Aikawa makes ITA Scholar-Athlete team

Lady netter Kana Aikawa does not only have flashy moves on the tennis courts but inside the classroom as well.

This after Aikawa, who represented the CNMI in the recent 2005 Palau South Pacific Mini Games, was named to the ITA Scholar-Athlete team along with four other tennis players matriculating at the University of Hawaii in Manoa.

Joining Aikawa in the ITA Scholar-Athlete team were fellow Rainbow Wahines Justine Boutet, Kimberly Curtis, and Lauren Fitzgerald, and male tennis player Bryon Weinberg. Weinberg was the lone Warrior selected to the academic team.

The women’s program earned the ITA All Academic Team honors after posting a combined grade point average of 3.34, and all the five mentioned student-athletes had GPA’s of 3.5 or higher in the past academic year.

In addition, Aikawa and company were all named to the Academic All-Western Athletic Conference team and were also recognized as UH Scholar-Athletes.

Aikawa’s longtime coach Jeff Race, who guided the netter for almost 10 years, said he was proud of Aikawa’s accomplishments.

“I think its great,” he said. “I’m just so proud of her. All the hard work that she did when she was here on Saipan has really paid off for her in terms of getting a scholarship and doing well in the SPG and the accomplishments she’s had in school.”

Race also added that sky is the limit with Aikawa, who continues to improve her tennis game each time out.

“She’s got more to go. She hasn’t reached her peak and she’s still improving,” he said.

Aikawa made her presence felt in Palau, spearheading the CNMI women’s team to the bronze medal match against host Palau.

Aikawa and Amanda Weindl opened things up by sweeping Solomon Islands, with Aikawa pulling past Elizabeth Tesimu in consecutive sets 6-1, 6-3.

She posted her next victory in the bronze medal match against Palau’s Kelly Koskelin, cruising to a 6-1, 6-1 win. She, however, was not able to play for the medal after Weindl sustained an injury.

Aikawa also teamed up with Tim Quan and the two defeated Khay Sung and Rosalie Cao of Guam in the mixed doubles competition.

The two were taken to the limit in both sets, but eventually pulled through and lived to play again with a 5-3, 5-4 (7-4) victory.

Aikawa and Quan fought their way to the quarterfinals before dropping to Papua New Guinea.

Aikawa has won numerous tournaments as a junior netter on Saipan.

Before the Games concluded, Aikawa stressed that she is interested in representing the CNMI again in next year’s Micronesian Games and the South Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa in 2007.

Race said if Aikawa continues to show interest, she will have an automatic slot in the four-woman team and might even be seeded No. 1.

“She’s doesn’t need to prove herself,” Race added.