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NMI athletes officially listed for Mini Games
The Ol’Aces’ Jack Lizama, right, dribbles past Alpha Males’ Antonio Borja during their semis game in the men’s division of the 3×3 Hoopfest Marianas 2017 early this month at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. The Ol’Aces will represent the CNMI to the 2017 Pacific Mini Games in Vanuatu. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
Names of the members of the CNMI’s athletics, 3×3 men’s basketball, and weightlifting teams were included on the official entry list to the 2017 Pacific Mini Games.
Zarinae Sapong and Beouch Ngirchongor, and Jamie Pangelinan will be representing Team Marianas in athletics, while Douglas Schmidt Jr., Dan Barcinas, Preston Basa, and Jack Lizama Jr. are suiting up for the CNMI’s 3×3 men’s basketball team. Angel San Nicolas, Leonardo Apelo Jr., David Barnhoouse Jr., Raymond Santos, and Joseph Tudela are Commonwealth’s entries to the weightlifting competition of the quadrennial meet that will be held in Port Vila, Vanuatu from Dec. 4 to 15.
Sapong and Ngirchongor have previously donned the CNMI’s national colors in regional athletics events like the Micronesian Games and Pacific Games, and international games organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations. She is also the reigning record holder in the 200m run in Micronesia, posting 27.87 seconds during the 2016 Micronesian Athletics Championships in Pohnpei where she also led the CNMI women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams to bronze medal finishes. Ngirchongor, meanwhile, won the gold in the men’s 400m run and 400m hurdles in the 2014 Micronesian Games in Pohnpei.
The Ol’Aces of the quartet of Barcinas, Basa, Lizama, and Schmidt topped the 3×3 the national qualifying tournament organized by the Mariana Islands Basketball Federation.
The CNMI weightlifters, on the other hand, collected 12 medals in Pohnpei with Barnes winning gold and Apelo and Santos getting silvers in their respective weight divisions.
