Zhi tied for 5th in golf, Villanueva advances

HONIARA, Solomon Islands—It was Thanksgiving back home, but the CNMI delegation in the 2023 Pacific Games had another day of training and competition.

Golf’s lone woman player, Zhi Min Jin, is so far fifth in the individual standings after Round 2 of golf yesterday morning at the Honiara Golf Course, while tennis’ Moris Villanueva advanced to the next round of singles matches.

Jin rose and shone early yesterday morning as she teed off first before the men’s team. She finished the course with the same score as Round 1 with a 7-over 79.

The 16-year-old Marianas High School student said she hopes to play better in the last two rounds.

“I feel kind of disappointed in myself because I know that I could’ve done better but I lost my focus during the game and made some dumb mistakes. The greens were worse than yesterday and the weather was way cooler than yesterday.”

Marco Peter, golf’s team manager, said that Jin “drove the ball well today (yesterday). Horrendous greens condition cost her few 3 putts. Scores were higher across the board, but she managed to steady herself to another round of 79.”

Currently, first place after the two rounds is Tonga’s Alexis Vakasiuola with a score of 149; New Caledonia’s Priscilla Lormand is second at 152; tied for third is Margaret Lavaki from Papua New Guinea and Tahiti’s Kirra St. Laurent with 153; tied for fourth at 157 is Solomon Islands’ Norma Jans Wopereis, PNG’s Kristine Seko; and NCL’s Mohea Mandsbendel; and tied for fifth is Jin and Samoa’s Shantael Ligaliga with a score of 158.

The men’s team of Franco Santos, Ben Jones Jr., Joe Sasamoto, and Joe “Kamikaze” Camacho, finished their round of golf late yesterday afternoon with everyone scoring the same as Round 1 except for Sasamoto who scored an 82.

Peter said that the team is 15 shots off a medal. “Two more rounds left, so we have a lot of strokes to make up.”

In tennis, only Villanueva played yesterday morning and advanced to the next round after he won by default when his opponent, No. 12 Samoa’s Marvin Soonalole, hurt himself in the last set. They managed to play for about an hour before the match was called off.

This morning at 9am, player/coach Colin Ramsey is playing against Guam’s Camden Camacho, while also at the same time, junior netter June Yu is going up against Samoa’s Leon Soonalole; followed by the doubles matchup of Yu and Nason Wessel against Tonga’s Teufolau Huni and Filimone Junior Noa. Then after, he and Villanueva are playing doubles against Tonga’s Filipe Huni and Otufangavalu Noa.

Weightlifting

On Wednesday, Riella Ichiuo took the stage in the women’s 76-kg weight class and put her best foot forward but came in fifth place with a best snatch of 70 kg and a best clean & jerk attempt of 85 k for a total weight of 155 kg.

Overall gold and the concurrent Oceania Weightlifting Championships went to heavy lifting Australia’s Olivia Shelton with a 96-kg snatch, a 119-kg clean & jerk, and a 215-kg total; silver was Samoa’s Avatu Opeloge with an 88-kg snatch, a 110-kg clean & jerk, and a 198-kg total. Bronze went to Marshall Islands’ Merean Atantaake with a 73-kg snatch, a 96-kg clean & jerk, and a 169-kg total.

Yesterday, heavy lifter Angel San Nicolas in the men’s 96-kg weight class was humbled as he settled for seventh place with a best snatch lift of 121 kg, a best clean & jerk lift of 167 kg, and a total lift of 278 kg.

Gold overall and the concurrent Oceania Weightlifting Championship went to Samoa’s Maeu Nanai with a 155-kg snatch, a 185-kg clean & jerk, and a 340-kg total weight lifted. Silver was Guam’s Ethan Ellwell with a 140 kg snatch, a 165-kg clean & jerk, and a 305-kg overall weight. Bronze was a close one with Nauru’s Uea Detudamo claiming it with a 133-kg snatch, 165-kg clean & jerk, and a 298-kg total weight lifted.

In the women’s 81-kg weight class, Antonette Labausa settled for a close fourth-place finish after the jury ruled her second clean & jerk attempt of 96 kg a no lift. She lifted a 78-kg snatch, 93-kg clean & jerk, and a 168-kg total weight.

Oceania records were broken by Australia’s Eileen Cikamatana who swept all divisions and the concurrent Oceania Weightlifting Championships—whose family brought the house down with their cheers and celebration after each of her successful lifts.

Cikamatana lifted a 115-kg snatch, a 145-kg clean & jerk, and a 260-kg overall weight.

Today, Joey Colisao is the last weightlifter to take the stage in the 109kg+ weight class.

In other sports, the men’s national football team is competing against Tahiti at 7pm Solomon Islands time, while there’s another round of golf for the men’s team and Jin. Last day of swimming competitions are today.

Chef de mission

Nick Gross gave an update a week into the delegation’s stay in the Solomons. He said, “As is the case in any Games of this magnitude, the visiting teams, along with the organizers, plan and plan and plan, only to see many of the plans thrown out the window when the theoretical becomes the practicum.”

Luckily, he said, Team NMI has learned to roll with it. “Yes, there’s been some frustration, mainly with our transportation. Although the majority of the venues are no more than 15 minutes away from each other at most, the incessant heat coupled with our teams need for rest, wears on everyone. Positively, we hope, Team NMI was provided an additional 15-person van to support our needs, so now it’s up to us to internally dispatch the van for our teams’ needs. Regarding dorm life at the SINU Kukum campus, our team has done a great job of making it as comfortable as possible under the circumstances and spends time daily or every other day working on laundry needs and hang drying to the best of their ability.”

As for the medal haul for the team so far, of seven total from swimming and weightlifting, he said, “We’re ecstatic with the performances by our members and have high hopes of hitting double digits prior to the closing of the Games on Dec. 2.”

With Thanksgiving celebrations back home, Gross said “although the Games have not slowed down, us, Guam, and American Samoa are the only nations present that celebrate the holiday. We won’t have much time due to the varying schedules of our 10 sports teams but are planning to have a small pizza party around 9pm tonight (last night) when we hope we can have at least 90% of the delegation together! It’s a small gesture on the part of the [Northern Marianas Sport Association] but what a fantastic way to give thanks! In the end, I think all would agree, that we’d like to give thanks to all those that have supported the team in their preparations and financial support that has allowed us to have such a huge showing in the Pacific Games! Dongkalu na si yu’us ma’ase, sponsors and tao tao Marianas! Happy Thanksgiving to all from Team NMI!”