Japanese cage team, MMA fighters in spotlight

Visiting athletes were in focus in last week’s events that kept members of the sports community busy, as usual.

First to arrive on Saipan was Eduard “Landslide’ Folayang, a Universal Reality Combat Championship champion from the Philippines.

Folayang, who arrived here early Monday morning (March 23), was set to duel local pride Jerome Denard Norita in the semi main event of Gorilla Warfare MMA’s Battle Ready Saturday (March 28) at the Royal Taga Hall of Saipan World Resort.

Two more off-island MMA fighters—Ed Carpenter of Chicago and Guam’s Mike Davis—came in later in the week.

Joining the three visitors were 19 other local/Saipan-based fighters.

Over at the Marianas High School Gymnasium, 20 Japanese youth basketball players challenged Saipan’s bets.

The Settsu Red Impulse Basketball Club brought its boys’ 16-and-under team and girls’ 14-and-under squad here to compete in the Inaugural Settsu-Saipan Friendship Basketball Tournament.

The visitors played on Thursday and Friday and returned to Osaka, Japan with the perpetual trophy in the girls’ 14-and-under division.

Settsu’s cagebelles won the title after beating the MISO Junior Varsity All-Stars, 61-44. Settsu also prevailed over Hopwood, 93-42.

The visitors’ boys team lost to the MHS Dolphins by a hair, 74-75, but still showed an impressive game, especially in the first half. Southern’s Manta Rays ruled the boys’ 16-and-under division after whipping the Dolphins in the finals, 106-72.

Other teams that joined the tournament were Chacha Oceanview Junior High’s Lady Lancheros and Kagman High School’s Ayuyus.

Another inaugural event unfolded last week with Pacific Islands Club hosting the PIC Bike for Life. The race, which aimed to raise funds for the March Against Cancer Coalition, drew 31 participants.

The trio of James Abuy, Ben Dela Cruz , and Ely Dolore won the 20-kilometer race from Paupau Beach via Bird Island Park to Banzai Cliff.

The northern portion of the island was also the venue for the unique Leapfrog race that drew more than 20 participants.

The race involved a two-person team using one bicycle, each alternating the bike and run leg portion of the race. Everyone starts the race at the same time.

Middle distance runner Champ Untalan and Tom Linden won the event, which covered a distance of 8.5 miles from Paupau Beach via the Kalabera Road-Pale Arnold Road junction and Banzai Cliff and back.

In bowling, youth kegler Raphael Zapanta was alone at the top of the Fiji Water Prince/Princess of the Lanes tournament. He won his third monthly title after tallying 776 pinfalls and beating six other youth bowlers in the March roll-off.

Raphael’s older brother, Raymond, and Ron Cal claimed their first monthly plum after prevailing in the Budweiser March King and Queen of the Lanes tournament at the Saipan Bowling Center.

In Saipan Little League Baseball, Ol’Aces cruised to their sixth win in a row in the Majors Division after taming the Little Lions, 17-1, at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Pangelinan Ballfield.

In the Seniors Division, the Jets were also on a roll, zooming past the Kagman Lion Kings, 13-1, for their third straight victory.

Still in baseball, the Ford Rangers seized the solo lead in the 2009 Budweiser Saipan Major League after humbling the Tigers, 25-11. The Rangers now hold a 4-1 record, a win ahead of defending champion Rock Steady and D-9ers.

In basketball, the 2009 Navy Hill Friendship Basketball League is down to two teams. Dollar Days and KFC/Taco Bell downed separate foes in the semis to arrange their championship duel in the Navy Hill caging.

KFC/Taco Bell clinched the first finals ticket after slipping past Inchcape, 99-95, Thursday night, while Dollar Days sealed the second finals berth after outlasting Athlete’s Foot, 88-77.