CNMI junior tennis rankings released

Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association has released the 2008-2009 rankings in the junior division, giving the public a preview the composition of the CNMI National Junior Team that will compete in a regional tournament in June.

In the boys’ 18-and-under division, Woo Suk Chang leads 14 other players with his 2,250 rankings points. Not far behind is Tinian’s Benjie Decena, who has earned 2,000.

Decena could have overtaken Chang, but the former competed only in two of NMITA’s three events. Chang joined all three events. Nathan Nutting is currently in third with 1,500 points, followed by Sung Hoon Ham (1,200), James Camacho (1000), Andy Nutting (850), Joseph Jang (650), Calvin Yang (500), Russell Buenaventura (500), Bradley Brostom (400), Min Seok Kim (300), Ji Hoon Ham (250), Sung Jin Kim (200), Min Suk Kim (200), and R.J. Aquino (150).

NMITA will be holding one more tournament before releasing the final rankings and selecting the members of the CNMI Junior Team. The CNMI Junior Tennis Championships will be held later this month and will offer 1.5 times the regular ranking points, which will be crucial in determining who will represent the Commonwealth to the North Pacific Qualifying Tournament in Guam in June.

Last year, the CNMI sent the top four players in the boys’ 18-and-under division to Guam with Camacho, Nathan Nutting, Decena, and Woo Suk making the team.

In the girls’ 18-and-under, the 13-year-old Thea Minor is ahead with her 2,500 points. Jodel Fernandez is at second with 2,150, followed by Theecel Minor (1,500), Lila Mailman (100), and Dina Jones (500).

Jones, Theecel, and Mayuko Arriola competed in last year’s NPQ, while Thea also went to Guam, but joined the girls’ 14-and-under age group.

In the boys’ 14-and-under division, Rafael Jones, and Christian Miller are in a neck-and-neck battle with the former gaining 3,500 ranking points against the latter’s 3,250.

Chris Cajigan is at third with 2,000 points, while completing the Top 5 are Jake Lee (1,950) and Lucas Nutting (1,700). Excluding Cajigan, all four in the Top 5 competed in last year’s NPQ. Daniel Camacho was the fifth CNMI bet to join the 2008 NPQ.

In the girls’ 14-and-under, 10-year-old Neghar Rastguiy is on top with 3,150 points, followed by Illia Corella (2,900), Amy Arenovski (1,900), Jean Bracken (1,900), Melody Johnson (1,000), Adele Hudkins (1,000), Alina Ishikawa (500), Mikaela Lopez (300), and Gemmalie Eugenio (250).

The CNMI had only three entries in the girls’ 14-and-under competition in NPQ last year with Arenovski and Bracken joining Thea.

There is no competition for the 10-and-under age group in NPQ, but NMITA is still ranking players for records purposes.

Carl Dela Cruz is leading the boys’ 10-and-under with his 4,100 points. Colin Ramsey is at second with 2,250. Making it to the Top 10 are Kennedy Izuka (2,000), Dylan Ackerman (1,350), Moris Villanueva (1,100), Cajigan (1,000), Steven Goodwin (855), Aaron Lee (800), Michael Jones (770), and Jun Myong (750).

Tammy Ackerman has collected 4,000 ranking points to enjoy the top spot in the girls’ 10-and-under age group. Rounding out to the Top 10 are Emily Jones (3,250), Gabrielle Race (2,200), Carol Lee (1,650), Sakura Imaya (1,350), Elizaveta Atalig (800), Hudkins (600), Malika Miyawaki (500), Julia Ishikawa (500), and Ami Tsukagoshi (500).