Galang leads NMSA October awardees

Gerald Galang is the Northern Marianas Sports Association’s October Male Athlete of the Month. (Jon Perez)

Andrew Johnson and Djay Ong, named co-Male Student Athletes of the Month, and Anna Calvert (as top female student athlete) joined Galang on the winner’s list.

Galang, one of the rising standouts of the revived Commonwealth Bodybuilding Federation, placed fourth in last month’s 2014 Michelob Ultra Bodybuilding & Body Fitness Championship and International Invitational at the Leo Palace Resort in Yona, Guam.

The 22-year-old joined his first international competition and finished behind two Japanese and one Guam bet. He managed to beat several other participants from Australia and Guam.

Galang is currently a freshman at the Northern Marianas College, studying computer applications. He also works as an instructor and customer service representative at Gold’s Gym. Last September, Galang, who had two years of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan but is now in the reserve forces, placed second to Vince Aldan in the Open and overall physique categories in the 2014 Dee Clayton Classic.

Galang defeated former CNMI men’s basketball team member Jericho Cruz, who is now playing in professionally in the Philippine Basketball Association, for the Male Athlete of the Month award.

Johnson, now a senior at Saipan International School, is considered among the top all-around youth athletes on Saipan. He plays beach and indoor volleyball and is also a member of the MP United Football Club.

Johnson is the team captain of the SIS Geckos, who currently lead the 2014 Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization Boys Volleyball League with a perfect 11-0 record. He is one of the star players for SIS and is now helping the Geckos in their practices, acting as an assistant coach every game.

Ong, meanwhile, has played a major role in Fiesta Resort & Spa’s title wins in the Tan Holdings Inter-Company Basketball League and the Inter-Hotel Basketball League. He also plays for DYS in the BANMI Youth League’s Under-18 division.

Calvert was the lone nominee for the Female Athlete of the Month ans the SIS middle school student showed that she’s one of the rising volleyball stars on Saipan. Her play drastically improved through sheer determination, hard work, and practice, according to the nomination letter from Northern Marians Islands Volleyball Association.

Last year, Calvert’s serve could not get past the net, but now she has developed a powerful serve and became a reliable defender, NMIVA added.

Meanwhile, NMSA president Mike White wished that member federations would nominate more female athletes to further promote equality in sports. (Jon Perez)