Agape nips Tinian to win boys U18 title

An Agape Christian School student, right, tries to anchor his team to a first place finish in the 4x100m relay event during the 2019 Public School System/McDonald’s All Schools Track and Field Championships last Saturday at the Oleai Sports Complex. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Agape Christian School nosed out Tinian Junior Senior High School in the close battle for the overall title in the boys U18 division of the 2019 Public School System/McDonald’s All Schools Track and Field Championships.

The Torchbearers got 127 points, just 2 markers ahead of the formidable Tinian crew led by CNMI national team member Tyler Santos. The runner gave Tinian several first place finishes in several races over the weekend at the Oleai Sports Complex, but Agape managed to steal the overall championship, as it had many qualifiers in various events and made it to the Top 5.

Santos ruled the 400m, 800m, 1,500m, and 3,000m runs. Agape’s Kobe Yang also raced in the 400m run and was ranked third, while Jonathan Xiong and Peter Wang finished second and third in the 800m run and three more Agape runners competed in the finals. Xiong and Wang made it to the podium, too of the 1,500m race, while Ray Qi and Simon Shan finished at No. 5 and 6, respectively. Xiong was also the runner-up in the 3,000m and was followed by Qi, while four other Agape runners made it to the Top 8. In the 100m run, Yang was second to Saipan Southern High School’s Traven Quitugua, while Wang came in at eighth place

In the long jump, Agape swept the Top 3 ( Xiong, Yang, and Arthur Liang) and won four of the Top 5 spots with Wang in fifth place.

Tinian topped the shot put (Leorich Epity) and javelin (Devin Cing), but Agape had more qualifiers that got points in other field events to edge the Stallions for the overall championship. The victories of Kagman High School’s Francisco Kumuch in the discus throw and high jump helped Agape nip Tinian.

Agape also defeated Tinian in the 4x100m and 4x400m relay runs.

Meanwhile, the Quitugua-led Saipan Southern placed third overall after bagging 59 points, while Saipan International School was ranked fourth with its 43 markers, and Marianas High School (39) finished fifth.

In the girls U18 division, Jaime Pangelinan, Leani Acosta, Jerlyn Castillo, and Ruschelle Valino handed MHS the overall crown. The quartet contributed more than half to the Lady Dolphins’ 173 points, as they earned Top 3 finishes in both the running and field events.

Agape was the runner-up in the division with its 72 points, followed by SIS (67), Saipan Southern (44), and Tinian (36).