Edvalson, Barman win elementary cross country

Akeen Edvalson and Sari Barman won the elementary school division of the final PSS/NMA Cross Country Qualifier last Saturday at the old Saipan Country Club golf course behind Saipan Vegas.

Edvalson, a sixth grader from Brilliant Star School, beat out Saipan International School’s Finn Altizer in the boys 12U division in a time of 4:47. Altizer, who won the first qualifier during the Gecko 3000 at Banzai Cliff, crossed the finish line in 4:48. Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School’s Derence Benjamin completed the Top 3 with a run of 5:13.

The 11-year-old Edvalson said he only managed to beat Altizer because of his strong finishing kick as the latter led the 1-mile race nearly the entire time.

While he’s been competing in running events the past three years, he said his first love is really soccer as he’s a member of the MP United team. Edvalson added that their Tuesday and Thursday practice sessions involve a lot of running, so in a way that helps him run faster during running meets.

Asked how he’ll fare in the cross country championships next week, Edvalson said he hopes he wins.

“I think I’ll win because I won the last two. The first one I didn’t win because I was trying to figure out how long a mile was,” he said. Aside from last Saturday’s race, he also won the second qualifier held on the road leading to Ladder Beach.

In the boys 12U team division, SIS won the qualifier with GTC coming in second and third going to William S. Reyes Elementary School.

In the girls 12U division, GTC’s Barman proved she’s equally fast in terra firma as she is in water by clocking in at 5:02. She was followed by SIS’ Eliza Culp and Oleai Elementary School’s Erica Long with times of 5:14 and 5.17, respectively.

Barman, who came in second in the 1,000m race of Saipan Swim Club’s final Triple Crown Open Water Swim Series, said running is actually just her pastime when she doesn’t have swim practice for Swimming Center Tsunami Saipan.

SIS again walloped the opposition in the girls 12U team division followed by Saipan Community School and GTC.

The Public School System has partnered with Northern Marianas Athletics, the governing body of athletics in the CNMI, to organize track and field as well as cross country events in the 2021-22 school year. The cross country championships will be held this Saturday again at the golf course behind Saipan Vegas.