Rangamar and Camacho inducted into Hall of Fame

Dolores Rangamar, left, and Connie Camacho are all smiles after being inducted into the CNMI Sports Hall of Fame during the 2017 NMSA Annual Sports Banquet held last night at the Hibiscus Hall of the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan. (Jon Perez)

Dolores Pua Rangamar and Connie Camacho were enshrined in the CNMI Sports Hall of Fame last night during the 2017 NMSA Annual Sports Banquet held at the Hibiscus Hall of the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan.

Rangamar excelled in athletics, specifically in field events—discus throw, hammer throw, javelin throw, and shot put—and also represented the CNMI in softball and indoor volleyball. Camacho, on the other hand, began her career in basketball and later competed in athletics, soccer, and fast-pitch softball.

Though their induction to the elite group was a culmination of their notable performance in various sports, both Camacho and Rangamar said they are not yet officially retired, as they still plan to compete in this year’s Micronesian Games in Yap.

Rangamar said she’s honored with the award, as the Hall of Fame is the peak of all her achievements.

“This is a recognition from our islands. I am thankful for this achievement. It makes me want to work harder and push myself again. Age is just a number. I asked Eli, my husband, if I could compete in the [regional championships] or qualify for the CNMI team to the Micro Games. I’m going to work harder since everyone is getting stronger. I need to keep up with the young ones,” she said.

Her husband, Eli, is a many-time national player and coach in basketball, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year, making them the first couple to be given the same honor.

Rangamar has collected three gold, one silver, and three bronze medals in the Micronesian Games and the then Micronesian Area Championships, which is now known as the Oceania Micronesia Regional Championships.

Her greatest achievement in representing the CNMI, however, was when she set the Micro Games record in the women’s discus throw. Rangamar posted 31.69 meters in the 2002 competition in Pohnpei, a feat that still stands today and unbroken for more than a decade.

Meanwhile, Camacho’s sporting career has spanned 20 years. She guided the CNMI to its first ever basketball gold in the 2006 Micro Games. Before that, she helped the CNMI to bronze medal finishes in basketball in the 1998 Micro Games in Palau and the 2001 Micronesian Basketball Tournament in Guam. She was also part of the bronze-medal winning CNMI team in the 2010 (Palau) and 2014 (Pohnpei) Micro Games.

“I’m grateful for this honor. Although, I’m already in the HOF, it won’t stop me from again trying out to represent the CNMI in the Micro Games. If I get selected on the national team, this would be my fifth Micro Games. That’s why I’m also thinking that this could be my last. But it all depends on my body. That’s why I only focused in playing basketball and stopped playing other sports like soccer. I need to keep myself in shape since there are a lot of good youth players,” she said.