Volunteers needed for All Schools meet

With hundreds of athletes expected to compete in the upcoming All School Track and Field Championships and its accompanying qualifiers, the Northern Mariana Islands Track and Field Federation is searching for interested individuals to assist as volunteers.

The federation has scheduled a meeting at 3:30pm this Monday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium in hopes of putting together various committees to oversee each task, including guiding athletes to the warm-up site, guiding athletes to the second call tent, assisting officials measuring distances and retrieving equipment after throws, among others.

The federation also reminds all schools interested in participating in the Championships that the time trials begin on Tuesday, April 5, at the Oleai Sports Complex track and field facility. Only Saipan athletes will battle for the six available slots in each event. The other two slots are reserved for Tinian and Rota.

Age categories include 9-and-under, 11-and-under, 13-and-under, and 18-and-under.

The first session for the nine-and-under and 11-and-under age groups will be held from April 5 to April 7. Events include the 100m, 200, 1,500m, 4X100m relay, and the long jump. The two groups will be back on the track from April 11 to April 13 in the 400m, 800m, 4X400m relay, and softball throw.

The high school division, with athletes in the 18-and-under age group, and junior high school, with athletes 13-and-under, will have their first try on April 8, competing to qualify for slots in their divisions in the 100m, 200m, 1500m, 4X100m relay, discuss, shot put, and long jump.

Their trial continues on April 14 and 15 with action in the 400m, 800m, high jump, javelin, and 4X400m relay.

The trials will continue until April 29.

Each athlete is allowed to compete in only four events. Athletes in the in the nine-and-under and 11-and-under age groups who participate in either the 800m or 1,500m events will be allowed to take part in two events only.

The top three finishers in each event in the May 7 Championships will each receive a medal, while the school with the most points in each age category will go home with the championship trophy.

Points will be based on the individual placing of a school representative in each event, with first place receiving 10 points. Second place receives eight points, third get six points, fourth get four points, and fifth gets two points, and sixth place two points.

For more information, contact Elias Rangamar at 664-2502 or via email at eli_rang@yahoo.com, NMITFF president Kurt Barnes at 234-5498 ext. 1008 or email at kurtb@nmcnet.edu, or federation treasurer Robin Sapong at sapong@vzpacifica.net.