SPORTS BRIEFS

NMITA Coconut Classic set

The Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association will be hosting the 2005 Coconut Classis Tennis Tournament in three consecutive days starting on Feb 19.

The events featured in the Coconut Classic are men’s singles, men’s over 40 singles, women’s singles, and mixed doubles. The junior singles events, meanwhile, are the boys’ 18-and-under, boys’ 14-and-under, boys’ 10-and-under, girls’ 18-and-under, girls’ 14-and-under, and girls’ 10-and-under.

The Coconut Classic has no entry fee, but participants must pay the $15 NMITA membership fee in support of the NMI national tennis program.

Registration and payment should be turned in at Las Vegas Golf & Tennis store in Garapan. Checks must be made payable to the Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association.

For more information on the NMITA Coconut Classic, contact tournament director Joe Motto at 287-9300.

Women’s Classification Tournament in March

The Women’s Thursday Night League will hold its inaugural Women’s Classification Tournament next month at the Saipan Bowling Center.

Thursday Night League president Lucy S. Deleon Guerrero said the first-ever Women’s Classification Tournament, which is organized in collaboration with the Women’s Affairs Office and the Marianas Visitors Association, is being geld in celebration of Women’s History Month.

For more information on the Women’s Classification Tournament, contact Deleon Guerrero at 288-3605.

Saipan Aikido Marlins need players for SML

The Saipan Aikido Marlins will have a mandatory tryout for walk-on sluggers and fielders tomorrow, Saturday, at the Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field at 1pm.

The Marlins will be participating in the 2005 season of the Saipan Major League but are a little short of players to fill its roster.

For more information about the tryout for the Saipan Aikido Marlins, contact Henry Hurt by calling 287-0660.

Calling on all CNMI baseball masters

Tony Rogolifoi and Manny Tenorio are looking for baseball players ages 35 and over that will compete in a masters tournament in Guam this coming June.

Rogolifoi and Tenorio said the CNMI needs players for the 35-and-over team, as well as the 40-and-over team.

Each of the rosters is limited to 25 players, and the slots are already beginning to fill up. For more information about the teams, contact Rogolifoi by calling 664-2508, or Tenorio by calling 322-1213.

Mobil invitational revs up Feb. 15

The 2005 Mobil Oil Marianas Co-ed Invitational Basketball League is slated to begin on Feb. 15 at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

The islands’ only co-ed basketball league welcomes new team McDonald’s and guest team CNMI women’s national team for the upcoming season.

Additionally, league pioneers Tan Holdings Corp. and Dai-Ichi Hotel Saipan Beach have merged and will be fielding a united front for the 2005 cage wars.

The rest of the participating teams are Commonwealth Utilities Corp., Microl-Toyota, Pacific Development Inc., Aqua Resort Club, Hyatt Regency Saipan, Pacific Island Aviation, and host Mobil Oil Marianas.

Games of the Mobil invitational are set for Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Oleai Sports Complex venue. The first game is scheduled at 6:30pm with the second game expected to start at 8pm or immediately after the first game.

For more information on the 2005 Mobil Oil Marianas Invitational Co-ed Basketball League, please call league coordinator Abner Venus at 287-5911 or Jojo Dadivas of Mobil at 483-3363.

Experience mountain-bikers needed

The Northern Mariana Islands Triathlon Federation will be hosting a mountain bike race, followed by the ORAXTERE in March, and in order to get the road racers prepared for the rigors of an off-road race, the NMITF is planning to offer beginner courses in mountain bike operation within the week.

According to the race director of the NMITF Enticer Series, Sue Knecht, the only thing holding them back from offering “Extreme Riding 101” is the scheduling of volunteers for the course.

“We have a lot of nervous newbies going for either XTERRA or XTERRA Sport this year, and I want to help them out because I felt exactly the same way last year. We have not done any off-road Enticer stuff, so we are hoping for volunteers to help clear some trail section on Wireless Road next weekend,” said Knecht.

If you would like to volunteer, you will be asked to select the date, set the course, be the teacher, and contact Knecht with your intentions via email at sueknecht1@yahoo.com.

Commonwealth-wide Red Cross walkathon set

The Northern Mariana Islands Chapter of the American Red Cross would stage its 19th Annual ARC Walkathon on March 19 on Saipan, Rota and Tinian.

The 10-kilometer event will begin at sunrise on each island and everyone who raises $15 will receive a free walkathon T-shirt. There will also be prizes awarded to schools, business and individuals who raise the most money for the Red Cross.

For more information on how to participate or volunteer for this worthwhile event, contact this year’s chairman John D. Guerrero at 234-8803.

Those interested can also call the chapter office at 234-3459. Businesses that are interested in co-sponsoring the event are also encouraged to call.