NMA names ’07 Athletes of the Year

Northern Marianas Athletics named its 2007 Athletes of the Year in Wednesday night’s ceremony held at the pavilion across from the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Leading the list of winners were youth runners Gabi Race and Jordan Manglona in the 10-and-under division, while Ashley Babauta and Angelo Jones won in the Under-12 age group.

Race dominated the 9-10 division in the 2007 Cross Country Races and the 2007 All Schools Cross Country Championship with times of 8:01 and 8:15.

She also won two gold medals in the 2007 McDonald’s All Schools Track and Field Championship ruling the 800m (3:22.26) and 1,500m (6:33.44) runs.

Race then teamed up with Michaella Grandinetti, Annalis Livingston, and Rachel Kim to give Whispering Palms School the 4x400m relay win with a time of 6:10:37.

Manglona earned the award after winning four gold medals in last year’s All Schools Championships. He won the 100m dash (14.98 seconds), 200m run (31.84 seconds), 400m run (1:11.62), and long jump (3.52m).

Ashley Babauta and Angelo Jones topped the 12-and-under division with the former winning short distance running events, while the latter ruled the long distance races.

Serving as highlight of Babauta’s 2007 performance was the 100m dash gold in the McDonald’s All Schools breezing to a 15.70-second finish.

Jones, meanwhile, won the long distance races in his age division in the McDonald’s athletics championships and the 2007 All Schools cross country series.

Reylynn Sapong and Lia Rangamar were named co-athletes in the 14-and-under division, while J.R. Concepcion dominated the boys class.

Sapong and Rangamar were instrumental in leading Hopwood Junior High School to the girls title in the All Schools athletics ruling the running and field events, while Concepcion won three gold and one silver in last year’s track and field meet.

Jacque Wonenberg earned her second major award for 2007 when she was named the NMA girls’ 18-and-under Athlete of the Year with Nate Mateo duplicating the feat in the boys division.

Wonenberg earned the recognition after joining several off-island competitions, breaking national records, or establishing personal bests in the process.

Mateo either won or finished second in the middle distance events while also running in the Mariana High School relay teams.

Tyrone Omar and Yvonne Bennett’s record-breaking year earned them the open division titles as they broke CNMI national records competing outside the Commonwealth.

The other nominees were Taylor Knecht, Michaella Grandinetti, and Emily Jones (girls); Jordan Butcher, Danny Auther, and Kenyan Schultz (boys) in the 10-and-under. Rachel Abraham and Jellian Majors (girls); Crosby Schultz, Brandon Philips, David Ramon, Michael Mancao, and Byron Ryan (boys) in the 12-and-under; Madison Schultz and Chiang Duenas (girls), and Mike Bondoc (boys) in the 14-and-under; Champ Untalan, Matt Mancao, and Jesus Iguel (boys 18-and-under); and Nick Gross and Dexter Dillay (men’s open).

Mamiko Oshima, meanwhile, bested Mieko Carey, Noriko Jim, and Akiko Hagiwara for the roadrunner of the year crown.