No update on NMI athletes’ campaigns

CNMI sports fans were left wondering how Commonwealth athletes measured up in separate off-island events after the islands’ Internet connection went down early Wednesday morning.

Carter Calma, front, and the CNMI va’a team are seeing action in the XV Pacific Games at the Lancron Naval Base in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. (Jon Perez)

The bulk of Team CNMI’s 35-member delegation is currently in Papua New Guinea for the XV Pacific Games in Port Moresby while long distance runner Seiya Eda is representing the Commonwealth in the XXVIII Summer World University Games in Gwangju City in South Korea.

Saipan Swim Club members Victoria Chentsova, Angel De Jesus, and Takumi Sugie were aiming to improve their respective personal best times in Day 7 of the medal-rich swimming event at the Taurama Aquatic Centre and Indoor Sports Complex.

Chentsova has already recorded a PBT in the preliminary round of the 100-meter freestyle after submitting 1:04.31 to break her 1:04.53.

She also made it to the medal round of the 200m freestyle on Tuesday morning after finishing third overall out of the 16 swimmers that reached the semifinals after clocking 2:15.64 to break her old PBT of 2:18.64.

New Caledonia’s Lara Grangeon, Ylenka Maurin, and Lea Ricarrere, Fiji’s Matelita Buarromo Tieri Erasito, and Brooke Smith, and host Papua New Guinea’s Anna-Liza Jane joined Chentsova in the 200m freestyle finals.

Chentsova also recorded a new PBT in 35.81 seconds in the 50m backstroke to shatter hed old record of 36.50 seconds.

De Jesus posted times of 1:07.51 in the 100m freestyle, 2:33.35 (2oom freestyle) and 39.35 seconds in the 50m backstroke while Sugie eclipsed his 33.80 seconds PBT in the 50m backstroke with 32.47 seconds while clocking 2:16.19 in the 200m freestyle and 1:08.07 in the 100m butterfly.

The open water swim finals is set Sunday, July 12.

Tony Stearns’ wife Janet McCullough and their daughter Emily Stearns were competing in the second day of action in sailing at the Royal Papua Yacht Club at PNG’s capital, while competition in va’a resumes on Friday.

Triathlon finished last Sunday with Peter Prestley becoming the top finisher for Team CNMI with a time of 1:23:22 in the 750-kilometer swim, 20K bike, and 5K run.

Tony Stearns and Brad Ruszala, the other members of the CNMI triathlon squad had times of 1:33:14 and 1:37:30.

The opening rounds of beach volleyball and golf starts on July 13 while athletics will be the following day on July 14 along with the bodybuilding finals.

The CNMI’s four-member golf team—composed of player-coach Joe “Kamikaze” Camacho, Harry Nakamura, Franco Santos, and Louie Tilipao—and bodybuilders Donivan Mendiola and Aaron Tomokane are scheduled to leave on July 11.

Seiya Eda, meanwhile, ran in the qualifying heats of the 1,500m run in the Summer Universiade at the Gwangju World Cup Stadium at Gwangju City’s Seo-gu District.