The 2014 IT&E Northern Marianas Junior Championships was last week\u2019s centerpiece event.<\/p>\n
The Junior ITF world-ranking event drew players from Japan, India, Indonesia, Guam, Hong Hong, Chinese-Taipei, U.S., Australia, Thailand, and the host. The competition offered both girls and boys singles and doubles events and featured more than 70 players. The United States\u2019 Jack Barber went on to be crowned the boys singles champion, while Yurie Tananishi took the girls singles tiara. In the consolation draw, the CNMI\u2019s Tammy Ackerman won in the girls division, while Jake Lee advanced to the finals.
\nMeanwhile, other ongoing competitions on Saipan pushed through with their games last week.<\/p>\n
In the QQ basketball league, playoff matches were played with JP World and Toka eliminating Rebels and High-Five, respectively, in the first round of knockout games. Blue Haus and Island Manpower prevailed in the two other playoff matches with the former beating the Hoopaholics and the latter topping the Rollers.<\/p>\n
In two other basketball leagues, San Antonio remains unbeaten in two games in the DL Corp. caging at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium, while I Love Saipan and Gwap Gang also went 2-0 in the DLX\/IT&E competition at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.<\/p>\n
In another IT&E-sponsored event\u2014the 2014 IT&E Mixed Doubles and Singles Badminton Tournament\u2014youth player Deether Edralin bagged three straight wins in the men\u2019s singles B after dropping his opening match. Other singles winners last week were men\u2019s A division players Macoi Aguda and Sam Bluutjens.<\/p>\n
In football, the M-League and NMIFA Women\u2019s Spring League continued with its regular season games, while a selection of CNMI players left Saipan for Hong Kong to compete in the Chelsea FC Soccer School Hong Kong Invitational Competition 2014.<\/p>\n