By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

GUAM tracksters were on Saipan for two days and used the goodwill meet against the NMI as a tuneup for the 2007 athletics season and for a tournament in Japan.
George Washington High School athletics coach Jay Antonio said he brought 12 athletes for the goodwill meet hoping to get them going after months of without tournament.
“This is our first tournament, as we have yet to start the 2007 season back home,” Antonio said.
According to Antonio, the high school athletics season on Guam will start the second week of April.
“Our athletes were excited to compete in their first tournament since taking a break a few months ago. We’re happy to be on Saipan again and competing against the CNMI athletes,” added Antonio, who was here with the Guam athletics team for the Micronesian Games last year.
Antonio’s Geckos and tracksters from Simon Sanchez High School and John F. Kennedy High School challenged NMI athletes in throwing, jumping and running events last Saturday and Sunday.
Host Northern Marianas Athletics had yet to release the results of the goodwill meet as off press time.
Antonio said that after the goodwill meet, they will travel to Japan for another tournament.
The Geckos are leaving for Guam today and on Wednesday will go to Okinawa for the Mike Petty Invitational Meet.
Antonio said the event is set to run from April 6 to 8 and nine of his wards will be in Okinawa to compete in the throwing, jumping and running events.
He added that the Geckos are composed of sophomore and junior athletes with the girls’ team having a good chance in the distance races. Antonio is counting on his hurdlers in the boys’ division.
“This will be our second time to compete in the Mike Petty Invitational and we’re still excited as if it were our first time because the competition there is pretty tough,” Antonio said.
In Japan, the Guam tracksters will be meeting high school athletes from cities in Japan, Hong Kong and China.