KES rules 3 races; MHS sweeps 60m

Runners sprint to the finish line of the 60m race in the 2016 PSS/McDonald’s All Schools Track and Field Championships yesterday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Koblerville Elementary School got three first place finishes in the 60m run, while Marianas High School had a sweep in the similar event that kicked off the action in the 2016 PSS/McDonald’s All Schools Track and Field Championships yesterday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field.

The Dolphins’ Zarinae Sapong and Jerald Castillo topped the girls and boys U18 divisions’ 60m run after clocking in at 8.86 seconds and 7.94 seconds, respectively. Sapong led MHS’ 1-2-3 finish in the girls U18 as teammate Bernadette Horey (9.16 seconds) and Pinyarat Shankweiler (9.40 seconds) joined her in the podium to receive the medals presented by Marcia Ayuyu, general manager of tournament sponsor McDonald’s. In the boys U18, Castillo finished ahead of Tinian High School’s Zachariah Hofschneider (8.02 seconds) and Agape Christian School’s Teemo Wang (8.04 seconds).

Koblerville duplicated MHS’ sweep as it won both the girls and boys U9 age group. Slymark Defang gave the Umang the victory in the boys division after completing the sprint in 10.87 seconds. He won over teammate William Kim (11.16 seconds), William S. Reyes Elementary School’s Ramcy Cepeda (11.36 seconds) and Raymond Seka (11.94 seconds), Chacha’s Reed Camacho (12.14 seconds), and Tinian’s Lerry Marquez (12.96). In the girls division, Becky Walter submitted 11.45 seconds to finish ahead of WSR’s Shamaelynn Kileleman (11.75 seconds) Brilliant Star’s Savita Sikkel (11.95 seconds), WSR’s Mikarose Naanep (12.27 seconds), teammate Zoe Lee (12.46 seconds), and Tinian’s Bernadette Fleming (12.57 seconds).

Koblerville’s third first place finish came from Audrey Mettao, who lorded it over in the girls U11 age group after logging 10.16 seconds. The Umangs had a 1-2 finish in the division as Princess Kasian posted the second-fastest time at 10.36, placing ahead of Tinian’s Lydia Bokuku (11.11 seconds), teammate Judy Anna Andebar (11.30 seconds), and WSR’s Maria Nabaunag (11.51 seconds).

In the boys U11, Kagman’s Winojay Willy took the gold medal after registering 9.97 seconds. He was the lone runner to complete the race under 10 seconds, as second and third placers Marcus Pelisamen and John Mark Joyce of WSR clocked in at 10:22 and 10.43 seconds, respectively.

In other results, Brilliant Star’s Moshe Sikkel and Saipan Community School’s Youna Li claimed the gold medals in the U7 division. Sikkel logged 11.65 seconds to prevail against five other runners. Koblerville’s Jaydan Defang (11.91 seconds) and WSR’s Jolash Saluta (12.26 seconds) joined him in the podium. In the girls division, Li timed in at 12.75 seconds to down WSR’s Aislinn Laxamana (12.93 seconds) and Koblerville’s Jellydia Hong (13.14 seconds).

In the U13 age group, Tinian’s Jeremiah Hofschneider took the first place honors in the boys division after checking on at 8.91 seconds. He was the only runner to break the 9-second barrier, as runners-up Rommel Mendoza of San Antonio Middle School and Dandan’s Latrel Leon Guerrero posted similar times of 9:.15 seconds and third finisher Trey Aiken of Hopwood logged 9.39 seconds. In the girls field, Hopwood had a Top 3 finish with Therize Millare’s 9.77 seconds edging the 9.96 and 10.16 seconds of siblings Aiko and Nichko Rasiang. Four other runners joined the girls race.

In the U15 division, Dandan and Tanapag split the top honors with the latter’s Treyven Quitugua winning the boys competition with a time of 8.22 seconds and the former’s Jaime Pangelinan submitting 9.42 seconds to rule the girls field. Pangelinan placed ahead of Tinian’s Chelsea Ayuyu (9.91 seconds) and Hopwood’s Kiikii Mereb (10.17), while Quitugua won over Hopwood’s Terrence Babauta (8.48 seconds) and Tinian’s Tyler Santos (8.83 seconds).

Meanwhile, the 4x100m relays in all age groups also took place in the opening day of the four-day meet, but results were unavailable at press time. Today, student-athletes will compete in the 200m, 400m and 1,500m runs and softball throw.