Another week full of action

Veteran golfer Jess Wabol, the Tinian basketball team, netters, Saipan fighters, and three masters of the ocean shared the spotlight in another action-packed week in the local sports scene.

Wabol had a sensational weekend as he won the Championshp Flight of the 4th Annual NMC Foundation Open last Saturday at the Laolao Bay Golf Resort, shooting a two-under 70 to earn top honors. It was a two-for-one advantage for Wabol as the tournament also served as a qualifier for the upcoming 6th Micronesian Games.

Wabol won again the next day, shooting a 74 in another Micro Games qualifier.

For their part, the Tinian basketball team hoisted the championship trophy of the 2006 Inter-Government Basketball League after winning via forfeit over the Department of Public Safety Enforcers.

The Enforcers took Game 1 of the series, but the game was put under protest and after officials decided for the teams to replay the final 3:30 of overtime, DPS forfeited both Game 1 and 2.

Mix martial art fighters Frank “The Crank” Camacho and “Suicide” Cliff Masga also hauled in solid performances, winning via referee stoppage in the Spike 22 Scrap Night on Guam. Camacho defeated Shaun “The Ace” Mantanona while Masga beat Dave “The Hammer” Fernandez, both in the third rounds.

Also, the CNMI underwater spear fishing team to the Micro Games was finalized, with Felix Sasamoto Jr., Mark Hapdei, and Frank Pangelinan taking top honors in a qualifier last Saturday. Crispin Sasamoto placed fourth and will serve as alternate under the team that will be coached by Jacinto Taman.

Singles champions were also crowned in the inaugural AON Insurance Tennis Tournament. Fourteen-year-olds Lila Mailman and Ji Hoon Heo topped the women’s and men’s open, while Simon Gregorio, Aldrin Santa Ana, Merle Hudkins, Dr. Gary Ramsey, Buddy Garote, and Thea Minor also joined the champions list.

The 2006 Budweiser Cup BANMI Men’s Island-wide Basketball League and Women’s cage league, as well as the Women’s Soccer League also kicked off, action in the Mobil Oil Marianas Co-ed Invitational Basketball League, Saipan Little League, and Saipan Major League continued, and the draft of the 7th Annual Miller Lite-Pepsi Four’s Beach Volleyball League also took place the past week.