NMSA seeks 2023 ‘Of the Year’ nominations

It’s almost that time of the year again when CNMI athletes are recognized for a year’s worth of accomplishments in their respective sport.

The Northern Marianas Sports Association is seeking nominations for the 2023 Coach of the Year, 2023 Administrator of the Year, and CNMI Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

For Coach of the Year and Administrator of the Year, the sport’s national federation president must sign and submit the nomination letter and also submit the nominee’s bio/accomplishment highlights for 2023.

For Hall of Fame nominees, a nomination letter signed by the individual or representative of the group must be submitted, along with the bio/accomplishment highlights throughout the years for the nominees.

Induction into the CNMI Sports Hall of Fame is limited to individual athletes,

coaches, administrators or officials, provided they meet the following criteria:

• Must be a U.S. citizen or have achieved distinction as a CNMI representative;

• Must have resided in the CNMI for a minimum of 10 years;

• Athletes and officials must have been active a minimum of 10 years in their sport and have reached the age of 35. Coaches and administrators must have been active a minimum of 10 years and have reached the age of 35;

• Can be nominated by a national federation, which must be an active NMSA member with annual dues paid up to date, by any citizen of the CNMI, or by the Special Hall of Fame Committee, which is appointed by the NMSA board of directors;

• An individual can only be inducted into the CNMI Sports Hall of Fame one time. However, their record may be updated to reflect more recent accomplishments;

• Inductees do not have to be present at the awards ceremony. Those who are chosen and do not attend the induction ceremonies may have a relative or designated individual stand in his or her place.

• An inductee who is deceased may have a relative or designated individual stand in his or her place.

For selection, nominees must get the 2/3 vote of the NMSA General Membership to be inducted into the Hall of Fame; Selection is in accordance with the following:

• Only a maximum of 4 inductees may be inducted in any given year;

• A maximum of three athletes may be inducted into the CNMI Sports Hall of Fame in any year. If three athletes are inducted into the Hall, two males and 1 female or 1 male and two females will make up the genders of the inductees. If two athletes are inducted into the Hall, both may be of the same gender;

• Only one administrator, one coach, or one official may be inducted into the CNMI Sports Hall of Fame in a given year;

• Induction in the CNMI Sports Hall of Fame is to be at the annual NMSA Sports Banquet unless otherwise approved by the NMSA board.

The deadline for nominations is due on or before Jan. 31, 2024. Send nominations via email at marianassports@gmail.com.

Winners will be awarded at the NMSA Annual Awards Banquet, which will be scheduled in the first quarter of 2024.

For 2022, the Athletes of the Year were Tania Tan, Colin Sinclair, Raymond Santos, Jason Limes, Angel San Nicolas, David Barnhouse, and Joey Colisao.

The 2022 Hall of Fame inductee was Manny Sablan; Coach of the Year was Jeff Race, Labausa, and Barnhouse.

As for 2022 Administrator of the Year, instead of just one, all nine sports federations that medaled in the 2022 Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games were recognized as Administrators of the Year.

They are the Northern Marianas Athletics, Northern Marianas Badminton Association, Saipan Baseball League, Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association, Commonwealth Federation of Golf Associations, Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association, Triathlon Association of the CNMI, Northern Marianas National Paddle Sports Association, and CNMI Weightlifting Federation.