Palacios, Igitol earn NMASA monthly plum

The Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association recently recognized swimmer Dean Palacios and female gunner Beverly Igitol as top athletes for the month of July after both punched in respectable performances in their field.

Also grabbing a piece of the spotlight was slugger Tony Celis, who was named Male Athlete of the Month for June, while Tony Palacios shined in the Senior division of the Saipan Little League to grab the student athlete award for July.

Dean Palacios was lauded after competing as the lone CNMI representative in the 2004 Japan Junior Olympic Cup at the Tokyo International Aquatics Center, which featured more than 2,900 swimmers.

According to NMASA, Palacios had sterling performances, finishing in the Top 10 in each of his individual events while swimming his “lifetime best” in five of his six events.

Igitol, for her part, added another monthly plum after leading the CNMI Women’s National Basketball Team to a bronze medal in the recent Micronesian Basketball Tournament in Guam.

Igitol shined against the regions best for the second straight regional outing despite a personal tragedy that occurred just before the start of the tourney. With her performance, she stamped her name as one of the top scorers in the region.

Tony Palacios, meanwhile, earned his piece of the pie after spearheading the Ol’Aces to a perfect 14-0 finish in the Senior Division of the Saipan Little League, including a dominant performance in the championship game.

The ace pitcher led the league with a spectacular 1.20 Earned Run Average, and displayed his versatility by finishing in a first place tie in home runs. He also ranked second in batting and third in runs scored, and was selected as the league’s Most Valuable Player.

In addition to his accomplishments, Palacios powered in another solid outing against Guam in the championship game of the Asia-Pacific Regional Baseball Tournament, leading Team CNMI to a 2-1 victory and a ticket to the Senior League World Series, which unfolds this month in Bangor, Maine.

Meanwhile, Celis was recognized as the topnotch male athlete for the month of June after leading Miller Lite Brewers to the Saipan Major League playoffs with a league-best .560 batting average and 23 runs. The hard-hitting veteran also ranked second with six doubles, and drove in 14 runs while hitting a home run.

“Tony is a role model for many of our young players, and utilizes his expertise to teach and coach the sport during the Little League season,” NMASA said.

Celis is also a member of the CNMI All-Stars coaching staff, which will see action in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania from August 20-29.

Other notables for the month of June were young sluggers BJ Sablan, Daryl Ada, Herman Kintol, and Matthew Kintol. The four, along with CNMI National Baseball team coach Jason Gay, recently took part in a six-week training course at the Australia Baseball Academy.

Honorable mention includes Robert Naraja, who led his G-Rollers squad to claiming the championship crown of the recently concluded Inter-Village Youth Basketball League.

The sports body also recognized the CNMI Little League All Stars for their accomplishment in winning the Asia-Pacific Regional Baseball Tournament in Guam, as well as pitcher Roy Celis and golfer Joe “Kamikaze” Camacho.

Roy Celis led the SML in strikeouts and was named Pitcher of the Year after leading the Brewers to their second title in three years, winning games 1 and 3 of the championship series.

For his part, Camacho reigned supreme in the Tournament of Champions. With the win, he received an invitation to compete in the Johnnie Walker Pro-Am Classic in Beijing next March.