58 netters join Junior Championships

A total of 58 junior netters signed up for the 2008 Spectrum Electric Inc.-Marianas Medical Center CNMI Junior Tennis Championships, which begins tomorrow at the American Memorial Park courts.

Points will be at stake in the two weekend tournament as participants will get 1 1/2 times the points for the CNMI Junior rankings in time for the International Tennis Federation-North Pacific Qualifying event on Guam in June.

Pacific Islands Club-Gatorade Tennis Tournament men’s and women’s champions Ji Hoon Heo and Thea Minor lead the list of participants in the boys’ and girls’ 18-and-under divisions.

Joseph Jang, Andy Nutting, Russell Buenaventura, Calvin Yang, Woo Suk Chang, and James Camacho will try to foil Heo’s title bid, while out to challenge Minor in the girls division are Dina Jones, Jodel Fernandez, Kisses Aquino, Mayuko Arriola, and Lila Mailman.

Chris Cajigan will try to maintain his hold of the 9-and-under crown as he battles Jayson Gamboa, Morris Villanueva, Elnathan Wong, Evzen Pabellon, Carl Dela Cruz, Steven Goodwin, Raj Ramnani, Michael Jones, Luther Lizama, and Colin Ramsey.

Emily Jones will renew her rivalry with Tammy Ackerman, Julia Ishikawa, and Liza Atalig for the girls’ 9-and-under crown. Others in the age group are Catherine Atalig and Carol Lee.

Christian Miller will have a tough time in the boys’ 13-and-under division as it has the most number of participants with 19 other players contending for the title.

Joining Miller in the division are Adriane De Luna, Daniel Camacho, Jake Lee, Aaron Lee, Andrew Johnson, Clay McCullough-Stearns, Kevin yang, Joel Jang, R.J. Aquino, Thomas Lim, Nathan Nutting, brothers Rafael and Angelo Jones, Lucas Nutting, Quintin Ramsey, Tommy Choi, Dylan Ackerman, Bill Song, and Rovil Florencio.

Playing in the girls’ 13-and-under division are Amy Arenovski, Ilia Corella, Theecel Minor, Adele Hudkins, Alina Ishikawa, Jeane Bracken, Neghar Rastguiy, and Minori Yoshida.

The first two days of the tournament will be played on April 19 and 20, while the final leg will be on April 26 and 27.

A 15-minute default time will be in effect after every scheduled match and players are allowed to have a five-minute warm before the game. A 10-minute break will be followed between the second and third sets.

Parents are also not allowed inside their children’s court or coach them during their matches.