The Sports Leigh-Out May 17-23

Hafa Adai yan Tirow sports fans, this is Leigh Gases bringing you Marianas Press’ weekly wrap up—the Sports Leigh-Out for the week of May 17-23.

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.

Team Marianas receives $50,000 from gov’t

The administration of Gov. Arnold Palacios and Lt. Gov. David Apatang showed their support to Team Marianas by donating $50,000 on Wednesday at the CNMI Governor’s Office.

162 athletes are preparing to travel to Koror, Palau to compete in the 2025 Pacific Mini Games that is set for June 29 to July 9, featuring athletes from 24 Pacific nations competing across 12 sports.

SIS dethrones MHS after 5-set champs thriller

Be sure to watch until the end to see what’s coming up in our local sports scene, and don’t forget to get out there and cheer on our athletes!

It was an early graduation gift for the seniors of Saipan International School, including team captain Casey Chambers, as SIS dethroned the three-time reigning boys high school volleyball champions, Marianas High School, in a heart-stopping five-set championship thriller on an electric Friday night to remember at a jam-packed and raucous Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

With ears ringing from the loud cheers, eyes stung by sweat, and nerves fueled by adrenaline, the Geckos catapulted to the championship after a down-to-the-wire battle with a formidable Dolphins team.

The Geckos had a one-set advantage after clinching the top spot in the playoffs and just needed to win two straight sets to claim the title. But everyone anticipated a battle for the ages, as MHS had gone undefeated in the regular season and had won three straight championships.

MHS fought hard for a comeback and secured the second set after much back-and-forth action, 23-21. The set was tied at 20 after hard-hit kills and impenetrable blocks at the net from both sides, but MHS pulled away by scoring the final two points off aces from K.C. Nuyles.

SIS then regained their composure and exploded into the third set with unhittable, well-placed kills from Omari Joab, complemented by strong blocks from Kyle Kramer and Theo Joab. Early in the set, SIS held a commanding 8-1 lead. But MHS wasn’t out of the fight yet. They clawed their way back with soft touches at the net and precise ball placement, catching SIS off guard. Jerome Manzon’s high-flying kills added to the momentum. The Dolphins swam back into contention, making it an 11-7 game. But from there, SIS regrouped and surged ahead, eventually taking the set 21-16.

Now, all the Geckos had to do was win the fourth set to seal the title. However, MHS had more to prove and plenty of fight left. It was a mad scramble to 21 points, with MHS jumping ahead 8-3. Long rallies followed, and MHS pushed the match to a deciding fifth set with a 21-17 win.

In the final battle for it all, the gym shook harder than ever with cheers from both sides—victory for either team was within reach. Both teams had everything on the line: the championship legacy for MHS, and bragging rights for SIS as they aimed to dethrone a volleyball powerhouse.

SIS jumped out to a 6-3 lead in the first-to-15 final set. Just when SIS seemed to have a clear path to the title, momentum shifted. MHS’s Jasper Hall stepped up, serving aces that brought the score to 7-6. But the SIS team, led by Chambers, regrouped and fought back with ferocity. Their defense saved crucial points, and they capitalized on MHS’ errors. Their lead grew—11-7, then 12-8, and 13-9. A now frantic MHS squad couldn’t stop the bleeding, and SIS closed it out with the final two points delivered by Kramer.

Lady Ayuyus clinch fastpitch title over Lady Dolphins

The east side lady sluggers from Kagman High School brought the heat in their championship showdown against Marianas High School, locking in the title in the inaugural PSS-NMISA Girls High School Fastpitch Softball League 2024-2025. With the sun blazing high above the Capital Hill Softball Field last Saturday, the Lady Ayuyus fired past the Lady Dolphins, 22-2.

After MHS upset Saipan Southern High School in the semis, they went up against a championship-hungry Kagman team. While they had put up a great fight against the Lady Manta Rays, the Lady Ayuyus had their eyes on the prize—and it showed from the start.

Kagman’s ace Jayda Norita struck out five batters by the end of the third inning, and on the offensive side, the Lady Ayuyus lit it up with 15 runs, including seven in the third inning alone. That stretch featured a base-clearing home run from Jewel Malwelbug. The Lady Dolphins needed to get on the board to keep the game alive, and they managed to do just that in the fourth inning, thanks to runs from Shaena Yamada and Paulette Somol. But KHS could already taste victory. Their bats stayed hot, and by the time the dust settled, they had added seven more runs in the final inning to seal the 22-2 win.

KHS’ roster included Norita, Malwelbug, Diandra Adelbai, Marlaina Benjamin, Wynona Blas, Nevaeh Camacho, Kysha Kileleman, Shamae Kileleman, Pia Ngewakl, Lena Ngiraked, Lyandra Ngiraked, Hayden Norita, Amaya Ogumoro-Uludong, Wylynn Pua, Rayven Quitano and Ry'ahna Quitano. Their head coach was Jerome Taisacan while assistant coaches were Elizabeth Basa, Kennedy Benjamin, and Aling Ogumoro.

Saba Too heaves 369-lb marlin for top spot in Reel Heroes Derby

It was all hands on deck for the crew of Saba Too as they hauled in the biggest catch of the Tasi To Table’s 2nd Annual CNMI Reel Heroes International Fishing Derby on May 17—a massive 369-lb marlin.

The monster catch, which earned them $2,000, was reeled in from the waters just east of Marpi Reef after a 45-minute battle that began around 1:30 p.m.

Saba Too’s captain, James Roberto, said it was their second catch of the day after an unfortunate loss of another marlin earlier that morning. That first miss had dampened the crew’s spirits, but things turned around when they unexpectedly landed a wahoo—followed by the prize-winning marlin.

Held in honor of military service members on U.S. Armed Forces Day, the derby encouraged each crew to include a veteran or service member. On board Saba Too was Roberto’s brother-in-law, Corbin Yamada, a veteran. The rest of the team included Manet Sablan, Robert Tenorio, and Will Dela Cruz.

Roberto said of their win, “everyone took turns reeling it in—it was a team effort.” The 29-year-old added, “When we got it on the boat, we were just so happy. Win or lose, we were done. We wanted to come back and relax. It’s Corbin’s first marlin ever, and it was the biggest marlin for everyone.”

As for the event, he said, “We try to join any derby. We just love to fish—doesn’t matter what it is. But, this one just hits home. We have a lot of family members that have been in the service and with Corbin being a vet—it’s just something.”

The derby had other first place winners in different categories. In the mahi category, Reel Slick, captained by Daniel Mafnas, topped it with an 18-pounder for the prize of $1,000.

In the wahoo category, Boat With No Name, captained by Gonzalo Pangelinan, made themselves known with a winning catch of a 28.9-lb wahoo for $1,000.

And in the skipjack category, Reel Blessed, captained by Derek Palacios hauled in a 16-lb fish good enough for $750.

Team Marianas, Akkari 1 advances in Mich Cup

The veteran Team Marianas secured a spot in the championship, while a young Akkari 1 team stayed alive after a pair of hard-fought wins Friday night in the 2025 Michelob Ultra Cup at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Team Marianas outlasted Unity Trade, 90-77, while Akkari 1 held off East Side Cuts (Elite Kuyas), 93-80. Both games were no walk in the park—Unity Trade and East Side Cuts came out strong, making Team Marianas and Akkari 1 work for every possession. But late-game runs and composed finishes allowed Team Marianas and Akkari 1 to take control when it mattered most and advance.

The drama continues this Monday, May 26, at 6pm, as Unity Trade gets one last shot against Akkari 1. The winner will move on to face Team Marianas in the finals on Wednesday, May 28, also at 6pm.

Kanoa teams are MSL 1 and 2 champs

Kanoa Football Club asserted their dominance in the finals of Marianas Soccer League 1 and 2 last Saturday by clinching both titles at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville.

In MSL 1, runner up was MP United, while third place went to Matansa FC. The Golden Boot Award went to Kanoa’s Paul Lizama with 12 goals in the season.

In MSL 2, second place went to Old B Bank, while third place was Hana FC. The Golden Boot Award went to Xiongzhe Li with 12 goals.