{"id":401041,"date":"2023-11-24T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-24T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=401041"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"Zhi-tied-for-5th-in-golf-Villanueva-advances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/Zhi-tied-for-5th-in-golf-Villanueva-advances\/","title":{"rendered":"Zhi tied for 5th in golf, Villanueva advances"},"content":{"rendered":"

HONIARA, Solomon Islands\u2014<\/strong>It was Thanksgiving back home, but the CNMI delegation in the 2023 Pacific Games had another day of training and competition.<\/p>\n

Golf\u2019s lone woman player, Zhi Min Jin, is so far fifth in the individual standings after Round 2 of golf yesterday morning at the Honiara Golf Course, while tennis\u2019 Moris Villanueva advanced to the next round of singles matches.<\/p>\n

Jin rose and shone early yesterday morning as she teed off first before the men\u2019s team. She finished the course with the same score as Round 1 with a 7-over 79.<\/p>\n

The 16-year-old Marianas High School student said she hopes to play better in the last two rounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel kind of disappointed in myself because I know that I could\u2019ve done better but I lost my focus during the game and made some dumb mistakes. The greens were worse than yesterday and the weather was way cooler than yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marco Peter, golf\u2019s team manager, said that Jin \u201cdrove the ball well today (yesterday). Horrendous greens condition cost her few 3 putts. Scores were higher across the board, but she managed to steady herself to another round of 79.\u201d<\/p>\n

Currently, first place after the two rounds is Tonga\u2019s Alexis Vakasiuola with a score of 149; New Caledonia\u2019s Priscilla Lormand is second at 152; tied for third is Margaret Lavaki from Papua New Guinea and Tahiti\u2019s Kirra St. Laurent with 153; tied for fourth at 157 is Solomon Islands\u2019 Norma Jans Wopereis, PNG\u2019s Kristine Seko; and NCL\u2019s Mohea Mandsbendel; and tied for fifth is Jin and Samoa\u2019s Shantael Ligaliga with a score of 158.<\/p>\n

The men\u2019s team of Franco Santos, Ben Jones Jr., Joe Sasamoto, and Joe \u201cKamikaze\u201d Camacho, finished their round of golf late yesterday afternoon with everyone scoring the same as Round 1 except for Sasamoto who scored an 82.<\/p>\n

Peter said that the team is 15 shots off a medal. \u201cTwo more rounds left, so we have a lot of strokes to make up.\u201d<\/p>\n

In tennis, only Villanueva played yesterday morning and advanced to the next round after he won by default when his opponent, No. 12 Samoa\u2019s Marvin Soonalole, hurt himself in the last set. They managed to play for about an hour before the match was called off.<\/p>\n

This morning at 9am, player\/coach Colin Ramsey is playing against Guam\u2019s Camden Camacho, while also at the same time, junior netter June Yu is going up against Samoa\u2019s Leon Soonalole; followed by the doubles matchup of Yu and Nason Wessel against Tonga\u2019s Teufolau Huni and Filimone Junior Noa. Then after, he and Villanueva are playing doubles against Tonga\u2019s Filipe Huni and Otufangavalu Noa.<\/p>\n

Weightlifting<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, Riella Ichiuo took the stage in the women\u2019s 76-kg weight class and put her best foot forward but came in fifth place with a best snatch of 70 kg and a best clean & jerk attempt of 85 k for a total weight of 155 kg.<\/p>\n

Overall gold and the concurrent Oceania Weightlifting Championships went to heavy lifting Australia\u2019s Olivia Shelton with a 96-kg snatch, a 119-kg clean & jerk, and a 215-kg total; silver was Samoa\u2019s Avatu Opeloge with an 88-kg snatch, a 110-kg clean & jerk, and a 198-kg total. Bronze went to Marshall Islands\u2019 Merean Atantaake with a 73-kg snatch, a 96-kg clean & jerk, and a 169-kg total.<\/p>\n

Yesterday, heavy lifter Angel San Nicolas in the men\u2019s 96-kg weight class was humbled as he settled for seventh place with a best snatch lift of 121 kg, a best clean & jerk lift of 167 kg, and a total lift of 278 kg.<\/p>\n

Gold overall and the concurrent Oceania Weightlifting Championship went to Samoa\u2019s Maeu Nanai with a 155-kg snatch, a 185-kg clean & jerk, and a 340-kg total weight lifted. Silver was Guam\u2019s Ethan Ellwell with a 140 kg snatch, a 165-kg clean & jerk, and a 305-kg overall weight. Bronze was a close one with Nauru\u2019s Uea Detudamo claiming it with a 133-kg snatch, 165-kg clean & jerk, and a 298-kg total weight lifted.<\/p>\n

In the women\u2019s 81-kg weight class, Antonette Labausa settled for a close fourth-place finish after the jury ruled her second clean & jerk attempt of 96 kg a no lift. She lifted a 78-kg snatch, 93-kg clean & jerk, and a 168-kg total weight.<\/p>\n

Oceania records were broken by Australia\u2019s Eileen Cikamatana who swept all divisions and the concurrent Oceania Weightlifting Championships\u2014whose family brought the house down with their cheers and celebration after each of her successful lifts.<\/p>\n

Cikamatana lifted a 115-kg snatch, a 145-kg clean & jerk, and a 260-kg overall weight.<\/p>\n

Today, Joey Colisao is the last weightlifter to take the stage in the 109kg+ weight class.<\/p>\n

In other sports, the men\u2019s national football team is competing against Tahiti at 7pm Solomon Islands time, while there\u2019s another round of golf for the men\u2019s team and Jin. Last day of swimming competitions are today.<\/p>\n

Chef de mission<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n

Nick Gross gave an update a week into the delegation\u2019s stay in the Solomons. He said, \u201cAs is the case in any Games of this magnitude, the visiting teams, along with the organizers, plan and plan and plan, only to see many of the plans thrown out the window when the theoretical becomes the practicum.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luckily, he said, Team NMI has learned to roll with it. \u201cYes, there’s been some frustration, mainly with our transportation. Although the majority of the venues are no more than 15 minutes away from each other at most, the incessant heat coupled with our teams need for rest, wears on everyone. Positively, we hope, Team NMI was provided an additional 15-person van to support our needs, so now it’s up to us to internally dispatch the van for our teams’ needs. Regarding dorm life at the SINU Kukum campus, our team has done a great job of making it as comfortable as possible under the circumstances and spends time daily or every other day working on laundry needs and hang drying to the best of their ability.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for the medal haul for the team so far, of seven total from swimming and weightlifting, he said, \u201cWe’re ecstatic with the performances by our members and have high hopes of hitting double digits prior to the closing of the Games on Dec. 2.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Thanksgiving celebrations back home, Gross said \u201calthough the Games have not slowed down, us, Guam, and American Samoa are the only nations present that celebrate the holiday. We won\u2019t have much time due to the varying schedules of our 10 sports teams but are planning to have a small pizza party around 9pm tonight (last night) when we hope we can have at least 90% of the delegation together! It’s a small gesture on the part of the [Northern Marianas Sport Association] but what a fantastic way to give thanks! In the end, I think all would agree, that we’d like to give thanks to all those that have supported the team in their preparations and financial support that has allowed us to have such a huge showing in the Pacific Games! Dongkalu na si yu’us ma’ase, sponsors and tao tao Marianas! Happy Thanksgiving to all from Team NMI!\u201d<\/p>\n


Medal standing<\/p>\n

Zhi Min Jin prepares to tee off on Round 2 of golf yesterday morning at the Honiara Golf Course and finished the day with the same 7-over-79 score as Round 1. She still leads the women\u2019s individual standings.<\/p>\n

-CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
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