Cabrera completes sweep of qualifiers

High school runners, including three-time winner Tiana Camacho, second right, head out to the course during the second leg of the 2020-2021 Public School System/Northern Marianas Athletics All Schools Cross Country Series held early this month at the CPA Airport Field. (roselyn B. Monroyo)

Saipan International School’s Tiana Cabrera went 3-for-3 in the qualifying races for the 2020-2021 Public School System/Northern Marianas Athletics All Schools Cross Country Series after topping the final trial for the girls U18 division Saturday.

The SIS senior rounded out the 3.1-mile course at the CPA Airport Field in 22:45 to beat six other students in her age group and complete the sweep of the three qualifiers. Cabrera, who reached the finish line last weekend nearly nine minutes ahead of runner-up and fellow SIS student Jinnie Thompson (30:54), is likely to cap her domination of this season’s cross country event on Dec. 5 when organizers NMA and PSS hold the championship races.

The Geckos had a Top 3 finish in last weekend’s final qualifier, as Pyper Liske-Clark came in at third place with a time of 32:48. Other finishers in the girls U18 race were Mt. Carmel School’s Penelope Sablan (33:24) and Amaya Reyes (37:00) and SIS’ Rachel Shin (36:16) and Francine Camacho (37:01).

In the boys U18 division, Marianas High School’s Josh Joson earned entry into the finals next month after joining the third and final qualifier and posting the fastest time in the entire high school field. Joson completed three-lap course in 20:15 beating the times of opening leg winner Rex Pixley (20:31) of SIS and second leg top finisher Peter Hu (22:32) of Agape Christian School.

Pixley also ran in the last qualifier and submitted 21:30 to finish second and SIS went on to dominate the Top 5 in the boys U18 contest with Sam Culp (22:13) placing third and followed by Jimin Woo (22:44) and Jayden Shim (22:49).

Meanwhile, besides Joson, MHS fielded five other runners in the last qualifier with Sildrey Velorio (24:17), Daniel Mar Pablo (25:54), Dylan Mister (25:01), Sam Tengco (31:15), and Kevin Batino (35:26) rounding out the Dolphins’ finishers list. SIS’ Jesus Sablan (24:40) and Mt. Carmel’s Robin Alvarez (29:56) also completed the course.

Lucero, Litulumar win U14 races
Francisco M. Sablan Middle School’s Christian Lucero missed beating his time in the second leg, but still ruled the third and last qualifier in the boys U14 division.

Lucero, who finished the 2.1-mile course for the middle school race around the 14-minute mark, this time registered 15:30, which was enough to push him ahead of 13 other runners in his division.

Middle school students compete in the second leg of the 2020-2021 Public School System/Northern Marianas Athletics All Schools Cross Country Series held early this month at the CPA Airport Field. (Contributed Photo)

The FMS student spoiled SIS’ bid for a Top 5 sweep, as he beat the Geckos’ William Lee (16:05), Gyu Hyeon Park (16:29), Casey Chambers (16:32), and Christian Newman (16:35).

Saipan Community School’s Elija Ye (17:15), Dwight Crisostomo (18:21), and David Ye (22:29), Mt. Carmel’s June Yu (18:11), Hopwood Middle School’s Charles Guiang (19:47) and Tyrone Manipon (27:49), SIS’ Kyle Kramer (18:57), and FMS’ Daniel Sano (27:50) rounded out the boys middle school finishers roster.

In the girls middle school, Shoko Litulumar won her first and last qualifying race after registering 18:11. She was the only runner in the girls U14 division to complete the two-lap course under the 20-minute mark. SIS’ Phoenix Gross logged 20 minutes to rank second and was followed by her schoolmate Rebecca Eaton (20:30), FMS’ Teneasha Diaz (20:52), Hoo Wang (23:36) and Eva Lizunova (25:50), also from SIS, and Nerita Sellem (27:31) of FMS.

Litulumar and other participants in the first three qualifiers may compete in the middle school’s championship races set for Dec. 5, but schools can only field a maximum of 6 runners each in the girls and boys divisions.