Wrestlers end NMI stint in Micro Games with golden sweep

The NMI National Wrestling Team ended the NMI’s historic run in the 10th Micronesian Games with a sweep of gold in all styles of the wrestling competition last Monday.

The overcast sky held off rain long enough until after the last match to give way for both James Attao-Greene Jr. and Ryan Babauta to collect the NMI’s last gold medals in their beach wrestling event on the Games’ final day. These two gold medals solidified the NMI’s lead in the Micro Games with 70 in the gold medal tally over nine other island nations.

This puts Team NMI as having the most ever gold medals in Micronesian Games history.

Seventeen-year-old Greene debuted and took his talents to his first beach wrestling event and still dominated the 80-kg field with a gold medal finish. He crushed Nauru’s Hamray Temaki via points, 5-0, in a match that lasted 1:05.

Silver went to Temaki, while bronze was host Marshall Islands’ Sebastian Peralta.

The Idaho fly-in completed his collection of three gold medals, with his first gold medal on the first day last Saturday in the freestyle 79-kg division. His second gold was in the Greco-Roman 77-kg division last Sunday.

For Babauta in the beach wrestling 90-kg division, he also won over points, 3-0, in a quick 37-second match against Palau’s Skarlee Renguul.

Renguul settled for silver, with bronze won by Pohnpei’s Ryan Ifamilik.

Greene said of his golden run in the Games, “My experience in wrestling the Micronesian Games for the CNMI was overall quite great. This was an awesome opportunity that has taught me so many things. Having a coach like Rick [Bauer] and teammates like Ryan and Aden [Attao] have allowed me to grow and develop more as a wrestler.”

As for his performance in the Games, he said, “With the months of training back in Idaho, and practice with the team in Saipan I can honestly say that I’m not surprised with how Ryan and I performed. We both have put in the work to stand at the top of the podium. So, when the time came to compete, we did just that. It feels good and I am proud of how my teammate Ryan and I performed. This was an awesome experience that I am so thankful for.”

His favorite moment, he said, was when he tossed his opponent in the Greco-Roman finals for 5 points and secured his second gold. “That moment was just so amazing to me. This was my first time back into wrestling Greco for about eight years, so I really enjoyed getting back into the different style of wrestling,” he said. “The sport of wrestling will always have a part of my heart. The grind and the atmosphere was just something else.”

As for 26-year-old Babauta, he said, “I came into these Micro Games with a lot of confidence. For a little over three months, I have been training hard with my coach, Rick Bauer, both on the sand and at Trench Tech Gym. Coach Bauer made sure I was physically and mentally prepared for war.”

He added, “About a month ago, my teammate James Attao-Greene, traveled out from Idaho and we battled for weeks, which really sharpened my skills to what would later get me three gold medals. And I can’t forget Aden Attao. Another great wrestler who shared the mats with me and Junior and showed me technique that would help me dominate other great wrestlers from across Micronesia. This experience has been an awesome ride, and thanks to my coach and teammates, we came back victorious, with six gold medals for the CNMI!

When asked if he would compete in wrestling for NMI again, he said, “I always look forward to competing again and representing the CNMI. I will continue to compete as long as my body allows me to.”

Greene and Babauta were coached by Rick Bauer with team manager Jason Tarkong.