The Sports Leigh-Out Sept. 12-Sept. 18, 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.

PSS Athletic Programs 2026-2027 season underway

School kids of all ages are back on the courts, the fields, and the pitch for interscholastic sports competitions for the 2026-2027 school year. The PSS-NMIVA Girls High School Volleyball started on Thursday, Sept. 10 at the Agape Christian School Gymnasium, along with the Inaugural PSS-SBL Boys High School Baseball at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field. Then on Saturday, Sept. 12, the first official cross country race got underway at the CPA Airport Field. On Tuesday, Sept. 15 two more sports burst into action—the PSS-NMIFA Girls Middle School Soccer at the NMI Soccer Training Center, and the PSS-NMIBF Boys Middle School Basketball at the Marianas High School Gymnasium. Stay tuned for season long coverage on Marianas Press.

Priority Care crowned 2026 NMIBF-Priority Care Government/Business Basketball League champs

After a long break due to two super typhoons in the CNMI, the Priority Care 2026 NMI Government/Business Basketball League finally crowned its champion on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

The highly anticipated showdown between the league’s top two teams—Priority Care and Marpac—had everyone on the edge of their seats and when the final buzzer sounded, Priority Care came out on top, 85-76, with Airson Atan leading the team and earning the Finals MVP award.

San Diego Visitor and a Marathoner Take Overall Gold in Triple J 5k Bubble Run Color

Ryan Humphrey and 42-year-old marathoner Alyona Gersonde emerged as the overall male and female champions of the Annual Triple J 5K Bubble Color Run on September 12, conquering a bright, foam-filled course at Fishing Base.

​Humphrey from San Diego, a 23-year-old visiting the island on a short work assignment, surged across the finish line with a blistering time of 19:34. Jumping into the race on a whim, he found himself completely swept up in the morning energy. "I've only been here a week, and I'm actually working here for a few weeks, so I figured since I was in the area, I'd check out the 5K," Humphrey shared. Though he admitted that "the humidity here (Saipan) was the hardest part," the kaleidoscopic course was a wildly fun introduction to the local culture. "The atmosphere is great. I love all the energy and the colors and everything, and it was just a good time overall."

​Gersonde, who embraced long-distance running at age 35, secured the overall female victory by crossing the finish line in 25:21. Entering the 5K with a sharp competitive edge, she playfully admitted she fully expected to take the top prize. "Absolutely," she laughed when asked if she anticipated the win. "[There are] no Japanese ladies participating today, so I had a chance." Trading her grueling endurance routes for a morning of bright bubbles, she relished the joyful, chaotic contrast to her usual strict race environments. When asked how this event compared to her standard marathons, Gersonde summed it up perfectly - "Oh, that's fun. Fun, colorful, and enjoyable."

​Their victories were just one piece of a massive community celebration. Far more than a typical weekend race, the morning served as a jubilant testament to island resilience. Triple J Senior Vice President Mike Sablan highlighted the incredible community effort powering the course, which was backed by over 300 volunteers and 45 local sponsors. "We've gone through a very difficult year, but we have proven before, and we'll prove it again, we will get back on our feet," Sablan told the cheering crowd. "This is a day to celebrate and have fun and a lot of bubbles and colors!" He concluded his remarks with a rallying cry of, "Marianas strong, Biba!"

Read the full story on our website.

CNMI grapplers compete in Guam’s Submit 8

CNMI grapplers laid it all out on the mats of Submit 8, a submission-only grappling tournament featuring 16 bouts at Dusit Thani in Guam on Friday, Sept. 11.

Three Saipan Submissions Academy athletes competed on the card—professor and black belt Bryan Deleon Guerrero faced off against Vida Pro Hata’s Trev Jones, with the match ending in a draw. Ciana Demapan also went the distance with Carlson Gracie’s Rally Walker, ending in another draw.

Meanwhile, Leighton Palacios lost to Purebred HQ’s Robbie Lujan via bow-and-arrow choke.

Another CNMI fighter now based in Guam, Kelvin Fitial, also competed and fought Biba JJ’s Wu to a draw.

Deleon Guerrero, a black belt and co-owner of Saipan Submissions, said competing at Submit 8 was a good opportunity for the young gym, which has been open for just over two years, to show the progress its athletes have made.

“Having the students on stage will display the hard work and skill level that we’ve been developing for just a short amount of time, so for me as the instructor and gym owner, we’re very privileged to have this opportunity,” said Deleon Guerrero.

As for the competitors the gym brought over, he said they are among the hardest workers in the gym and have put in the training needed to compete. Deleon Guerrero then thanked the Saipan community for supporting the team and said they were proud to represent the CNMI.

For Demapan and Palacios, who are both blue belts, the event was an opportunity to represent their team and island while gaining more competition experience.

Read the full story on our website.

Ol’Aces, Mariners to face off in Jr. League champs

The long-awaited continuation of the halted 2026 Saipan Little League Junior Division season saw the Mariners defeat the Comets, 10-1, and the Ol’Aces triumph over the Cobras, 14-4, on Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field. The games were halted due to the two super typhoons that hit the islands, with originally five teams in the season, but the Dodgers pulled out before the start of the playoffs.

The third place game is rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, at 9am, followed by the championship game at 1pm.

Seven NMI athletes medal at International Tournament held alongside 2026 Pickleball World Cup

DA NANG, Vietnam — Seven athletes from the Northern Mariana Islands earned four medals at the International Pickleball Tournament: Pickleball World Cup Edition, held concurrently with the 2026 Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang, Vietnam. The trip marked the NMI’s first participation in the World Cup.

NMI’s medal results were:

🥈 Youth Girls Singles – Silver Medal

Lynore He

🥈 Youth Girls Doubles – Silver Medal

Lynore He & Luna Li

🥉 Women’s Doubles – Bronze Medal

Chelsea Henson & Mikayla Lopez

🥈 Mixed Doubles – Silver Medal

Donn Dunlop & Anne Zhao

He earned silver in Youth Girls Singles before partnering with Li for a second silver in Youth Girls Doubles. Henson and Lopez won bronze in Women’s Doubles, while Dunlop and Zhao earned silver in Mixed Doubles.

The results were especially significant after two devastating super typhoons struck the Northern Mariana Islands in the months before the competition, damaging homes, disrupting daily life and limiting access to pickleball courts and nets. Prolonged power outages also forced athletes to train primarily during daylight hours.

Despite those challenges, the team continued preparing. For athletes from a small, remote island community, competing internationally requires substantial travel, fundraising and logistical planning, often with limited training resources.

The tournament gave Team NMI an opportunity to represent the islands abroad while gaining valuable experience for the next generation of local pickleball players. Although the medals were earned at the concurrent international tournament—not in the World Cup competition itself—the four podium finishes added significance to the NMI’s historic World Cup debut and demonstrated the athletes’ perseverance and resilience. (PR by Lisa Ficke)

7th International Day of University Sport on Sept. 21

The Northern Marianas Island College Sports (NMICS), International University Sports Federation (FISU), & Northern Marianas College (NMC) will be hosting the 7th Annual International Day of University Sport (IDUS) celebration Monday, September 21, from 11am to 2pm at the NMC Campus, in the grassy area between the mango terrace and the student union. 

Organizer NMC’s Denise Meyer said of the event, “Our goal is to bring students together through sports. If you’re available please come out, participate, and help us highlight the importance of university sport and an active, healthy campus community.”