MHS, SIS top HS cross country qualifier

Battling the elements, proceeding with caution, but also running for the top spot was the name of the game in the first PSS/NMA All Schools Cross Country 2023-2024 qualifier as runners tore up the course of the CPA Airport Field last Saturday morning.

When all the mud, rain, and sweat cleared, Marianas High School and Saipan International School came out on top of their respective divisions.

In the high school boys division, the Dolphins topped it with 13 points; second place was SIS with 46 points; third place was Saipan Southern High School with 53 points; and fourth place was Mount Carmel School with 53 points.

The Lady Geckos topped the high school girls division with 12 points; and the Lady Dolphins came in second with 27 points.

In the individual boys standings, MHS’ Pony Tang came in first at 18:24; 2nd was Simon Tang from SSHS at 18:30; and third was MHS’ Anthony Bergancia at 18:48.

In the girls individual standings, SIS’ Kaithlyn Chavez dominated with a time of 21:01; second place was Kagman High School’s Pia Ngewakl at 23:59; and third place was SIS’ Aubrey Castro at 25:08.

SIS also won first place in the middle school girls division with 34 points; second place was Grace Christian Academy with 34 points; and third place was Dan Dan Middle School with 46 points.

And in the middle school boys division, only Mount Carmel School had enough runners.

First place in the individual standings for the middle school boys was SIS’ Quido Jambor at 13:46; second place was Kasuki Kamagai of GCA with 15:26; and third place was Yuxi Lu of DMS at 15:51.

SIS’ Adalee Taflinger was first in the middle school girls individual standings with a time of 14:47; second place was Leilani Ruszala of SIS with 16:20; and third place was Sarah Lim from GCA at 17:24.

SIS swept both the boys and girls division of the elementary school races and the individual races.

Dr. Ron Snyder, SIS’ headmaster and coach and meet director, said of SIS’ performance, “I am hopeful for our MS boys team. We had one athlete traveling and one athlete out sick but they should both be back in running form by the Gecko 5000, our third competition.”

But regardless of the results, he said he was proud as a coach “for the spirit and energy that my team showed. Despite the rain, they were out there cheering on their fellow Geckos and friends from other schools. That is what this sport is all about!”

The next qualifier is Saturday, Sept. 16, hosted by Run Saipan at the American Memorial Park; the SIS Gecko 5000 at Banzai Cliff is on Sept. 30; the Kagman High School Invitational at ChaCha Ocean View Middle School is on Oct. 7; and the championship is set for Oct. 14 at the Saipan Country Club at Saipan Vegas.