Tinian students make grade

Tinian Junior and Senior High School’s Tyler Santos, right, leads in the 1,500m qualifying race for the 2019 Public School System/McDonald’s All Schools Track and Field Championships late last month at the Oleai Sports Complex. (Contributed Photo)

Eighth elementary school students from Tinian notched qualifying slots in the 2019 Public School System/McDonald’s All Schools Track and Field Championships.

In the girls division, Kaisa San Nicolas won all four spots at stake in her age group (U7). She is qualified to join the 60m run (11.64 seconds), 100m run (21.10 seconds), 200m (52.04 seconds), and softball throw (21 meters). In the U9 division, Ysabella Lenteja is also participating in four events when the tournament is held on Saipan on May 3 and 4, as she made the grade in softball throw (21.45m), 200m (40.56 seconds), 100m (17.97 seconds), and 60m (10.68 seconds) runs. Karenna Shrestha was the third Tinian student (girls division) to qualify in the championships after clocking in at 1:53.44 in the 400m run trial and beating Janeean King (2:09.03).

In the boys division, there are also multiple qualifiers in Calen Borja and Jerdon Cruz.

Borja is Tinian’s entry in the U7’s 60m run (10.36 seconds), 100m run (18.16), 200m run (41.19) and softball throw (25.4m). In the U9 age group, Cruz earned the slot in the 200m (41.47), 400m (1:53.44), 100m (18.5), and 60m (10.61) runs.

Other qualifiers in the boys elementary were Abir Ali in the U9 softball throw (25.4m) and Chates Epity in the U7 400m run (2:39.40).

Meanwhile, Tinian Junior and Senior High School’s Tyler Santos are likely to lead the qualifiers in the boys U18 middle distance races after posting two best times in the March 30 trials at the Oleai Sports Complex.

In the 3,000m run, the CNMI National Team member clocked in at 11:14.43, besting eight other runners on his heat. In the 1,500m, Santos was the top finisher anew after posting 5:00.57 and prevailing against nine other runners. Then in the 800m, he was ranked third (2:35.75) in his group behind Marianas High School’s Josh Joson (2:26.14) and Saipan International School’s Kuu Nishimura (2:31.43).

The high school qualifiers (U13, U15, and U18 age groups) will resume this Saturday and the final one will be on April 27, while the championship round is set for May 10 and 11.

Today, the trials for the elementary division will continue, while the organizing Northern Marianas Athletics and PSS will still hold qualifiers in the next two weeks.