The Sports Leigh-Out June 27-July 3, 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.

MHS are “Summer Strong” v-ball champs in season of recovery and storms

The undefeated Marianas High School Dolphins are the champions of the 3-day PSS Boys High School Volleyball “Summer Strong” Recovery Tournament after beating Saipan Southern High School in two straight sets, 21-19, 21-14, on Thursday, July 1, at the Agape Christian School Gymnasium.

Read more on our website.

Tinian’s BJJ black belt Mangloña wins 3 medals at IBJJF National Champs

Born on Saipan and raised on Tinian, 2nd degree BJJ black belt Keli Mendiola Mangloña continues to represent and make the Marianas proud on the international stage.

He recently competed at the 2026 IBJJF American National Championship held June 25-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada—one of the top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments in the world—and came away with three medals across four divisions.

Mangloña earned gold in the Master 2 Black Belt Super Heavy No-Gi division, silver in Master 2 Black Belt Super Heavy Gi, and bronze in Master 2 Black Belt Open Weight No-Gi. In the Open Weight Gi division, he reached the quarterfinals before narrowly losing by two points after winning his opening match.

The 36-year-old said the results of the competition meant more than just medals, and when asked about being the first black belt national champion from Tinian, he said, “I am extremely happy about this accomplishment because I come from the island of Tinian and the Mariana Islands,” he said. “I know this will bring honor to our people and the communities I represent. I hope stories like mine show people that anything is possible and that they can go after whatever they set their mind to.”

He then dedicated his achievements to his family, and the people and islands that raised him to become the man that he is today. “Thank you to all my family and friends who continue to support and show their love.”

With the CNMI community still recovering from Super Typhoon Sinlaku, Mangloña said, “I hope that my actions can inspire our people of the Marianas to stay strong and keep fighting throughout this difficult time. We are descendants of a mighty warrior people rooted in love and community. No matter what adversity comes our way, our strength lies in each other. Fanohge Taotao Marianas!”

Mangloña is the eldest of four children of Conrad and Teresita Mangloña and a 2007 graduate of Tinian Jr./Sr. High School. His martial arts journey began in the Marianas, where he trained in boxing with Diego Labante and kickboxing under coach Sano. Early exposure to Fury Fighting Championships sparked his interest in mixed martial arts, leading him to train under local coaches Mark Mendiola, Justis “Cuki” Alvarez, Tetsuji Kato, and Jason Tarkong, among others.

“I’ll never forget where I started,” Mangloña said.

Read more on our website.

Bats, Bases and Brotherhood: Rota and US Air Force Share a Friendly Softball Showdown

The community of Rota hosted a friendly softball showdown against the visiting members of the United States Air Force this past Sunday at Tun Kindo Baseball Field. 1st Game: Fiesta Mix Plate wins against US Air Force with a score of 12 to 3. 2nd Game: Luta takes the win against Cobra AF with a score of 4 to 2, and the final game went to HaguLamun with a score of 11 to 3 against Ghost Bat.

NMI Powerlifting hosts 1st town hall meeting, lays out plans

The newly established NMI Powerlifting Inc. is looking to make waves and grow the sport locally, then eventually field a team for the 2027 Pacific Games in Tahiti.

The board, led by president Clayton Izuka, shared its plans during the organization’s first town hall meeting on Tuesday, June 30, at the Gilbert C. Ada NMSA Conference Room. Joining Izuka on the board are vice president Marc Venus, secretary Jul Ascano, treasurer Lalaine Santomin, and board members Ralph Ascano, Christy Aldan, and Jose Mafnas.

During the meeting, Izuka said the organization is in the process of applying for membership with the Northern Marianas Sports Association. He also shared that the group had already been established before Super Typhoon Sinlaku struck and that their first town hall was an opportunity to gauge local interest and let the community know the organization is now in place.

“We’re hoping to get some interest and see what the interest is like here. I do see some powerlifters in different gyms around the island. I know there’s some people that may be interested, but our main goal is just to get the word out there that we’re established and trying to build something new.”

Izuka, who is a powerlifter himself, got into powerlifting in college and quickly saw benefits beyond just physical strength, including mental health.

Powerlifting involves three lifts—the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Lifters get three attempts at each lift, and their best successful attempt in each is combined for a total score. The highest total in each weight class wins.

Izuka said they hope to get more people familiar with the sport. “Powerlifting is a niche sport—not a lot of people know about it, so that’s kind of our goal, to develop the sport here. In terms of getting a team to Tahiti… it’s going to be pretty tight—but that’s our main goal and hopefully bring back some medals,” he said.

Looking ahead, NMI Powerlifting plans to host its first local meet—an unsanctioned “mock meet”—on either Nov. 14 or Nov. 21. The event is meant to introduce the sport to more people and give local lifters a chance to compete in a meet setting.

Read more on our website.

A win each for Juniors/Majors All-Stars in Korea

The 28-member team of Majors and Junior League All-Stars that competed in the Asia-Pacific & Middle East Regional Tournament from June 27 to July 3 in South Korea ended their campaign with a win each.

Both in tough pools and going off a disrupted season and training time, the boys in blue still put their best feet forward and represented the islands with pride.

The Junior All-Stars grabbed their lone win against American Samoa, 14-3, while the Majors slipped past Indonesia, 5-4.

The Juniors team and some Majors players made their way home on Friday, July 3, as Typhoon Bavi makes its way to the Marianas.

The Majors Division team was managed by Bobby Coldeen, with Brandon Lieto and Chuck McDonald serving as assistant coaches. The roster is composed of Jesse Reyes, Gavin Deleon Guerrero, Skyler Leon Guerrero, Madden Deleon Guerrero, Joshua McDonald, Legend Coldeen, Khoen Torres, Carlos Rivera Jr., Elijah Pelisamen, Quinton Muna, Landon Lieto, Wilson Aguilar, Scott Muna, and Jo'ell Herman.

Meanwhile, the Juniors Division team was led by manager Eric Palacios, with Kyle Hocog and Jesse Reyes as assistant coaches. Representing the team are Kaleb Reyes, Liam Sablan, Preston Santos, Aiden Lizama, John Damien Sablan, Trevor Manglona, Byron Cruz, Dayton Marchadesch, Lashawn Ada, Drew Nepaial, Eric Palacios Jr., Kai'po Camacho, Tiwsor Taisakan, and Tim Galvan.

Team Micronesia competes in 2026 WBC World Amateur MuayThai Champs in Bangkok

Despite the disruption caused by Super Typhoon Sinlaku, Team Micronesia pushed through and still made it to the world stage of Muay Thai.

After flights were canceled and training was interrupted, four fighters still managed to travel and compete at the WBC World Amateur Muay Thai Championships in Bangkok, Thailand. The four-fighter team consisted of MCA-MMA Team Primeval's Dillan Pomdi, Jon Pinaula, Drae Hosono, and Kimora Quitugua.

On Friday, June 26, Pomdi, a WBC Pan-American silver medalist in 2025, came up short against Aashiq Nazeer by decision in the Adult C Class men's 57kg quarterfinals. In the Youth 16-17 boys advanced 66.678kg division, Pinaula was stopped by Ivan Bardin of WBC Muay Thai Russia via first-round knockout. Hosono dropped a first-round decision to Imronbek Agzamov of WBC Uzbekistan in the Youth 14-15 boys 57.153kg division, while Quitugua's bout against Caelyn Batac of WBC Muay Thai Canada ended in the opening round after Batac was awarded the victory due to injury.

For the athletes, simply making it to Thailand carried special meaning as the CNMI continues recovering from the typhoon.

"Being able to go on this trip despite Sinlaku is just a testament to all the support from our family, friends, and really our coach," said Hosono. "Knowing that we were still determined despite even myself not even having power when I left just shows how resilient we are as a team. I thank the legislators for contributing to the art of Muay Thai and Team Micronesia. I would like to personally thank Edmund Villagomez."

With the first-time experience competing for Team Micronesia, he said, "I myself feel proud and grateful to be a part of this experience. Being known as the first Team Micronesia is legendary, and this would be my first fight on the big stage representing the CNMI. That's just an honor. It just shows there ain't nothing MICRO about MICRONESIA!"

Preparation for the tournament began months before the opening bell, said Hosono. "To prepare for this tourney we've been in fight camp since about February. I myself had to cut weight to 125 pounds. It took a lot to make that weight. I was constantly checking my weight on the scale and made my diet strict. I would get at least two sessions in the gym every day, morning and afternoon. I always tried to be the first one there and the last to leave. Even after the typhoon we probably only had a week off and got straight back into camp. It really threw us off, but we came back and persevered."

Pomdi, for his part, said the team hoped its journey would inspire those back home. "Representing the CNMI and Micronesia is something we're very proud of," he said. "It's bigger than just fighting. We're representing our families, our community, and everyone who's been working hard to recover. We hope our journey reminds people that even after tough times, we can keep moving forward and continue chasing our goals."

Read more on our website.

Pickleball Fed hosts fundraising tourneys for World Cup berth

After more than six years of growing pickleball in the CNMI, the Pickleball Federation of the NMI is preparing to send its first national team to the Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang, Vietnam.

The invitation-only tournament will be held from Aug. 30 to Sept. 6 and is expected to bring together about 80 countries and nearly 4,000 players. It will mark the federation’s first appearance on the international stage.

PFNMI president Nelson Krum said during the final day of the Paddle for the World Stage tournament on Sunday, June 28, that nearly 50 players were considered for selection, but only 28 will make the trip to Vietnam due to roster limits and travel availability.

To help fund the team’s trip, the federation hosted the Paddle for the World Stage tournament over the weekend, featuring singles, doubles, and mixed doubles play from Friday, June 26, through Sunday, June 28. Matches were held at both the American Memorial Park and Capital Hill courts—the island’s two pickleball venues. Despite ongoing court lighting issues following Super Typhoon Sinlaku, players have continued training and playing before sunset.

Asked about Team NMI’s expectations at the World Cup, Krum said, “We’re going to get spanked big time. But what’s going to be fun about it is to promote Saipan. There are 1.9 billion Asians playing pickleball, and if we can attract some of them to our island for sports tourism—we’re hopeful we can turn a lot of Asia on to our little island.”

Krum added that each team is allowed only one professional player at the World Cup, but that Team NMI does not have one. The federation’s top players, he said, are Chelsea Henzon and Mikayla Lopez, who are rated around 4.0 to 4.5, while top international players sit between 6.0+ and 7.0+.

Another fundraising tournament is scheduled for the first weekend of August, and the federation continues to seek community donations to help send the CNMI’s first national pickleball team to the World Cup.

Krum also gave a shoutout to the Northern Marianas Sports Association, which donated $2,000, along with Latte Built Gym and Da Bao, which each contributed $1,000, as well as additional $500 donations. “We have to keep that coming in because we’re looking to raise about $30,000 to $50,000 to support the team.”