Four top hunt for October

The Northern Marianas Amateur Sport Association has selected one triathlete and three from track and field as Athletes of the Month for October.

Shan Seman (triathlon) and Dolores Rangamar (track and field) were named Male Athlete and Female Athletes of the Month, while Champ Untalan (track and field) and Jackie Wonenberg (track and field) were adjudged Male and Female Student Athletes of the Month during the federation’s monthly meeting Thursday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium conference room.

The Northern Mariana Islands Triathlon Federation nominated Seman after the Saipan Tribune sports reporter topped the male division of the Enticer Series en route to being named Rookie of the Year.

The 25-year-old former long-distance runner had some bike gear trouble in the final race last Oct. 22, but made up for it on the run posting the fastest time in two feet in the 4-kilometer short distance (23:08). Overall in the series, Seman averaged 24.2 meters per minute in the swim, 2.9 minutes per kilometer on the bike, and six minutes per kilometer in the run.

Rangamar, for her part, made an impressive return to athletics when she topped two of three events she took part in during Saturday’s qualifier for the Micronesian Athletics Championship.

The 2002 Micronesian Games gold medalist registered a throw of 28.25 meters to win the discus and secured her second win of the day after throwing the javelin 22.97 meters across the field. She also placed second in the shot put with a throw of 8.28 meters.

At a young age Untalan has already acquitted himself well as a middle and long-distance runner. And this was witnessed during the MAC qualifier when he both topped the 800m and the 1,500m in swashbuckling times of 2:38.26 in 5:06.54, respectively. He also placed third in the 400m race with a time of 1:03.11.

Like Ranagamar and Untalan, Wonenberg also strutted her stuff during the MAC trials winning three races. She first won the 400m in style when she broke her personal best with a time of 1:05.64. She followed that up by dominating the 100m sprint, crossing the finish line in 14.25 seconds then completed the hat trick by taking top honors in the 800m, completing the two-lap race in 2:52.49.

Ranagamar, Untalan, and Wonenberg were all nominated by Northern Marianas Athletics.

Three other athletes wound up as honorable mention, as Dannie Robles of bowling Brenda Schultz of triathlon, and Sidro Tebuteb of athletics also had impressive performances on October.

Robles, one of only four local bowlers to score a perfect 300, toppled 911 pins en route to winning the Pepsi King of the Lanes Tenpin Bowling Tournament held last Oct. 10 and 11 at the Saipan Bowling Center.

Schultz, on the other hand, was named Female Rookie of the Year for the Enticer Series after averaging 35 meters per minute in the swim, a kilometer in 2.8 minutes in the bike, and a kilometer in 7.1 minutes in the run.

Tebuteb won two of the three events he competed in during the MAC qualifying trials. He recorded a throw of 10.89 meters to win the shot put and was also dominant in the discus with a throw of 35.89 meters. He also placed second in the javelin with a heave of 44.97 meters.