SPC paddlers, cagers take May top honors

The 670 Sonics’ Jester Kintaro, center, battles a teammate and a Wong player for the rebound during their playoff game in the U15 division of the Diaz youth caging last month at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Paddlers and basketball players made Northern Marianas Sports Association’s honor roll for May.

Catherine Reyes, Juannie Tenorio, Josephine and Jaeda Aguon, Newlyn Jeter, Deanna Kapileo, and Kalea Andrew of Saipan Paddling Club’s junior team were named NMSA/TSL Foundation Female Student Athletes of the Month for their outstanding showing in last month’s All CNMI Juniors Outrigger Regatta 2016.

The seven-women crew won the 250m and 500m races of the first leg of the youth tournament held last May 14 at Kilili Beach and had another sweep in the second and final phase of the competition, prevailing in the 500m and 1,000m events that took place last May 21.

Not to be outdone were the club’s women’s paddlers Krista Falig, Laarni Zapanta, Lucy Santos, Rica Concepcion, Sandy Leon Guerrero, and Gerlyn Libunao, who were selected Female Athletes of the Month for topping the 250m and 500m races in the Inaugural Women’s Health Month’s paddling competition held in the waters at the back of Sandy Beach Homes. Falig and company are newcomers to the sport, but managed to pull off surprises against veteran paddlers.

Meanwhile, the Sonics’ Jester Kintaro and the Ol’Aces and Ghasias Brothers’ Douglas Schmidt were awarded the Male Student Athlete of the Month and Male Athlete of the Month plums, respectively.

Kintaro suited up for the Sonics’ U15 and U18 teams that played in the Inaugural Frank M. Diaz Memorial Youth League. He towed the Sonics to the title win against the Ol’Aces in the U15 finale and led the division in blocks and rebounds department. The Sonics was eventually named regular season MVP and made it to the Mythical Team. In the U18 division, he was also the leader in blocks and helped the Sonics reach he semifinal round.

Schmidt, on the other hand, played in two different leagues. In the 2016 Island-wide Men’s Basketball League, he was with the Ol’Aces and was instrumental in the team’s regular season sweep (9-0). He led majority of the statistics in the island-wide caging, making him the new marked man in the basketball leagues on Saipan.

The former Palau national team member also saw action in the DL Sports Association Invitational Basketball League Season 5 and brought Ghasias Brothers to the finals opposite the San Antonio Patriots. Ghasias absorbed a sorry 78-79 loss in the finale, but not until Schmidt anchored the team’s recovery from a 20-plus point deficit. He finished the game with 44 points and also had 40-plus out in four other games in the league.