Dandan, Whispering Palms put on athletics show

(2nd of four-part series)

Dandan Elementary School and Whispering Palms School put on a show in Saturday’s 2006 McDonald’s All School’s Track and Field Championships.

The Dandan boys and the WPS girls both finished the day with 79 points to top their categories in the nine-and-under age group.

Spearheading Dandan’s push was Jesse Brel, who won two gold and two silver.

Brel struck gold in the 400m race as he completed the one-lap task in 1:21.31, while Tanapag Elementary School’s Herbert San Nicolas and Dandan’s Kyle Hocog took home silver and bronze in 1:23.94 and 1:27.47.

Brel won his second gold as part of the school’s 4X100m relay race as the team, which also included Hocog, Jonder Isaac, and Atiron Norita won in 1:08.64. Second place went to Peter Angui, Ken Kalen, Norman Defang, and Macoy Santos of Koblerville Elementary School in 1:10.05, while Drake Quitugua, Patrick Muna, Jeffrey Lizama, and Alex Limes of William S. Reyes Elementary School took third in 1:11.95.

Meanwhile, Santos was dominant in the individual events as he led KES by hauling in gold in the 100m and 200m races, as well as the long jump.

He completed the 100m in 15.77 seconds, while Brel and Muna followed in 17.17 and 17.72 seconds for silver and bronze.

In the long jump, Santos’ leap of 3.39m was the best performance. Limes (2.88m) followed in second place while Lizama (2.79) won third.

Santos then topped the half-lap 200m sprint in a sterling 34.66 seconds. He was followed by Brel (37.13) and Limes (37.77).

Limes had his share of the spotlight as he won the 800m run in 3:31.06. Joshua Sablan of Dandan and Kenyon Schultz of WPS placed second and third in 3:38.69 and 3:39.97.

For his part, Kelvin Deleon Guerrero of Koblerville won the 1,500 race in 7:02.58, while Saipan Community School’s Shu Sato (7:04.47) and Schultz (7:11.68) followed.

Lizama was able to win gold in the softball throw after throwing across the field for 29.74 meters. Ty Deleon Guerrero of Dandan (28.95m) was second, while teammate Jerry Muna (28.12m) won bronze.

WSR won the 4X400m relay in 6:20.08 while Dandan (6:36.24) and Koblerville (6:45.28) won silver and bronze.

In the girls’ corner, Gabrielle Race brought home a gold for WPS as she and teammate Neghar Rastguiy took the top two places in the 1,500m race, finishing in times of 6:52.45 and 8:13.34. Ezra Maze Cervera of Grace Christian Academy took bronze in 9:16.83.

WPS also won gold in the 4:400m relay, winning in 6:45.95. Koblerville followed in 7:01.21.

Joana Reyes of Koblerville and Carol Otobed of Tanapag dominated the runs, with Reyes winning the 100m and 200m, and Otobed topping the 400m and 800m.

Reyes clocked in at 16.99 seconds in the 100m to win gold, while Michaela Grandinetti of WPS (17.26) and Arriane Materum of Joshua Generation International (17.98) won silver and bronze.

Reyes then followed with another strong performance in the 200m for a time of 35.25 seconds. Grandinetti (36.40) won her second silver, while Rachel Velena of Tanapag (36.95) took bronze.

Otobed beat the competition in the 400m in 1:25.67 while Velena (1:30.00) and Grandinetti (1:31.40) followed.

She then cruised to victory in the 800m in 3:31.49, while Velena took silver again in 3:37.90. Rastguiy earned bronze in 4:17.51.

Koblerville’s Marlian Fernandez, Casandra Jose, Jurrina Navarro, and Joana Reyes won the 4X100m relay in 1:12.91. Rufina Olopomar, Otobed, Sharon Palacios, and Josnen Schocking of Tanapag won silver in 1:13.84, while Arriane Materum, Cius Mostales, Serafina Rogoyawa, and Zarinae Sapong of Joshua Generation won bronze in 1:16.79.

Sapong also struck gold in the long jump with a distance of 2.89m, while Materum (2.85m) and Jose (2.62m) rounded up the top three.

Also winning was Ashley Welch of San Vicente Elementary School in the softball throw with a distance of 19.44 meters. Chelesa Y of Dandan (13.46m) and Annalise Livingston of WPS (13.03m) won second and third.