SIS leads qualifiers

Saipan International School earned the most qualifying slots in the U7 division of the 2019 Public School System/McDonald’s All Schools Track and Field Championships.

The Geckos bagged 32 berths to the eighth individual events (girls and boys) that will be played in the championships set for May 3 and 4 at the Oleai Sports Complex. William S. Reyes Elementary got the second most entries with 19, while Koblerville Elementary School is at close third with 18 slots. Tinian and Rota also gained qualifying berths along with students from Saipan Community School, San Vicente, Agape Christian School, Kagman, Brilliant Star School, and Mt. Carmel School.

The girls U7 team of SIS will be led by Beatrice Gross, who notched slots in the four running events and two field events. She had the fastest qualifying times in the 60m run (11.24 seconds), 100m (18.59 seconds), 200m (42.11 seconds), and 1,500m (13:51.68), topped the long jump trial (2.74 meters), and finished third in the softball throw (13.14m).

The qualifiers were selected after a series of trials last March and this month with Saipan schools receiving six slots and Tinian and Rota getting one apiece. In case Rota and Tinian qualifiers did not make it to the championships next weekend, Saipan students will take their spots. There maybe changes in the qualifiers list, as the organizing Northern Marianas Athletics and PSS are confirming the results with the school coaches/representatives.

Meanwhile, other qualifiers in the 60m run are Gross’ schoolmate Lucy Woo, Koblerville’s Sapalyn Apas, SCS’ Allie Brasuell, San Vicente’s Keniye Arriola, WSR’s Harlow Pangelinan, Tinian’s Kaisa San Nicolas, and Rota’s Niarah Muna. Apas, Brasuell, Pangelinan, and San Nicolas also advanced in the 100m run, along with WSR’s Memzie Elieisar, Aliyah Villacrusis, and Rota’s Keisa Atalig.

Familiar names are also in the 200m finals list with Woo, Apas, Pangelinan, Elieisar, Villacrusis, and San Nicolas joining Gross. Completing the roster is Rota’s Krisha Aguero. Woo, Brasuell, Apas, and Elieisar is entered in the 400m run, too, while Mt. Carmel’s Neya Tagabuel also qualified. In the 800m run, Beatrice will be up against her younger sister Windsor, Woo, WSR’s Cina Martino, and the representatives of Rota and Tinian.

In the long jump, SIS has three entries in Beatrice, Leilani Ruszala, and Woo, while WSR will be fielding two students—Khristiana Cainiela and Elieisar. Also on the finals list are Brasuell, Apas, and BSS’ Sophia Smith.

The Gross sisters, Apas, San Nicolas, Ruszala, Villacrusis, and Woo are also competing in the softball throw. Other qualifiers are WSR’s Friella Dela Santa and Althea Demapan.

In the boys U7’s softball throw, four qualifiers are from Koblerville—Jephda Hong, Vince Eusebio, Napu Pangelinan, and Justin Defang. Also on the finals list are WSR’s Matthew Antatico, Anthony Guzman, and Mahfoh Ahmmad, SIS’ Oliver McCallion, and Tinian’s Calen Borja.

Hong and Pangelinan also qualified in the long jump along with Kagman’s Tatum Jones, MCS’ Donald Tagabuel, SCS’ Jude Rayphand, Agape’s Daniel Huang, and SIS’ Andre Guerrero and Daniel Kim.

Guerrero made it to the 1,500m run qualifiers list, too and will be joined by his fellow SIS student, Dean Duenas and Agape’s Huang, Ratul Bhuya, Benjamin Cai, and Scott Shi. The trio of Guerrero, Duenas, and Huang will also race in the 800m run and will be up against SIS’ Oliver McCallion and William Hasselback and WSR’s Landin Reyes.

In the four other running events—60m, 100m, 200m, and 400m—Hong led the qualifiers list. The Koblerville runner will face BSS’ Kanoa Owens, Jones, Rayphand, Duenas, Borja, San Vicente’s Jeff Pangelinan, and Rota’s Jace Barcinas. Borja, Hong, Jones, Owens, Rayphand, McCallion, BSS’ Quido Jambor, and Rota’s Kody Mendiola are the qualifiers in the 100m race.

In the 200m run, Hong will still go up against McCallion and Borja, while the finals list also includes Guerrero, Duenas, Jeffrey Pangelinan, Rota’s Dvaun Ogo, and Koblerville’s Worthy Defang. Defang joined Hong in the 400m qualifiers list and they will race against Rayphand, McCallion, Napu Pangelinan, Landin Reyes, and Tinian’s Chates Epity.

Meanwhile, the qualifiers in other age groups in the elementary division (U9 and U11) will be reported in Saipan Tribune next week.