Roligat to embark on summer of a lifetime

Marianas High School student Darrel Roligat will get to compete in three off-island athletics competitions in a span of a month.

The 16-year-old Chalan Lau Lau sprinter leaves tomorrow with coach Robin Eugenio for the IAAF World Youth Championships, which will be held in Morocco from July 14 to July 17. He will not return until mid-August as he is also set to compete in the 2005 Palau South Pacific Mini Games and the IAAF World Championships in Finland.

“I’m just excited to be able to experience this,” Roligat said during an interview yesterday. “I’m proud to represent CNMI track and field and I’m ready to do my best.”

Roligat has a lot in store for him as the competition features the elite youth athletes in the world going head to head for supremacy. He will compete in both the 100m and 200m events.

Roligat, however, indicated that although he does not have high expectations in regards to his running performance, he expects to savor every moment, learn as much as he can from the international cast, and return to Saipan with more tools that will play a big role in his development.

“It’s not all about winning, especially since I just started [athletics] not too long ago,” he said. “It’s good that I’m going to really get the feeling of international competition. I’m going to continue to grow.”

Roligat, who trains five days a week under the guidance of coach Elias Rangamar, also explained that he knows there’s still so much for him to improve on and learn.

“I know there are many things I still need to do, but I understand that it takes a while,” he said. “You can’t just expect to change in just one day, and coach explained that to me and helps me with that. He pushes me to do my best all the time, and it motivates me.”

Shortly after the Morocco experience, Roligat will travel to Palau, where he will join teammate Dexter Dillay and Rangamar.

The Mini Games conclude on Aug. 5, and right after, Roligat and Rangamar will begin their journey to Finland for the World Championships, which will be held from Aug. 6 to Aug. 14 and will showcase the best in the sport from around the world. He will compete in the 100m dash.

Roligat has had many shining moments on the rubber track, winning sprint events in the recent CNMI National Track and Field Championships and the McDonald’s All Schools Track and Field Championships.

In late May, Roligat took part in a sprinters and hurdlers training workshop in Cairns, Australia and impressed athletes and coaches from around the region.

During trials at the workshop, Roligat set a personal-best while breaking the CNMI Junior Record in the 100m dash, officially completing the sprint in 11.7 seconds.

Last year, Roligat earned the monthly plum for September and was in the shortlist of the yearend NMASA 2004 Male Student Athlete of the Year award.