Baby Geckos win girls athletics champs

Saipan International School elementary school girls took home first place overall in the PSS/McDonald’s All Schools Athletics 2022-2023 championships last Friday night and Saturday morning at the Oleai Sports Complex track and field. (LEIGH GASES)

The speedy elementary school girls of Saipan International School dominated the girls division of the PSS/McDonald’s All Schools Athletics 2022-2023 championships last Friday night and Saturday morning at the Oleai Sports Complex track and field.

The Baby Geckos put on a show as they tore through the track on both days and accumulated the most points throughout the season qualifiers and the championship rounds for a total of 121 points. 

Second place was Oleai Elementary School with 90 points; Tinian Elementary School and Garapan School were tied at third with 72 points; Koblerville Elementary School garnered 54 points; Brilliant Star School had 40 points; Sinapalo Elementary School had 20; Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School and William S. Reyes both had 20 points; Kagman Elementary School had 12; Agape Christian School had 3; and San Vicente Elementary School had 2 points.

The strongest performance for SIS was in the 12U girls 1,500m as they swept first through third place. In a close race, Leilani Ruszala came in first with a time of 6:50.05; Isla Grant was second at 6:50.30; and Windsor Gross was third with 7:00.01.

Leilani Ruszala from Saipan International School is first place in the 12U girls 1,500m race and the SIS elementary school girls team won first place overall in the PSS/McDonald’s All Schools Athletics 2022-2023 championships last Friday night and Saturday morning at the Oleai Sports Complex track and field. (LAO ZHANG)

They also had a great run in the 12U girls 800m as they took first and third place. Ruszala was first again with a time of 3:18.59; Gross took third with 3:19.54; and second was GES’ Seraya Kaniki with 3:19.26.

The Baby Geckos came in first and third as well in the 9U girls 200m race. Scarlett Burrel came in first with 33.40; Neveah Arriola was third with 34.85; and second was BSS’ Lovel Spaeth with 34.59.

In the girls 4x400m relay, SIS came out on top again with a time of 5:53.96; second was TES at 6:20.16; and third was BSS with 6:21.48.

Kathy Ruszala, SIS athletics coach of about 10 years, said after the championship on Saturday that “the season was fantastic.”

“Our kids really pushed themselves hardest today. The entire season, they [came] into practices and showed up and just really [gave] us their best,” she said about the team.

About the tournament, she said “it went really smoothly, they started on time. The organizing and the volunteers came together so well. So thank you to all the organizers and volunteers. I know it’s like long nights and long days and hot days in the sun, but they really put it together for the kids. So that’s the best part of doing this—it’s for the children!”

The SIS girls team consists of two in the 9U and five in the 12U division. Ruszala said that her daughter, Leilani, is promoted to middle school, along with Adalee West, but that next season, they will still have a really good team.

The boys championship results will be posted in the next issues of Saipan Tribune.