Winter Festival of Runs takes center stage

The week’s biggest sports event was undoubtedly the 2009 Winter Festival of Runs.

The festival, which featured the grueling 42.195-km marathon, 21.079-km half marathon, and 10K races, had hundreds of Japanese runners challenging Saipan bets.

It allowed runners-tourists and CNMI residents alike to once again enjoy cruising the island’s scenic spots from the picturesque Beach Road to Marpi early morning.

At the finish line at Micro Beach at the American Memorial Park, Saipan resident Mamiko Oshima-Berger raised her arms in triumph, as she defended her women’s division title.

Oshima-Berger had a record-breaking run for a back-to-back title in the women’s marathon. She finished the race that started and ended at Micro Beach in three hours, 22 minutes, 45 seconds breaking her 2008 time of 3:51:58.

Oshima-Berger outraced Guam’s Noemi Neipert (3:35:35) and Japan’s Satomi Yahata (3:37:06).

In the men’s division, 28-year-old Izuru Nakashima was the first finisher timing in at 3:04:44. Two other Japanese runners completed the Top 3, namely Kenichi Tanaka (3:04:49) and Ryuichi Yoshida.

Another Saipan resident—Mieko Carey—made the island proud when she won the women’s division of the half marathon clocking in at 1:34:54.

Carey prevailed over Japan’s Megumi Shoji (1:40:00) and Sayuri Yuyama (1:41:48) to improve from her sixth place finish in 2008.

In the men’s division, Jack Kabiriel almost made it 2-0 for Saipan runners in the half marathon when he finished second to Masami Iwamoto.

Kabiriel recorded 1:30:00, less than two minutes behind Iwamoto, who timed in at 1:28:25. Atsushi Yoshimura clocked in at 1:30:28 for third place.

Saipan runners were perfect in the 10K race with youth runner Matt Mancao and veteran Noriko Jim winning the men’s and women’s division titles.

Mancao completed the shortest race of the day in 40:36 to beat fellow Saipan runners Steve Pixley (42:01) and Yoshi Suzuki (43:24).

Jim clocked in at 41:30 outracing Kaori Teramoto (48:03) and Naoko Urakami (49:18).

Over at the Dandan Elementary School Ballfield, DCEPT 6 nailed back-to-back titles in the Customs Goodwill Slowpitch Softball Tournament.

After beating Faja in the inaugural tournament last year, DCEPT 6 thwarted NMC We Are You in this year’s event for a successful title defense.

A walk off homer from leftfielder Juan Iguel lifted DCEPT to a 3-2 finals triumph against NMC.

Still in softball, defending champion Department of Community and Cultural Affairs remained the lone unbeaten team in the men’s division of the 2008 Inter Government/Business Softball League.

An 18-3 rout of the Commonwealth Health Center gave DCCA its 10th win in as many games.

Keeping pace with DCCA is Commonwealth Ports Authority, which improved to a 10-1 record last week after a 21-9 win over the Mayor’s Office.

In golf, Mike Cruz ended an eight-year drought claiming the 2008 Fil-Taga Golfer of the Year title.

Cruz took the 2008 title after tallying a net score of 141 in two rounds, six strokes ahead of runner-up and Senate President Pete Reyes (147).

It was his third overall Golfer of the Year plum, following similar victories in the 1997 and 2000 editions of the event.

In basketball, the middle school division of the 2009 Coalition of Private Schools Sports Association Basketball League kicked off with Grace Christian Academy drubbing Mt. Carmel School, 32-12.

In darts, the Saipan Electronic Darts Association concluded its 2008 season with an awards banquet held at Charley’s Cabaret at the Pacific Islands Club.

SEDA cited individuals and teams that stood out in last season’s Masters League, A League, Tuesday B, Thursday B, C League, Ladies, and the Bud Cup.