Public schools dominate qualifiers

Participants in the boys U11’s 60m run try to outrace each during the All Schools qualifiers held early this month at the Oleai Sports Complex’s track and field facility. (Jon Perez)

Public elementary school students dominated the events in the opening of the series of qualifiers for the McDonald’s/PSS All Schools Track and Field Championships held early this month at the Oleai Sports Complex.

Northern Marianas Athletics officials sorted through all the names of more than 100 that joined the qualifiers in the 60m and 100m runs and long jump in the U17, U9, and U11 age groups both in the boys and girls divisions. They will then release the Top 6 names of the qualifiers of the Saipan leg to join Rota and Tinian students before the All Schools finals set from May 9 to 12. Two slots each are reserved for Rota and Tinian athletes, but in case there are no entries from the two other islands in the sprint events, Saipan students with the next two best times will fill the spots.

Students from Koblerville and William S. Reyes elementary schools led the way with San Vicente, Northern Marianas International School, Saipan Community School, Saipan International School, San Vicente, and Seventh Day Adventist School also earning spots to annual meet.

Koblerville Elementary School’s Jephda Hong and William S. Reyes’ Ichiro Celis topped their respective heats in the boys U7’s 60m run, while KES’ Jaydan Defang, Jezpher Navarro, and Anthony Heflin, and WSR’s Angelo Nabunag matched their feat in the U9 age group.

KES’ Ronerson Shorey, WSR’s Paul Lizama, and San Vicente Elementary School’s Franz Abadilla were first in the three heats in the U11 age group in the 60m run.

Hong also topped the U7’s 100m run and was later joined by fellow KES student Montrea Elewel in the same event. Nabunag, Defang, Cayden Lizama, and Northern Marianas International School’s Kanham Cabael ruled their respective heats.

Shorey and Paul Lizama are also strong qualifiers in the boys U11’s 100m run, along with Slymark Defang. KES’ Vince Eusebio and NMIS’ Kawhani Cabael and Rondelle Apostol topped the boys U7, U9, and U11 long jump event, respectively.

In the girls division, Aaliyah Komes of KES and Beatrice Gross of SIS finished on top of their respective heats in the U7 60m run, while Iris Rasa of WSR, and Ashley Kasian and Elizha Maratita of KES ran the fastest in the three heats in the U9 age group.

Becky Walter of KES and Chloe Berglun of SDA finished on top in the two heats that were held in the U11 60m run.

There was only one heat in the girls U7’s 100m run with Kosmes, Gross, Aires Magofna of WSR, SCS’ Erin So, and KES’ Joretia Limes, ad Sapalyn Apas also advancing to next month’s competition.

Rasa and Mikaela Umali, also of WSR, are on their way to earning slots to the finals after finishing ahead of the pack in the two heats in the 100m run event, while Walter and Jedidah Hong have earned their spots after topping their heats in the U11 age group.

Gross, Maratita, and Lynette Ada of San Vicente Elementary School led the way in the girls U7, U9, and U11’s long jump event.