{"id":410023,"date":"2024-06-27T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=410023"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"Call-for-nat-l-tennis-training-facility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/Call-for-nat-l-tennis-training-facility\/","title":{"rendered":"Call for nat\u2019l tennis training facility"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NMI National Tennis Team swept all events in the 10th Micronesian Games in the Marshall Islands for a total of seven gold medals, plus two bronze, and with that, the team\u2019s head coach and Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association president Jeff Race hopes it results in the building of a national tennis training facility.<\/p>\n

The tennis team racked up gold in all events\u2014men\u2019s and women\u2019s team event; men\u2019s (Robbie Schorr) and women\u2019s singles (Isabel Heras); men\u2019s doubles (Schorr and Colin Ramsey) and women\u2019s doubles (Heras and Hoo Wang); and the mixed doubles (Heras and Schorr); while the bronze medals came in the women\u2019s singles (Irin Chung), and mixed doubles (Wang and Ramsey).<\/p>\n

Race hopes this jumpstarts the CNMI government into getting a site to build a national tennis training facility for their athletes. \u201cIf this performance helps us toward that, then I\u2019ll be really happy with that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As for the tennis teams\u2019 gold rush and performance in the games, he said, \u201cI\u2019m really proud of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey came through in every clutch situation. Not only did we win all the gold, we won two bronzes too and I think Irin Chung really had a great performance in the women\u2019s singles; Hoo Wang came through with Colin Ramsey to win the bronze in the mixed doubles, so I was really happy some of these young players can win individual medals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He then said, \u201cI think this was really an educational experience for these kids to come into this. They\u2019re sort of exposed to having to take their game to a new level\u2014which is some of the best ways to improve their game.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Marshall Islands\u2019 unpredictable weather caused many delays and with the short time frame of just four days for tennis competitions, almost each player had to play five to six back-to-back games in a day. Some days, they played well into the night.<\/p>\n

With that hectic schedule, Race said, \u201cIt was super difficult physically for our players\u2014especially for our Top 2 men and our Top 2 women because I think they played six matches in a day. I\u2019d estimate they were playing tennis for eight hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then emphasized, \u201cI hope they never let this happen again. Don\u2019t ever make the mistake of scheduling the games in just a short time. It was just really, really insane.\u201d<\/p>\n

The finals had to be played in short sets due to a two-hour long rain delay and Race feared they wouldn\u2019t have been able to finish up the tournament, but in the end, he said, \u201cwe got it in, and we won. I couldn\u2019t be happier. I think it\u2019s a fantastic achievement for our young players.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that their win in the team competition on the first day of Games really did set the tone for NMI in their eventual sweep of the tournament. However, he did say team Pohnpei gave them a run for their money at times. \u201cNone of it was really easy. It was all super close. Pohnpei has made a strong performance in these Games and they\u2019re a team to be reckoned with,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He did say that Guam didn\u2019t bring in all their best players, and if they did, it would\u2019ve been tougher for the NMI team. But he said, \u201cI don\u2019t care! We won all the gold medals\u2014I don\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The NMI National Women\u2019s Tennis players from left Hoo Wang and Isabel Heras, pose for a photo after their winning gold in the women\u2019s doubles finals in the 10th Micronesian Games in the Marshall Islands. The women\u2019s team also consists of Hannah Chae and Irin Chung who won bronze in the women\u2019s singles.<\/p>\n

-LEIGH GASES
<\/figcaption><\/figure>

<\/p>\n

The NMI National Men\u2019s Tennis Team from left, Colin Ramsey, Si Woo Lee, and Robbie Schorr, poses for a photo after winning gold in the team event in the 10th Micronesian Games in the Marshall Islands.<\/p>\n

-LEIGH GASES
<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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