Junior netters dominate headlines

The week in sports saw the islands’ junior netters dominate the headlines as they took six of the 11 slots up for grabs for the 2008 North Pacific Team to the 2008 Pacific Oceania Junior Championships.

James Camacho, Mayuko Arriola, Dina Jones, Christian Miller, Rafael Jones, and Thea Minor joined automatic qualifier Ji Hoon Heo to Lautoka, Fiji next month after finishing in the Top 3 of their respective divisions in the North Pacific Qualifier held last week at the Rick Ninete Tennis Center in Tamuning, Guam.

Kitz Barja, Allan Hernandez, and Ed Echavez, for their part, won their respective divisions in the 2008 Philippine Bowling Association Classified Tournament, which concluded last Sunday at the Saipan Bowling Center.

Barja won Class A after beating Simon Manacop in the finals. Hernandez, for his part, topped Class B but not after getting a scare from up-and-coming youth bowler Raphael Zapanta. Diana Chong also forced Echavez into sudden death in Class C before losing in the second game.

In other sports news, Eli Torgeson won the three-sport race of the 9th Annual Tinian Turquoise Blue Triathlon & Reef Swim held last June 14 in the CNMI’s gaming capital.

The Commonwealth Health Center anesthesiologist cut three-time Tagaman champion Hideya Miyazuka’s lead after the swim by pedaling like there was no tomorrow to top the race in a time of 2:27:19.

The 2008 Miller Lite 4-Person Beach Volleyball League, meanwhile, concluded last June 12 with 15 of Fame beating pennant champion Kiss My Pass in the finals at the Pacific Islands Club sand courts.

In other beach volleyball news, the tandems of Jazz Roscow and Larry Sharry and Heather Kennedy and Nicole LeBlanc topped their respective divisions in last weekend’s 10th Annual Seaside Grill Beach Volleyball Weekend also played at the San Antono landmark.

Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan’s American Red Cross swimming lessons also kicked off last June 14 with 59 participants signing up at the Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan south pool.

Margaret Tenorio, for her part, won the CNMI Women’s Golf Association June Ace of the Month Tournament after firing a net score of 70 last June 14 at the Laolao Bay Golf Resort west course.

The past week also saw action continue in the PTI Inter-Government Business Basketball League and 3rd Annual Budweiser-Saipan Major League even as the Inaugural FMI Inter-Color Basketball League resumed its playoff round at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.