MHS students dominate NMASA May awardees

  Three of the four NMASA monthly awards (May) Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association handed last Thursday night went to Marianas High School students.

The Dolphins’ Rachel Abrams and Michael Mancao took the Tan Siu Lin Foundation/NMASA Female and Male Student Athletes of the Month plum, while MHS graduate Lia Rangamar claimed the NMASA Male Athlete of the Month award. Completing the May top performers list was bowling’s Percy Omechelang.

Abrams earned NMASA members’ nods after her impressive showing both in athletics and basketball competitions. She posted junior national and All Schools Championships records and won gold medals in both in the 100m and 200m runs after posting 12.71 seconds and 27.13 seconds, respectively.

The MHS junior also topped the 60m run (7.90 seconds), led MHS to victories in the 4x100m, 4x400m, and mixed medley relays, and placed third in long jump.

In the U17 Micronesian Basketball Tournament, Abrams suited up for the CNMI Team that made it to the finals of the girls division and finished runner-up behind Guam. She was the starting center for the CNMI and wounded up in the Top 10 in scoring in pool play, averaging 7.4 points per game. The lanky athlete was also selected to the All Tournament Team, getting the third highest votes from all coaches.

Mancao claimed the other half of the TSL Foundation/NMASA monthly plum posting two junior national records and one personal best time, and winning six gold medals in last month’s All Schools meet. He logged a new junior national record 2.06.65 (breaking a 14-year mark) in the 800m run and 10:49.90 in the 3,000m race. Mancao is the first CNMI runner to complete the 800m in 2:06.00 since Kabiriel set a national record (2:96.46) more than a decade ago.

Besides the 800m and 3,000m races, Mancao also won gold medals in the 1,500m (4:50.71) and the 4x100m, 4x400m, and mixed medley relays. In the 400m run where he took the silver medal, he set a PB at 55.12 seconds.

Rangamar, who graduated just last week, received a belated graduation gift with NMASA handing her the female athlete award for May. She was recognized for her leadership on the CNMI U17 Team. The MHS graduate was the starting point guard for the host team and ranked No. 11 in the Top 15 scorers in pool play and No. 7 in the Top 10 at the end of the tournament after averaging 11.2 points per game. She scored 22 in the CNMI’s finals loss to Guam and made it to the All Tournament Team, getting the most votes from the coaches.

Meanwhile, Omechelang recorded the toughest victory among the four NMASA May awardees. He won the 30th CNMI May Masters Tournament by only one pin against Robert Talavera, 2,361-2,360. The veteran bowler claimed his first ever May Masters title after recovering from a 69-pinfall deficit and a third place finish with only one game left in the 12-game finale.

Seven other athletes-swimming’ss Kaito Yanai and Miku Tammy, tennis’ Christian Miller and Julia Ishikawa, basketball’s Jack Aranda and Jimmy Tudela, and bowling’s Diana Camacho-were nominated for the May awards and all of them were earned honored mentions.