SIS students lead Triple J 5K finishers

Ken Song (1133) leads runners as they head out to the course during last Saturday’s Triple J 5K Bubble Color Run/Walk. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Saipan International School’s Ken Song and Anika Synder led the more than 1,000 finishers of last Saturday’s Triple J 5K Bubble Color Run/Walk.

Song completed the run/walk from Garapan Fishing Base to just past the Quartermaster Road (across Blue Beach House) and back in 18:23 to emerge as the No. 1 overall finisher in the annual event hosted by Triple J Enterprises. The SIS senior entered the finishers’ loop along with Kosuke Sato, but outsprinted the latter to rule the fundraiser.

“We ran together almost all throughout the race before I took over in the last 800m meters,” said Song, who used last Saturday’s event to warm up for the school meet’s track season.

First female finisher Anika Snyder is flanked by Triple J Enterprises chief executive officer and chair Robert H. Jones, left, and vice president Jay Jones at the podium during the awards ceremony for last Saturday’s Triple J 5K Bubble Color Run/Walk. (Contributed Photo)

Snyder will also suit up for SIS’ track squad in the upcoming interscholastic competition and was off to a good start after topping the entire women’s field of last weekend’s race with her time of 22:58.

Snyder and Song were recognized at the event’s awards ceremony attended by Triple J Enterprises chief executive officer and chair Robert H. Jones, vice president Jay Jones, and other company executives.

“We are very pleased with the turnout and thankful to everyone for joining us this morning (last Saturday). People of all ages came out, we have families, friends, students, and employees and they all had fun,” Jay Jones said.

“We prepared for this for months and we know the community is excited and expecting to go ahead with this event as long as it is safe. We have to give it to them and we’re happy we made it happen,” Jones added when asked about holding the 5K walk/run despite the challenges the islands are facing right now, especially the COVID-19 threat that forced the cancelation or postponement of some big-crowd events around the world.

Meanwhile, besides Song and Snyder, Triple J also recognized the Top 3 finishers in each age group.

Red Pixley topped the boys U13 division and was joined in the podium by runners-up Joseph Li and Ruben Guerrero. In the girls U13, the Top 3 finishers were Kaithlyn Chavez, Emma Pang, and Shoko Litulumar. They all received medals.

Rounding out the Top 3 winners in other age groups were: men’s 14 to 19’s Josh Joson, Simon Shan, and Ivan Li and women’s Tiana Cabrera, and Elizabeth and Eunice Xu; men’s 20 to 29’s Tony Zhang, Edwin Dela Cruz, and Victor Villacrusis and women’s Anastacia Dela Cruz, Kriz Gozon, and Patricia Cortez; men’s 30 to 39’s Shuti Kuroda, Jacob Walker, and Jay Muna and women’s Sheila Barbo, Roxanne Soriano, and Mylene Palacios; men’s 40 to 49’s Sato, Ronald Villafria, and Jimmy Mendiola and women’s Ayano Braxton, Sheila Isla, and Fatima Yu; men’s 50 to 59’s Jun Hashimoto, Robert Zamudio, and Nestro Corotan and women’s Malou Carlos, Irene Holl, and Lizama Comon; and men’s over 60’s Chang Whan Jang, Ponciano Corotan, and Diony Peralta and women’s Marcia Schultz, Juanito Fajardo, and Fely Garcia.