Realistic expectations for NMI track team

The CNMI National Athletics Team will not be shooting for the moon and the stars when they compete in the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia next week.

Northern Marianas Athletics development coach Elias Rangamar said they have modest expectations from Rachel Abrams, Trevor Ogumoro, and Douglas Dillay, who will be leaving Saipan this Sunday to represent the CNMI in the quadrennial meet.

“I’d say we have expectations rather than goals from them. I am not putting any pressure on these three, as far as medals are concerned. These three got selected about three months ago. Though they’ve been with the program for quite a while, they are actually not seasoned athletes in terms of competition,” Rangamar said.

“We just don’t have enough competition for them to get sharp before major meets. Their expectations are more in terms of getting personal best or making it to the second or third rounds,” the NMA coach added.

Abrams, who has been in the program for about two years, but will be competing in her first off-island athletics event, will be racing in the 100m and 200m sprints. Her best times in these races are 12.71 seconds (100m) and 28.44 seconds (200m). She will also join the long jump event.

Dillay is entered in the 400m and 800m runs, and 400m hurdles. In the 400m and 800m races in last year’s Micronesia Games, Dillay clocked in at 56.12 seconds and 2:11.56, respectively. He didn’t compete in the 400m hurdles in the Micro Games in Palau.

Ogumoro, who was also a member of the CNMI Team that went to Palau last year, will be participating in long and triple jump events in New Caledonia. He finished fourth in the long jump in the Micro Games with his 5.50 meters and fifth in triple jump (11.38m).

With the lack of on- and off-island competitions that could prepare them for the Pacific Games, NMA coaches decided to let the trio undergo weekly time trials besides their regular training sessions for three months.

“The training goes all the way until competition but their workload is reduced. Intensity though is high during this period,” Rangamar said

“Strength is a big improvement in all three but they still need a lot of work on techniques, coordination, and mental preparation. These skills require years of work and repetition to be acquired. Just like team sports, running, jumping, and throwing are skills that take years to develop,” the NMA coach answered when asked about the development of the three CNMI athletes since they started training in May.

Competition in medal-rich athletics will run from Sept. 3 to 10 at the Stade Numa Daly in Noumea.