Keglers, swimmers are week’s best

The Queen and Prince of the Lanes marched to their royal court last week, as Saipan Bowling Association held its season finale roll-off for 2008.

Claiming their thrones were Bing Prince of the Lanes Zack Cruz and Budweiser Queen of the Lanes Emi Williams, who survived the stepladder finals.

Cruz, who won only one monthly roll-off, was paired against two-time monthly winner J.D. Torres (January and September) in the semifinals and pulled off a 174-165 victory to advance to the title match. In the other semis pairing, Leanne Yarobwemal, surprised nine-time winner Raphael Zapanta, 199-153.

In the finals, Cruz defeated Yarobwemal, 188-118.

In the Queen of the Lanes event, Williams topped Yho Villavicencio in the finals, 179-149. The four other lady keglers who joined Williams and Villavicencio in the stepladder finals were Diane Camacho (third), Ron Cal (fourth), Gigi Zapanta (fifth), and Elena Soll (sixth).

No thrones were at stake in off-island tournaments that CNMI youth athletes joined in, but still they performed well to keep the Commonwealth’s pride.

CNMI’s top junior tennis player Ji Hoon Heo was the top finisher for the ITF Pacific Oceania Touring Team in two tournaments in Australia.

He won three matches in the 2009 Post Margaret Court Cup to make it to the Round of 16 of the event played at the Albury Grasscourts in Albury, New South Wales, Australia.

Heo also advanced to the Round of 16 of the 2009 Victorian Junior Grasscourt Champioships at the Wodonga Lawn Tennis Club in Wodonga, Victoria, Australia. The CNMI bet was at the upper half of the 64-player draw of his second tournament Down Under and stunned the No. 9 seed Luke Vicary of Lake Albert, NSW in the first round, 6-2, 6-2. In the Round of 32, Heo was paired with Ryan Jones and the former nailed another straight set win, 6-1, 6-1, to move into the Round of 16.

In Guam, Tsunami Saipan sent four swimmers to compete for the first time in the 2008 Junior Pan Pacific Championships. The team was led by Rezne Wong and Kai Staal, who posted a couple of records in the tournament. Joining them were Shin Kimura and Cooper Graf.

The 14-year-old Staal participated the 100m freestyle event and timed in at 57.36 seconds, to set a CNMI record in his age group. The previous mark was 57.48 seconds, which Staal himself recorded last year.

Staal joined his teammates in the 400m freestyle race and timed in at 55.93 seconds in his 100m lap passing his 100m freestyle mark of 57.36 seconds. Wong competed in the 100m butterfly event and clocked in 1:02.44, his new personal best.

Wong joined and qualified for the finals of the 100m breaststroke when he clocked in at 1:10.72. In the finals, Wong posted 1:09.86, which could have been a new CNMI National Record had he was disqualified for an illegal downward dolphin kick.

In the 2008 Inter Government/Business Softball League, Commonwealth Utilities Corp. made a big kick handing Northern Marianas College its first loss in the women’s division.

CUC ended NMC’s eighth-game winning run with a 10-9 triumph.

The new season for various sports federation also means having new set of officers tasked to handle the associations’ affairs.

Northern Marianas Badminton Federation took the lead electing a new president in Shirley Kim. Others elected were Edwin Montoya, vice president; Reynaldo Gabriel, secretary; Malou Mendoza, treasurer; Cristy Villaflor, auditor; and Marco Antonio Aguda and Jojo Savellano, public relations officers.

The Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association followed suit naming nine individuals to the 2009 NMASA Board.

Elected to the NMASA Board were Jeff Race, Rose Igitol, Tony Rogolifoi, Elias Rangamar, Nick Swaim, Gabriel White, Michael A. White, Kurt Barnes, and Jess Wabol.