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Lights out for Celis, Heo
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Posted on Sep 16 2005
It wasn’t easy for the leaders of local sporting associations to select the August Athletes of the Month due to one of the least hospitable seasons for outdoor sport on record, but Tony Celis and Ji Hoon Heo earned the honors for their efforts here and abroad.
Before more of the same conditions forced the power from the lines of the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium conference room and most of Saipan, members of the Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association unanimously voted in favor of Celis and Heo before calling the night’s abbreviated session to a close.
With cell phones and laptop computers providing the only light, Jeff Race illuminated the room with tales of Heo’s exploits in the Pacific Oceania Junior Tennis Championship in Lautoka, Fiji, that justified his selection as August Student Athlete of the Month.
“Ji Hoon competed against the national and regional champions from all the South Pacific nations finishing a remarkable second place in the boys’ 14-and-under division,” he said.
Race added that Heo (pronounced ‘haw’) was on the top of his game during the competition, which he termed as “Like the SPGs for kids.”
Race’s endorsement of Heo was unanimously approved by his fellow association heads but Heo wasn’t the only one recognized on Thursday night.
With a faint mixture of green and blue shinning from the handhelds, Saipan Major League Baseball Association coordinator Tony Rogolifoi detailed the accomplishments of all-star third baseman Celis.
While Celis displayed his talents in the field off his pitcher’s right shoulders, it was his ability to consistently reach base while pounding the ball to all parts of Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field.
“Tony was the SML batting champion with a .485 batting average, the doubles champion, was the regular season’s most valuable player, and is only the fifth player in SML history to win back to back batting titles,” said Rogolifoi.
There wasn’t a nay in the room as Celis was awarded the August Athlete of the Month. The vote was just about the last order of business as the motion to end the meeting due to the lack of electricity was the third unanimous decision of the night made by the group.
