AG’s Cup winner: It was a close challenge

“I did my best.”

Thus stated James Ryan Benavente, a senior high school student who brought honor and pride to Mt. Carmel School by bagging the championship title in the annual Attorney General’s Cup speech competition held recently on Rota.

Benavente, in an interview with Saipan Tribune yesterday, said that joining in the AG Cup was a great experience, adding that competing with other top contenders throughout the CNMI was a challenge.

Benavente’s win is the fifth straight year that Mt. Carmel has dominated this speech competition.

“I appreciate the win. Everyone deserves the best. And I did my best. Everyone else did the best. It was a close race. It was a close challenge. I feel good,” he said.

Benavente did not expect to win, though. “I was up against really good people,” he said. It was the first time he joined the competition.

Nicole Torres of Grace Christian Academy grabbed the second runner-up honors. Keala Mikala Bowers Peters, a freshman student at Kagman High School, was the third runner-up.

Benavente, Torres, and Peters were awarded trophies and cash prizes. Their schools were also given trophies.

All seven contestants were awarded plaques of appreciation for their participation.

The other contestants were Katherene Rose T. Taylor of Calvary Christian Academy; Rachael Reyes of Marianas High School; Ray Anthony B. Duenas of Saipan Southern High; and Julvana Lynn Maratita of Rota High School.

One of the judges was the 1986 AG Cup winner Rita Chong dela Cruz, who is now a planner at the U.S. Homeland Security.

Other judges were CNMI acting Chief Justice Alexandro Castro, Guam Supreme Court Justice Robert Torres, CNMI Bar Association president Vicente T. Salas, Public School System Board member attorney Lucy Blanco Maratita, and assistant attorney general Jeanne H. Rayphand.

This year’s topic was about immigration policy with regards to different nations and whether CNMI should welcome refugees.

Mt. Carmel has bagged the championship title eight times since its inception in 1984.

Marianas Baptist Academy, which is a close rival of Mt. Carmel with six titles, pulled out at the last minute this year because of the school’s other commitment.

It was the first AG Cup held on Rota. Last year it was on Tinian, during which Michael Deleon Guerrero of Mt. Carmel emerged the winner.