All Schools Relay passed with flying colors

As the sun was making its way above the horizon in the wee hours of Saturday morning, students from both public and private schools in Saipan and Tinian laced up their sneakers to compete in the inaugural All Schools Fall Island Relay, hosted by the Northern Mariana Islands Track and Field Federation.

The boys and girls took turns running a portion of the five-mile course that began at Micro Beach and concluded with a lap and a quarter around the track at the Oleai Sports Complex.

Each team was required to have a support vehicle for the pick up and drop off of racers. Each team member ran one mile before switching off to a teammate until they finished the race.

Koblerville Elementary School ran away with the first place in the girl’s 11-and-under division when Liamwar Rangamar, Kimberly Aldan, Liah Wabol, Malinda Wabol, and Reylene Sapong finished with a time of 38:40.

The girls from KES topped Saipan Community School (41:37) and Garapan Elementary School (42:19) did a terrific job, but the award for individual effort has to go to Sapong. Despite needing only to run her leg of the relay, Sapong continued all the way through the race from the beginning.

In the girl’s14-and-under, it was a team of ladies from Hopwood Junior High that took the tape with a time of 40:04. Jovannie Sablan, Larra Ramos, Cheska Salen, Michelle Fujihira, and Irena San Nicolas took Hops to the tops, followed by Saipan Community School (41:37).

The Saipan Community School traded in their silver medals for gold in the boy’s 14-and-under division, as En Hong Pang, Min Joo Jung, Sung-bin Lee, Eli Wong, and Champ Untalan cruised through the competition with a time of 30:19.

Tinian Junior High School, led by Antonio Ayuyu, Brandon Cruz, Jesse Ray Borja, John Ramos, and Donnie Dosalua came in second (33:05), ahead of Hopwood Junior High (35:38) and another team from SCS (40:30) that didn’t fare quite so well.

In the boy’s 18-and-under, Ivan Devero, Jeremy Winkfield, Carlos Feger, Ken Tanzawa, and Nathen Pangelinan rocketed past everyone en route to earning Marianas High School the fastest overall time in the event with a 27:53. The girls completed a sweep of the 18-and-under division for MHS, as Na Sil Heo, Na Lim Heo, Na Hee Heo, Gresil Mendiola, and Bo Wang finished with a time of 36:37.