CNMI Athletics Team delivers, again

Rachel Abrams notched her third gold medal in the Games, ruling the women’s high jump, while Dolores Rangamar got her first gold, and Beo Ngirchongor bagged his second. Rangamar won in the women’s discus throw, while Ngirchongor topped the men’s 400m hurdles. The CNMI also hauled four silver medals in the penultimate day of the athletics competition.

With the Commonwealth winning three more gold medals in athletics and one in swimming in Day 3 of the Games, the CNMI’s gold medal total was up to 10. Team Marianas, which also has six silver medals and one bronze, is in fourth place in the medal standings (as of 6pm yesterday) behind Guam (21-12-4), Pohnpei (15-14-14), and Palau (14-8-14).

Abrams took the gold in the women’s long jump after recording 1.38m and beating fellow CNMI athlete Friendly Joy Pena (1.25m). The multiple gold medalists also joined the 100m run yesterday and placed second behind the Marshall Islands’ Lanja Fritz. Abrams’ official time in the finals was unavailable at press time, but his qualifying time read at 13.45 seconds. He registered the third fastest time in the qualifying heat and topped her preliminary race. Pena and Zarinae Sapong also joined the 100m qualifying run with the former getting the last slot to the second round with her 13.88 seconds. Sapong finished next to Pena, but missed the cut after submitting 13.96 seconds.

In the women’s discuss, the CNMI had a 1-2 finish with mother and daughter Dolores and Lia Rangamar beating four other participants. Dolores recorded 26.42m to take the gold medal, while Lia was in close second and won the silver with her 26.40m. Nauru’s Nina Grundler (25.81) notched the bronze, while three Pohnpei bets finished fourth to sixth place.

In the men’s 400m hurdles, Ngirchongor prevailed against six other participants. He completed the race in 1:00.89 to finish way ahead of Pohnpei’s Savier Edwin (1:02.13). Another Pohnpei athlete, McCafrrey Gilmete (1:02.47) nabbed the bronze.

Ngirchongor also raced in the 100m sprint, but fell just one notch short of advancing to the next round after placing at No. 15 with his time of 11.88 seconds. Only the Top 14 runners qualified for the second round and one of them was Ngirchongor’s teammate, Brandon Phillip, who was ranked No. 13 after recording 11.80 seconds. The finals of the 100m run was scheduled last night and results were unavailable at press time

In the octathlon, Orrin Pharmin saved a silver medal after topping the last two events of the competition. He logged a field best 1.60m in the high jump and 37.08m in the javelin throw to redeem himself from a fifth place finish in the 110m hurdles (20.98 seconds). Pharmin did the first five events of the octathlon last Tuesday, getting two second place finishes, two fourth, and one third. Pharmin lost the gold medal to Palau’s Francis Tkel, while Pohnpei’s Jesse Jack brought home the gold.

A couple of relay races and middle distance events were left in last night’s track and field contest, while today’s men’s and women’s half marathon concludes the Game’s athletics competition.

Victoria gets one more gold
The swimming competition at the PNI Swimming Pool ended yesterday with the CNMI’s Victoria Chentsova getting her third gold medal in the Games after winning the 400m freestyle event.

Chentsova clocked in at 4:53.64 to beat four other swimmers in the 400m freestyle race and bring her medal total to four. She got a bronze in the 100m freestyle (1:04.37) and gold medals in the 200m freestyle (2:18.48) and 800m freestyle. The only female member of the CNMI Swimming Team also competed in yesterday’s 50m backstroke and finished sixth with her 35.80 seconds.

In other results, Takumi Sugie almost made it to the medal podium in the 400m freestyle after placing fourth with his 4:46.41. In the 50m freestyle, he was ranked eighth after clocking in at 28.49 seconds. Kento Akimaru and Christian Villacrusis joined the 50m freestyle, too and placed 11th (29.18 seconds) and 12th (29.33 seconds), respectively. In his two other races, Akimaru was ranked seventh in the 100m breaststroke (1:22.19) and fifth in the 400m freestyle (4:53.34). Villacrusis also competed in the 100m breaststroke and placed sixth with a time of 1:22.35.

Basketball teams bounce back; Baseball game rained-out
The CNMI Men’s National Team recovered from its debut loss to Palau after beating Nauru, 97-74, in Day 2 of the tournament at the COM-FSM National Gymnasium last Tuesday.

The Commonwealth’s cagebelles also played in Day 2 of the basketball competition and went 0-2 after bowing to defending gold medalist Guam, 35-86. The Connie Camacho-captained squad then suited up in its third straight game yesterday and finally barged into the win column after routing Nauru, 89-54.

The CNMI Men’s Nationals were also scheduled to play their third match yesterday, meeting Pohnpei in the last game of the day, but results were unavailable at press time.

In baseball, the CNMI’s game against Kosrae was rained-out at the bottom of the second inning with neither team breaking into the scoreboard. The match may resume today after the CNMI’s 9am (8am Saipan time) tiff against Pohnpei. The CNMI sluggers are gunning for their second straight win after an impressive 3-0 victory over Palau last Tuesday.