for his money in the 1,500m, but sprinted to victory in the final 200m to win the race in 4:56.84. Reggie Ayuyu of Tinian placed second in 5:03.53, while Nate Mateo and Allen Moses followed in 5:12.31 and 5:15.96.

Untalan edged Mateo and Moses in the 800m with a time of 2:20.26. Mateo finished in 2:22.61 and Moses in 2:23.54.

Meanwhile, Wonenberg competed and shined in four events. She won the girls’ 14-and-under 100m sprint in 13.99 seconds, and again dominated the 200m in 28.53 seconds.

She also took top honors in the long jump with a distance of 4.22m, and placed second in the high jump after recording a height of 1.25 meters.

Other females that took top honors were Reylynn Sapong for the girls’ 11-and-under 100m, Zarinae Sapong for the girls’ 11-and-under 200m race and long jump, Riley for the girls’ 11-and-under 800m event, Yue Wang in the girls’ high jump and 14-and-under javelin, Emy Oiterong in the women’s 100m, Doris Rangamar in the women’s shot put and discus throws, Beverly Igitol in the women’s open javelin.

In the male corner, other winners include Jonathan Wilson in the boys’ 14-and-under 100m and 200m races, Frankie Camacho in the 11-and-under 100m race and long jump, Mathew Mancao in the 14-and-under 800m event, Trevor Ogumoro in the 14-and-under long jump, Douglas Dillay in the 14-and-under javelin throw, Vince Riley in the Masters 100m and long jump, Darrel Roligat in the men’s 200m, Yoshi Suzuki in the men’s 5,000m, Jeremy Winkfield in the men’s high jump and discus throw, Francisco Dillay in the men’s long jump, Joe Saures in the men’s shot put, Terrence Tudela in the 14-and-under shot put, and Tony Ichiuo in the men’s javelin.