Tan, Sinclair, weightlifters are top athletes

The CNMI just summed up a whirlwind, sports-crazed year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it difficult to determine winners for the 2022 athletes of the year as the first ever Pacific Mini Games the Northern Marianas hosted saw stellar performances from each of its athletes.

The Northern Marianas Sports Association had their work cut out for them as they presented the Male Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year awards during the 2022 NMSA Annual Sports Award Banquet Tuesday evening at the Hibiscus Hall of the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan.

As a first, not only one Male Athlete of the Year was chosen for 2022, but six—tennis’ Colin Sinclair and weightlifting’s Raymond Santos, Jason Limes, Angel San Nicolas, David Barnhouse, and Joey Colisao.

For the Female Athlete of the Year, Tania Tan was bestowed the 2022 Female Athlete of the Year for her near-perfect execution on the track.

The 2022 NMSA Male Athletes of the Year are Joey Colisao, fourth from left; Raymond Santos, sixth from left; Jason Limes, seventh from right; David Barnhouse, fifth from right; and Angel San Nicolas, not present; and Colin Sinclair, not present but represented national tennis coach Jeff Race, third from right. The 2022 Female Athlete of the Year is Tania Tan, not present, was represented by her dad, Jerry Tan, center. The NMSA Annual Sports Award Banquet was held Tuesday evening at the Hibiscus Hall of the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan.(LEIGH GASES)

Sinclair won three gold medals in the Mini Games for the men’s team, men’s singles, and men’s doubles; Santos won three gold medals in the Mini Games and one in the Oceania Weightlifting Championships against five other competitors; San Nicolas won two gold medals in the Mini Games and one in the Oceania Weightlifting Championships against four competitors; Barnhouse  won three gold medals in the Mini Games and one in the Oceania Weightlifting Championships; Limes won two gold medals in the Mini Games and one in the Oceania Weightlifting Championships against three competitors; and Colisao won one gold medal in the Mini Games.

Tan won the Athlete of the Month awards in January and April 2022 in her sport of athletics. Tan, who is a member of New York’s Fordham University cross country team, reset the NMI indoor record in the 3,000m run with her time of 10:57.58 in the Ramapo Season Opener. 

Tan also won the April award for resetting two national records—the first one in the 5,000m run at the 56th Annual Colonia Relay in Virginia and then the 10K race in the Metropolitan Outdoor Track and Field Championships in New York. Tan later won a gold in the 10K event in the Oceania Athletics Championships and silver in the 5K.

Tan wasn’t present to receive her award so her father, NMSA president Jerry Tan, received it for her.

For the weightlifters, save for San Nicolas, this is their first Athlete of the Year Award which makes it even more special. 

Santos said, “I guess I was surprised when I won. I thought I wasn’t [going to] win. I would just like to thank everyone who supported me near and far. I would also like to dedicate this win to my family, Trench Tech, Lone Fox, and to everyone who continues to support all the sports.”

Limes for his part said, “I was honored to be chosen as one of the male athletes of the year. I had a feeling it would be an athlete that participated in the Mini Games. I just didn’t think they’d choose that many of us. I’d like to thank my family, the CNMI weightlifting team, Latte Built, and NMSA.”

For San Nicolas, this is his second win with his first back in 2017. He dedicates his win to “my youth athletes, training partners, and my coaches. A lot of times I’ve always wanted to quit this sport. I just hate it so much that I love it. Some have taken my time and effort for granted, and some are thankful. At the end of the day, it’s all for weightlifting in the CNMI.”

Barnhouse thanked the weightlifting team for training hard and thanked John Davis, Jeanne Rayphand, Greg Borja, and Ben Babauta, “and everyone else who helped make weightlifting at the Games possible.”

All nine individual Athletes of the Year awardees received $1,200 worth of gift certificates—a two-night stay gift certificate at Crowne Plaza Resort, with breakfast for two and Sunday Brunch for two at the Terrace, and Ataari Dinner Show for two, courtesy of the Tan Siu Lin Foundation.

The event was sponsored by the TSL Foundation led by executive director Merlie Tolentino.
Results of the other NMSA Sports Banquet awards will come out in the next issues of Saipan Tribune.