NMI wins 1st Marianas Cup Pickleball Tournament

Team NMI players are all smiles after beating Guam in the Inaugural Marianas Cup Pickleball Tournament held last Saturday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts. Standing from left, Roy Pangelinan, Erin Dean, Dr. Nelson Krum, Nicky Nichols, Eric Abragan, and Donn Dunlop. Sitting from left, Karen Klassen, Chelsea Henzon, Mary Rose Alvarez, Marivic Dunlop, Mimi Zhang, and Merle Byrd. (LEIGH GASES)

The daily practices and home court advantage secured the Marianas Cup for the NMI in the Inaugural Marianas Cup Pickleball Tournament against Guam held last Saturday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

The Pickleball Federation of the Northern Mariana Islands team defeated Pickleball Guam Association, 11-1, after 12 matches in a best-two-out-of-three format, with NMI winning 23 games out of 29 games played.

Despite the rain delay, the home crowd showed up and kept the cheers coming as the game went underway with the women’s doubles games first, followed by the men’s doubles, then the mixed doubles. Each match had two games each, with the best two out of three games to 11 points in which they won the game by 2 points.

NMI’s Elisha Chelsea Henzon and Karen Klassen drew first blood against Odette Taylor and Miya Taylor to gain the first point of the tournament for Team NMI. In the end, PFNMI president and coach Dr. Nelson Krum clinched the title for the team in his last win of the game.

The CNMI’s Karen Klassen, left, and Chelsea Henzon battle Guam’s Miya Taylor and Odette Taylor in the women’s doubles during the first Marianas Cup Pickleball Tournament last Saturday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts. (LEIGH GASES)

NMI player Donn Dunlop told Saipan Tribune Krum’s “last point was the one that [sealed] the deal for us, so not only was this his brainchild, this whole Marianas Cup, but he just won the cup for us. Our match didn’t matter, he had already won so many points so he clinched the cup with his wins…”

When asked how it was playing against Guam players, Dunlop said that “they were such solid players. We knew the 12 players were going to be tough that they were bringing, and they were just really, really good. Somehow, I think maybe we won them because the venue is ours and we have home court. The crowd is great—look at the parking lot, it’s full. We have all this food and all these drinks; a lot of support from a lot of sponsors. We’re just so stoked that so many people are getting out and playing this game and exercising. We just love it.”

With the tournament experience, Krum said, “Saipan gets to keep the cup until next year. It was great competition and a lot of fun with the people from Guam and we just came out on top this time. Blame it on home field advantage.” He also said that “we were out here playing every night. But we had practice for about a month leading up to today.”

Henzon, NMI’s youngest player at 15 years old and who just started playing pickleball in July of this year, said of the tournament, “I love the style format; we finally get something really competitive and it brings out the best in people. I’m really excited for next year’s tournament, which I think Guam will be hosting.” When asked how it was playing against Guam players, she said, “It was really fun. They played really well, but we just played better.”

Guam’s 15-year-old player, Ayana Nakagawa said “it’s been really fun. I think we definitely could have won a few more of them. But it’s been really good games, really good matchups…Competition here is so fun. It’s fun being able to play with new players because playing on Guam, you only get to play with the same people. So, it’s nice seeing other people’s skills and how they hit.”

Another Guam player, Wiliam Josler, said, “the competition is steep. The Saipan players are very talented. And so, I think that we competed well, but we weren’t able to push it over the top… we have this one tournament under our belt so we know what it feels like to play and to compete. Everyone was very nervous coming here. We’re going to go back and practice hard and… practice better for the next tournament.”

Aside from Dunlop, Henzon, and Krum, the NMI team also includes Karen Klassen, Mimi Zhang, Nicky Nichols, Roy Pangelinan, Merle Byrd, Mary Rose Alvarez, Eric Abragan, Marivic Dunlop, and Erin Dean.

Their challengers from Guam, which include the aforementioned Josler and Nakagawa, are Derick Alcorn, Tomi Castillo, Albert Manansala, Aubrey Owens, Miya Taylor, Jhun Pulongbarit, Odette Taylor, Siobohn McManus, Mao Nagahashi, and Nate Santos. 

If you have any questions about the PFNMI, call or text Krum at 670-789-8201, or email @ nelsonkrum@msn.com. Let him know if you would like to be added to the Pickleball CNMI Group Chat on WhatsApp.