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NMITFF awards top athletes
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Posted on Feb 16 2005
Notable individual performances in athletics over the past year were recognized Tuesday night, as the Northern Mariana Islands Track and Field Federation presented well-deserved awards to 2004’s top athletes in the sport.
A brief ceremony, following a light dinner provided by the NMITFF board and supporters, was held at the Kilili Beach Pavilion, featuring athletes, coaches, board members, and special guest Rep. Ramon A. Tebuteb.
Taking top honors were Jeremy Winkfield as 2004 Male Student Athlete of the Year; sprinter Reylynn Sapong and distance runner Bo Wang as Female Student Athletes of the Year; thrower Dolores Rangamar as Female Athlete of the Year; and veteran sprinter Antonio Ichiuo as Male Athlete of the Year. Each received a shiny trophy.
All had memorable moments during the past year, ranging from improvement of personal bests to victories in various competitions.
NMITFF also took the opportunity to award its 2003 athletes of the year, presenting trophies to Julie Tokyo, Ketson Kabiriel, and Yoshi Suzuki. Tokyo bagged the Female Athlete of the Year and Kabiriel the Male award behind impressive showings at the 2003 Micro Cup in Palau, while Suzuki was awarded the Road Runner of the Year.
Medallists at the Micro Cup were also presented their long-awaited medals, with Tokyo receiving a silver medal in the discus and javelin and Kabiriel a silver in the high jump.
Other medallists include the 4×100-meter relay team comprising of Ichiuo, Kabiriel, Rommel Espera, and Shane Ogumoro.
Ogumoro, Ichiuo, Kabiriel, and Robert Kim also medalled in the 4x400M relay.
The NMITFF also presented plaques of appreciation to major sponsors such as Tebuteb, DFS Galleria, and Pacific Islands Club.
With that, the stage is all set for athletes to vie for next year’s awards. Time is ticking, leaving a little more than 10 months to push for their names to be plated on the shiny hardware.
