Sicat, Taitano win May Masters

Noel Sicat and Cindy Taitano came up big in the clutch in the Masters event of the 23rd Annual May Masters Bowling Tournament held Sunday at the Saipan Bowling Center.

Sicat came from behind to beat defending champion Mark “The Shark” Halstead in the men’s Masters, while Cindy Taitano outplayed reigning titlist Diana Camacho in a two-frame roll-off to rule the women’s Masters competition.

The 37-year-old Sicat trailed Halstead by 65 pins after 14 games and 29 after the penultimate game, but the chief cook of J’s Restaurant Gualo Rai outscored Halstead in the final game to complete the comeback.

The championship came down to the final frame with both players knocking down identical strikes. Sicat then came up with a spare and then watched as Halstead kiss his retention bid goodbye by leaving a pin on his own attempt at a spare.

Sicat wound up with 226 in the final game to give him 3,270 pinfalls for the marathon men’s Masters event. Halstead settled for runner-up honors after finishing a pin back with 3,269 pinfalls, dooming his chances with a 196 in the 16th game.

Sicat thanked God for the victory and also dedicated the May Masters win to his wife, Josie, and their daughter Daniella.

It was the first May Masters win for Sicat and was also his first championship in a big tournament. He said he has always come close but always seemed to lose steam at the end, but that was until this year’s mid-year classic.

The May Masters win was also sweet revenge for Sicat, who lost to Halstead in the season end Pepsi King of the Lanes Bowling Tournament in January.

Sicat bagged the $1,000 top prize with Halstead taking home the $600 runner-up purse.

Making up the rest of the top 10 in the men’s Masters event were Guam’s Jay Leon Guerrero (3,186, $300), Jess Rebusada (3,164, $150), Robert Talavera (3,143, $100), Ruselle Zapanta (3,130, $75), Raymond Zapanta (3,114), Kitz Barja (3,110), Mike Guirey (3,106), and Edgar Talavera (3,038).

Taitano, for her part, finished tied with Camacho in the women’s division with identical 2,076 pinfalls after 12 games.

She then picked up her game in the two-frame roll-off, beating Camacho by the thinnest of margins, 47-45, to annex the women’s championship.

Like Sicat, it was the first May Masters title for Taitano, who credited the support given by his husband Efren and their three children for her victory.

Taitano said she feels very happy to have beaten Camacho for the championship. She said her victory is made more special because she never expected to go all the way in the first place. Taitano was rewarded with $300, while Camacho got $200.

The rest of the top 10 in the women’s division were Elena Soll (1,966, $100), Rizza Hensley (1,932), Emi Williams (1,931), Cora Muna (1,890), Maridel Camacho (1,791), Gigi Zapanta (1,749), Lucy Deleon Guerrero (1,715), and Carol McKenzie (1,710).

The 2005 May Masters Bowling Tournament was organized by the Saipan Bowling Association and was sponsored by JET Holdings and Saipan Bowling Center, MARPAC and Budweiser, Shirley’s Coffee Shop and the Marianas Visitors Authority.