Sons of the Beaches rule Kids’ Marianas Cup

Jeon Doemin, Angelo Salas, A.J. Batallones, Minung Kim, Lauren Hofschneider, and Michael Moran were just few of the 100 youngsters who signed up for the Kids’ Marianas Cup.

With ages 10-15 years old, together they formed as a team, which they called Sons of the Beaches that not only became a household name during the one-day tournament on March 15, but also emerged as the champion by sweeping its games in the championship match.

The team, which was handled by Rep. Ed Salas (head coach) and Bethanle Battalones, defeated eventual runner-up Lamers twice in the best-of-three final series.

Sons of the Beaches won Game 1, 15-13, and Game 2, 15-9, to take home title and the prizes that went with it including medals, courtesy of Topnotch, cell phones, 100 text pre-paid cards from IT&E, and personally autographed volleyballs from Phil Dalhausser.

The kids’ tournament concluded the successful staging of the 17th Marianas Cup Beach Volleyball Festival at its permanent home, the Pacific Islands Club.

It was organized by the Northern Mariana Island Volleyball Association with the help of the professional players led by Dalhausser and three-time Marianas Cup champion Paul Baxter.

The total 20 teams went through the double-elimination format (best-of-three).

All entrants received two-drink coupons for Pepsi, Gatorade, or Aquafina courtesy of Pacific Trading Co., waterpark entrance for the day courtesty of PIC, and T-shirts designed by local student artist Kai Staal with the help of Island Apparel.

Every team that played received their choice of 100-text pre-paid cards from IT&E or an hour-long coupon to MegaZone.

“Everyone is a winner,” said NMIVA president Laurie Peterka.

The Lamers, which settled for second, was composed of Kei Yoshida, Kono Remeliik, Michi Yoshida, Emma McCullough-Stearns, Jessica Soll, and coached by Amy F. and Hee Jin.

The team battled 17 total games coming out of the losers bracket, defeating Fluffy Pink Bunnies in three games. They won medals courtesy of Top Notch, PIC waterpark passes for two, personally autographed volleyballs from Dalhausser courtesy of NMIVA and 100-text pre-paid cards from IT&E.

Fluffy Pink Bunnies, anchored by Jeane Bracken, Christian Miller, Amy Xhe, Josh Beeno, and Angelo Jones, and handled by Brian N. Hom, scored an upset over Lamat Pwi Pwi in a three-game match.

They also won medals from Top Notch, PIC waterpark passes for two, movie passes courtesy of NMIVA and IT&E 100-text pre-paid cards from IT&E.

Lamat Pwi Pwi finished fourth. The team was composed of Utalap Billy, P.M. Mailo, Andy John Hambrose, T-Nanson Cholymay, and Florita Snyder Billy and coached by Owen Cholymay. They went home with backpacks from Ladera International School and IT&E 100-text pre-paid cards from IT&E.

NMIVA also recognized two individual players for their sterling performance.

Rodney Sacramento of the Rocket Powers was adjudged as the most inspiring player for the boys category and Small Stars’ Negahr Rastguiy for the girls for her crisp serves. She won a 17th Annual Marianas Cup T-shirt

High school students from Marianas High School and Saipan Southern High School volunteered as referees and supplement coaches.

NMIVA thanked Marianas Islands Insurance Association for their generous donation of $500 to help kick off what ISK8 hopes to be a year-long effort at attacking the graffiti problem on Saipan.

The next project that ISK8 hopes to accomplish is to help the Saipan Mayor’s Office with the Japanese Cultural Center across the street from the skate park.