The Sports Leigh-Out Feb. 7-13, 2026

Hafa Adai and Tirow sports fans, this is Leigh Gases with this week’s Sports Leigh-Out brought to you by Joeten Motors!

Let’s take a closer look at what our athletes have been up to in off-island competitions and on their home turf—whether it’s on the pitch, mat, courts, fields, track, pools, or the beautiful ocean.

NMI Badminton in New Zealand for Open and U17 tourney

NMI badminton players are in New Zealand for the Pacific U17 Invitation Team Challenge 2026 and the Victor Oceania Open Championships 2026 that will be held until Feb. 14.

The U17 team consisting of Lina Tsukagoshi, Eunho Park, Peng Fei Lin, Kate Yi Xu, William Guo, and Evan Seguritan notched a win against Guam, 4-1, on Thursday, Feb. 12, and won against Tahiti, 3-2. Meanwhile, the women’s open team made up of Genelyn Lansangan, Monique Mascarinas, Shaina Malonzo, Keala Takeda, and Danielle Joson beat New Caledonia, 3-2, yesterday, Friday, Feb. 13.

Stay tuned for the full results and story.

Jinnosuke makes waves at Coast Guard Academy

NMI’s Cadet Jinnosuke Suzuki made waves as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Men's Swimming & Diving team on Jan. 31.

Competing in the Bears' Senior Day victories over Montclair State and Roger Williams, Jinnosuke helped power his team to success with a strong second-place finish in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:37.81 and an impressive third-place podium finish in the 100 freestyle with a time of 49.26 seconds.

Villacrusis, Muldoon top Chagi Norf Duathlon

At the scenic and rugged north—with the sun rising over the ocean on one side and quiet mountains on the other—the Chagi Norf Duathlon, hosted by the Triathlon Association of the CNMI on Saturday, Feb. 7, featured an early-morning 2.5km run at Banzai, followed by a 20km two-lap bike course from Banzai to PauPau Beach and north past the Last Command Post, before finishing with another 2.5km run.

There was also a Super Sprint Duathlon category for adults (800m run, 5K bike, 800m run) and children (200m run, 400m bike, 200m bike).

For the Men’s Duathlon, Christian Villacrusis was first overall and in the men’s division with a winning time of 57:47, followed closely by Arvin Velasco in second 59:39. Nap Dizon rounded out the top three, finishing third with a time of 1:00:32.

Villacrusis, who has been training hard lately, said he was happy with his first-place finish. He hopes to compete for the NMI at the 2027 Tahiti Pacific Games and said he will continue training, adding that there is still more work to be done. As for TRAC hosting these events, he said, “I’m really happy that they’re doing these again. They’ve been pretty inactive for the longest time, and I’m really appreciative of the hard work they do for us.”

In the Women’s Duathlon, Lily Muldoon claimed first place with a time of 59:59. Shawna Brennfleck finished second at 1:05:32, while Kerri Bauer secured third with a time of 1:12:42.

Muldoon, who recently returned to Saipan, is an avid runner and said she had never competed in a duathlon before, though she has done triathlons in California. She said she was glad she didn’t have to worry about swimming this time. The race, she said, was “gorgeous. I’m happy to be back on Saipan and excited that TRAC is putting on these different events… I learned a lot out there. Biking is probably my hardest activity—that’s where I got passed by a couple of other boys.”

As for the Super Sprint Men’s division, Matt Nelson took first place with a time of 28:12. The Super Sprint Teams division saw SHS Team 1 take first place with a time of 49:27, while SHS Team 2 followed in second at 50:55.

In the Super Sprint Youth Boys division, Beau Bauer finished first with a time of 24:29. Brayden Brennfleck placed second at 0:24:53, and Finley Nelson took third with a time of 26:53.

Amethyst Winkfield earned first place in the Super Sprint Youth Girls division, completing the course in 26:45.

The Boys 9U division was led by Jace Brennfleck, who finished first with a time of 5:28. Waylon Beyer placed second at 6:25, followed closely by Jasper Davis in third at 6:26. Meanwhile in the Girls 9U division, Victoria Santos took first place with a time of 8:13. Nico O’Sullivan finished second at 8:24, and Beryl Winkfield placed third with a time of 9:47.

Brown belt Sam Tisdale hosts 3-day BJJ seminar at Trench Tech gym

Dozens of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels gathered at Trench Tech Purebred Saipan Gym for a free three-day seminar led by Taiwan-based brown belt Sam Tisdale from Sunday, Feb. 8, to Tuesday, Feb. 10.

A brown belt is just one rank below black belt and Tisdale brought more than a decade of experience to the mats of Saipan. Tisdale has been living and training in Taiwan for the past eight years and trains under professor (black belt) Makoto Ogasawara. The 32-year-old, who’s from Wisconsin where he grew up wrestling, then began training in Jiu-Jitsu at 19 and has since built an extensive competitive resume across Asia and the Pacific.

The first day of the seminar focused on leg locks, while days two and three shifted to guard passing and pressure-based passing techniques, with students drilling after he demonstrated the moves alongside local Jiu-Jitsu athlete and good friend of his, Evert Van Der Maas.

Tisdale’s visit comes off a strong 2025 season where he compiled an 18-4 record and collected multiple medals in major tournaments. At the IBJJF Asian Open held last June 19-22 in Chiba, Japan, he won gold in the brown belt super heavyweight division and bronze in the brown belt open (absolute) division. He also secured double gold at the ADCC Okinawa Open last March 30 in Okinawa, Japan, taking first in the +99kg division and the open class.

In April, he claimed two more gold medals at the Marianas Pro Taiwan in Taipei, winning both the brown belt adult ultra heavyweight and open weight divisions. He later added another gold at the Marianas International Open in Guam on Oct. 18, capturing the adult brown belt no-gi title.

Tisdale said he met Trench Tech professor (black belt) Justis “Cuki” Alvarez in Tokyo, and that Van Der Maas had long encouraged him to visit Saipan to share his knowledge.

With that, he said the seminars have “been fun, it’s been great.” As for the turnout and the island’s skill level, he was impressed. “There were so many kids here. That’s always a good sign,” he said. “They say a good sign of a good jiu-jitsu gym is do they have a good kids program? And they have a lot of kids.”

Tisdale left on Tuesday night, and hopes to return to do more seminars on the island.

SupHub hosts 2nd Mini Tourney

The second Saipan Ultimate Pickleball Hub (SupHub) Mini Tournament in a series of monthly tournaments planned for this year was held over the weekend of Saturday, Feb. 7 and Sunday, Feb. 8 at the SupHub location in Tanapag. It saw dozens of pickleball players gather for matches across multiple categories including 3.0 and 3.5 mixed, men’s, women’s, and double trouble.

On Sunday, in the 3.5 Mixed Doubles division, Elisha Chelsea Henzon and Richard Asuncion finished first with a score of 12-10 over second place Marivic Dunlop and Donn Dunlop. Llyanna Jairah Libut and Michael Jornal placed third after a close matchup against the Dunlops.

Henzon and Asuncion, who both also won SupHub’s January Mini Tournament, have been playing together for about three years now and are confident with their game. Asuncion said of their finals against the Dunlops, “our game was intense. We went 6-10, and went up until 12-10.” Henzon said, “It was a really close game, thank you to our opponents, they’re really good.” She added that their strategy was to coordinate with each other and communicate.

With their win again in as many tournaments, Henzon said that it felt really good because she was nervous. Both players also mentioned they are training to compete in a Guam tournament in April. “Just getting a lot of tournaments in, a lot of practice, so we can really show Guam what’s up,” said Henzon.

Also on Sunday, in the 3.0 Women’s Doubles, Fatima Pascual and Cha Florendo captured first place. Yun Qin Zheng and Jian Zhi Yu finished second, while Clarissa Palumar and Lea Verzon came in third.

In the 3.5 Double Trouble division, Mike Manalang and Michael Jornal took first place, Luo Hui and Jian Chun Yu secured second, and Karl Jhean Kwan and Jihun “Cris” Kim finished third.

On Saturday, competition began with the 3.0 Mixed Doubles division, where Clarissa Palumar and Christian Allan Mejia took first place, 11-5, against Fatima Pascual and Ambet Omampo, who finished second. Nina Manzon and Jan Socorro came in third.

CNMI gridiron fans show out for Super Bowl LX

It was another manic Super Bowl Monday as hundreds of CNMI gridiron fans showed out today, Monday, Feb. 9, selling out watch parties all over Saipan—from Susupe’s World Resort and the north side’s Aqua Resort to bars in Garapan and Marianas Beach Resort. One thing was clear: the Seahawks were heavily favored to win. And sure enough, after a wild Super Bowl between two young but strong teams—complete with fans cheering live at the stadium and across the islands, along with plenty of food and drinks—the Seattle Seahawks flew to a 29-13 victory to be crowned Super Bowl LX champions.

FIBA Oceania selects Mikki Kautz for Women Leaders’ Program

FIBA in Oceania is proud to celebrate the selection of Meaghan Wilby of New Zealand and Michelle Kautz of the Northern Mariana Islands for the FIBA Women Leaders’ Program Supported by Molten #KeepPlaying initiative, a recognition that places two emerging Oceania leaders on the international stage in the lead‑up to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin.

Both women are current participants in the Women in Basketball – Leadership (WiLEAD) program in the Oceania region, and their inclusion reflects the growing influence of Pacific voices in shaping the future of the sport.

“Recognizing women who are leading change at the grassroots level is essential to the growth of our sport, and this partnership with Molten allows their impact to be seen on a global stage,” FIBA Executive Director – Oceania, Amanda Jenkins said.

“The women selected are not only strengthening participation in their own communities, but they are also shaping the future of basketball across our region. Their leadership reflects FIBA’s long-term commitment to empowering girls, increasing visibility for women in basketball, and ensuring that every pathway, from local courts to the world stage, remains open and sustainable.”

Molten, FIBA’s longest‑standing global partner, launched the #KeepPlaying initiative to address youth dropout rates, strengthen female participation, and elevate women who are driving change in their communities. The program forms part of a multi‑year commitment to create sustainable pathways for girls and young women, building on initiatives such as the Female Local Champions program and global campaigns that highlight role models across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and now Oceania.

“We were profoundly impressed by how the each WiLEAD Oceania projects identified local challenges and turned them into actionable solutions,” Head of Brand Marketing Molten Corporation, Noa Hasegawa said.

“Hearing the story of a young girl gaining confidence and leadership through the game reminded us exactly why we advocate for 'Keep Playing.' We believe this initiative will ensure that more girls have the opportunity to stay in the game and grow as leaders. We believe this collective passion for 'Women in Basketball' to create a ripple effect, evolving into a global movement that inspires every FIBA Regional Office to empower the next generation.”

Their selection also highlights the growing impact of the Women in Basketball – Leadership Program (WiLEAD), which continues to strengthen pathways for women across the Oceania and the globe, by building confidence, capability, and connection.

As the world turns its attention toward Berlin 2026, the #KeepPlaying initiative will shine a spotlight on women whose leadership inspires the next generation. Through their involvement, Meaghan and Mikki will bring Pacific perspectives to a global audience, reinforcing the region’s commitment to empowering girls and women through basketball.