Rain, rain go away
Mother Nature, once again, lashed out her fury with heavy rain showers the past week, resulting in the postponement of several outdoor sport events.
Suffering setbacks were the National Track and Field Championships, originally set for last Saturday. It was postponed after the wet weather filled the track facility with puddles, however, unfolded yesterday.
Also suffering setbacks was the Saipan Tennis Association 2nd Verizon Cup at the American Memorial Park. On several occasions, the weather cleared for just enough time to stamp some results in the books. The duo of Lope Padilla and Nicolas Son won the men’s 4.5 championship, beating Peter Loyola and Hector Guiterrez, while Father Ryan Jimenez and Beltau Toshi triumph over Babu Malayil and Noel Manalang in the men’s 3.0.
Up-and-coming tennis players Kanani Ashraf and Audrey Motto also won the women’s doubles 4.0 division last Monday over Ligaya Paculanang and Cleofe Santos in straight sets.
Indoor caging continued as usual and heated up as Capricciosa bagged the pennant title of the Inter-Restaurant Basketball League after drubbing a tuckered out and undermanned Jollibee squad 93-72.
In youth action, four teams remained perfect in the Saipan Rotary Club Summer Youth Basketball League, creating an exciting race for first place. Makos raised its record to 3-0 when it shot down a raw but promising 69ers II squad while darkhorse Garapan Rollers I nipped defending champion Verizon Ol’Aces. The San Antonio Sixers I then sealed their third win in as many games after recording a 124-37 king-size rout of Garapan Rollers III.
The fourth team with a perfect record thus far in the season, the 69ers (2-0), did not see action early this week.
In the second round of the 2004 UFO-San Miguel Cup also went into high gear Sunday with four games scheduled at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
Visminda rolled to its second straight victory of the playoffs after bludgeoning a still winless MDX Amateur radio Club team, FASA-PABA-CNC Inc. overcame a fighting Laguna-GEC Pawnshop team, SMF-Seabridge dispatched a reeling Bicol-Sabungero squad, and Bartenders-Aliviera Sports Bar survived an upset-conscious MAFILWA-McDonald’s. (Brad E. Ruszala)
