MHS sweeps 2012 outrigger season

 Marianas High School’s boys and girls outriggers squads came away the champions of the Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization 2012 season after defeating Saipan Southern High School’s respective teams in Saturday’s boys and girls finals held in waters off Killili Beach.

The MHS Dolphins are made up of team captains Mike Johnson and Jason Limes with J.P. Aglubat, Mark Caacbay, A.J. Cabrera, Frankie Camacho, Cain Castro, Walter Florencio, Kyle Hocog, Norman Pangelinan, and R.J. Villagomez manning the oars.

The Lady Dolphins, meanwhile, include captains Madeleine Alegre and Kyanna Tenorio with Pamela Ada, Nicole Arboliras, Sierra Calvo, Clarisse Cayabyab, Laritolyn Itibus, Ajette Manabaf, and Mary Lyn Waing making up the rest of the crew.

The teams are coached by Bobby Cruz, Andrew Nissen, Dave Barnhouse, and Max Garcia.

In recognition of the squads, MHS will have its name engraved on MISO’s perpetual team trophies and get to display the awards in their showcase until next year.

The championship event featured a preliminary 1,500-meter and 500m round of race followed by a second set of final two heats, worth double the points. Only two schools participated in the season. First place was awarded 10 points per race with six points allowed for second.

It was a tight race all season long in the girls division as the MHS girls held a slight edge, 60-52, heading into Saturday’s final event.

Defending champion Lady Manta Rays won the opening 1,500m preliminary heat by 30 seconds with a strong post time of 9:39:4 to pull within four points, 62-66, but MHS dug out the 500m sprint preliminary race by just four seconds in 2:54:32 and had plenty left in the tank during the final rounds.

SSHS (9:39:38) did not go quietly in the 1,500m final, but fell again by just over three seconds to the Lady Dolphins’ mark of 9:36:12.

The new kids on the block went on to notch a swift victory in the closing 500m sprint in under three minutes at 2:54:78 to finish the season in first place with an overall point total of 116; SSHS crossed the pole at 3:08:78 and settled for second place with 92 total points on the year.

The MHS boys held a more comfortable, 66-46, margin before Saturday’s games, which grew even more after the opening 1,500m preliminary heat.

The Dolphins completed the leg in 8:34:22 ahead of the Manta Rays (8:47:17) and hit them again in the 500m early heat by over 15 seconds with a mark of 2:36:33.

MHS led by over 30 points, 86-58, heading into the final two races and the group willed its way to complete the sweep.

The Dolphins came to the beach over a minute ahead of SSHS (9:46:00) in the 1,500m final in 8:43:42 and rubbed salt in the wound in the 500m finale with a winning post time of 2:32:50. SSHS finished the leg in 2:44:36.

The final tally showed MHS running away with it at the end with a stout 126-82 cushion.