Rasiang leads the way for Oleai girls

Aiko Rasiang clinched three of Oleai Elementary School’s seven gold medals as the Turtles finished with a combined haul of 19 medals to rule the Under-12 division of the Public School System/McDonald’s All-Schools Athletics Championship held last week in two different venues.

Thursday’s opening, on May 21, was held at the Oleai Sports Complex, while the Hopwood Junior High School field was the venue for the final two days, May 22 and 23, of the annual athletics competition that attracts more than 300 students from Saipan and neighboring Tinian.

Team Oleai combined for seven gold, six silver, and six bronze medals with Rasiang collecting three to lead the girls side, while Marty Taisacan grabbed two for the boys’ U12 squad.

Rasiang topped the 60m, 100m, and 200m runs to lead an Oleai 1-2-3 finish in all three events. She also reset last year’s times of San Vicente Elementary School’s Jamie Pangelinan in the last two events she competed in.

She collected her first gold in the 60m run with a time of 8.54 seconds, just 0.02 seconds slower than Pangelinan’s 8.52 record. Her second gold had her breaking Pangelinan’s 2014 mark of 14.84 seconds when she crossed the finish line in 14.72.

Rasiang ended her remarkable performance with a 32.08 run in the 200m to again break the 32.13 recorded by Pangelinan in last year’s edition of the All-Schools championship.

Nichko Rasiang and Ashley Ito, Aiko Rasiang’s teammates, settled for the silver and bronze medals in the 60m run after submitting times of 8.81 and 9,08. Nichko Rasiang then added the 100m (14.98) and 200m (32.59) silver medals with Therize Millare winning bronze in both events (15.40 and 33.59).

Millare won for the Oleai U12 girls team its fourth gold when she topped the 400m run in 1:19.22, while Saipan International School’s Reu Sekiguchi (1:19.62) and Kagman Elementary School’s Sheena Rejano (1:25.41) bagged silver and bronze.

Koblerville Elementary School’s Elaine Fernandez (800m, 3:34.43) and Sekiguchi (1,500m, 6:16.55) also struck gold in their respective races with the latter eclipsing last year’s record of 7:09.54 by Agape Christian School’s Annie Wang.

SIS’ Mauryzon Tybaco ruled the girls U12 long jump (3.68) with Nichko Rasiang (3.50) and Fernandez (3.44) were relegated to the silver and bronze medals, while Kagman’s Sheena Rejano (31.60m), Koblerville’s Hanrose Nakayama (25.15m), and Tinian’s Cheralaine Epity (19.91) were the Top 3 in the vortex throw event.

Taisacan topped two events, the 60m in 8.70 seconds and 100m sprint in 14.52 to erase his qualifying time of 14.81.

Koblerville’s R-Hermes Shorey (8.96) and Oleai’s Raven Francisco (9.11) finished second and third in the 60m run with the former also claiming the silver in the century dash (14.94) while Arman Igisomar, also of Oleai, came in third (5.15).

Agape’s Mack Guintu foiled Taisacan’s bid of a third gold in the 200m run when he posted a 31.78 against the 32.53 of the Oleai bet. Elias placed third, 32.15.

Elias won the 400m run (1:16.21) while Shorey (1:16.66) and Francisco (1:16.93) claiming silver and bronze. Igisomar ruled the middle distance 800m run (2:57.10) with Manding Legaspi (3:01.26) and Whispering Palms’ Kaden Church (3:13.12) finishing second and third.

Church, Igisomar, and San Vicente Elementary School’s John Eman Tuquero bested last year’s champion’s Mark Anastacio’s 1,500m run record of 6:38.77 when each posted times of 6:07.31, 6:09.75, and 6:23.43, respectively.

Guintu ruled the boys’ U12 long jump (3.90m), while Saipan Community School’s Chris Kim and William S. Reyes’ Justice Aldan claiming silver and bronze.

Tychicus Xu gave Agape its third gold when he topped the v-throw event with a distance of 35.98, relegating Tinian’s Chit Accolador and SCS’ Miku Torres to the silver and bronze medals with throws of 24.91m and 24.83m, respectively.