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.

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.

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.

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 beginners’ 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.