Mister, Chavez lead finishers

Whispering Palms’ Dylan Mister paces two runners on his way to a first place finish overall in the elementary division of the Northern Marianas Athletics’ 2016 All Schools Cross Country Championships held last Saturday at the Laolao Bay Golf and Resort. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Whispering Palms’ Dylan Mister and Eucon International School’s Andrei Kaithlynn Chavez ruled the elementary races in the Northern Marianas Athletics’ 2016 All Schools Cross Country Championships held last Saturday at the Laolao Bay Golf and Resort.

Mister was the top overall finisher among the more than 50 runners in the elementary division (U7, U9, and U11 age groups) as he completed the one-kilometer course in 5:43. The Whispering Palms student went on to get the gold medal in the boys U11 division, while his schoolmate Max Church was ranked second after logging 5:44. Daniel Kang of Saipan Community School rounded out the Top 3 after submitting 6:29.

Other finishers in the U11 division were Eucon’s John Yu (6:34), Agape Christian School’s Jack Xue (6:46), San Vicente Elementary School’s Antonio Cabrera (8:06), and Agape’s Ziheng Hu (8:25) and Jason Yang (9:34).

Chavez placed fourth overall, but first in the entire girls field after logging 5:46. She bagged the gold medal in the U9 age group, beating eight other participants. SCS’ Hilah Bacani came in at second (6:10) and was followed by her schoolmate Jenny Zhang (6:45), Sheryne Yang (6:47), San Vicente’s Rhiettazayne Mendiola (7:27), Karmeann Cabrera (7:29), Agape’s Mary Fu (8:03), and San Vicente’s Tiana Villanueva (8:46) and Brynae Sablan (9:13).

Meanwhile, Agape’s Angeline Quan, SCS’ Katie Choi, and San Vicente’s Kian Helgen and Kymo Porras were the other top finishers in the elementary division races.

Helgen was ranked third overall and first in the boys U9 after clocking in at 5:44. San Vicente had a 1-2 finish in the age group as Bryce Royal posted the second best time in the division with his 5:58. SCS’ Alfredo Baek placed third with his 5:59. Eleven other students in the boys U9 age group completed the one-lap course and all of them timed in more than six minutes.

Porras crossed the finish line under the seven-minute mark with his 6:03 to prevail in the boys U7 division. Chase Agulto, also of San Vicente, came in at second with his 6:50, while Agape’s Rayviel Escarlan rounded out the Top 3 after registering 7:14. Other finishers in the division were Mt. Carmel School’s Keanu Sila (8:15), Agape’s Jess Jiang (8:30), San Vicente’s Eloy Deleon Guerrero (9:11), and Agape’s Tiger Guo (12:56).

In the girls U7 age group, Quan’s 6:29 bested eight other runners. She finished ahead of SCS’ Jie Yu (6:37), Saipan International School’s Phoenix (7:09) and Beatrice (8:20) Gross, and fellow Agape students Xin Ye Yang (7:26), Sarah Jiang (8:01), Xia Jie Yang (9:12), and Maria Guo (13:04).

In the girls U11 division, Choi won over SIS’ Chae Lian Jung, schoolmate Annika Camacho, Agape’s Elvira Zhang, Meiru Song, Mei Ting Sonh, and Lynn Zhao, and Grace Christian Academy’s Soleil Lamar.