Keglers, clouters, and netters top headlines

Three softball youth teams and CNMI athletes competing in off-island tournaments were the past’s week top performers.

Brabu, Dandan Elementary School, and the Patriots topped the 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Youth Slowpitch Softball Tournament held at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield.

Brabu recorded a 9-5 win over the North All-Stars in the finals to gain the 16 to 18 age group crown in the annual youth tournament.

The Dandan Elementary School Tottots claimed back-to-back titles after shutting out Team Familia, 8-0, in the finals of the 9 to 12 age group.

The Pats, who dominated the Majors of the Saipan Little League in the past three years, fielded the core of their SLLB team in the weekend tournament to beat Kagman, 5-2, and claimed the title in the 13 to 15 age group.

Two sports sent their athletes off island to represent the CNMI in tough tournaments.

In bowling, Ador Dimaano, Percy Omechlang, Ross Zapanta, and Jorge Soledad participated in the 22nd Asian Inter City Tenpin Bowling Championships at the Macau Bowling Center.

Three CNMI youth netters left Saipan Wednesday morning for New Zealand to compete in three tournaments there.

Thea Minor, Christian Miller, and Rafael Jones, will be joining the Waikato Tournament, which will run from Dec. 7 to 13. From Waikato, they will travel to Poverty Bay, which will host a tournament from Dec. 14 to 17. Jones, Miller, and Minor will return to Auckland on Dec. 18 for their third tournament, which will run from Dec. 18 to 22.

Back on local soil, the Smash Killers posted the first sweep in the 2nd Traders Insurance Badminton Team Tournament after shutting out D’Bombers, 6-0, at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

The Smash Killers won the men’s doubles AB and BB, women’s doubles BB, and the mixed doubles CC, AB, and BC.

With the win, Smash Killers took the solo No. 1 spot with their 21-9 record after Day 5.

The second edition of the Traders badminton team tournament concluded Sunday, but results of the games were unavailable at press time. The Top 3 teams after the single-round robin tournament will receive trophies.

In other events, two basketball leagues held their playoffs.

Kagman High School nailed an 80-66 win over Marianas High School in the semifinals of the 2008-2009 Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization Basketball League Thursday night at the MHS Gymnasium.

Kagman earned a return trip to the finals and will be facing the winner of the Saipan Southern High School-Mt. Carmel School match in the title game on Dec. 12. Southern defeated Kagman in last year’s junior varsity finals, 115-102.

In the Inaugural 2008 PILCOWA-San Miguel Beer Basketball League, Diamond, MIGS, Century Insurance, and C&R Distributor/NRG made it to the Final Four.

Century, which won this year’s pennant, was eventually ousted in the tournament after losing to MIGS. Diamond defeated NRG twice to advance to the finals and set a title match with MIGS.

Diamond eventually won the championship trophy behind Sonny Ranola’s jumper.