By Kyle Terwilliger
Variety News Staff

DESPITE not having the Guam Track and Field Association finalize its decision to compete in the 2007 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa, many officials are sure that is where the federation will be heading.
GTFA president Frank Tangalin is quite sure that his athletes are going to be in Samoa. The athletes traveled to Samoa in December of last year to compete in the Oceania Championships.
However not all on- and off-island athletes have met with the GTFA board to respond to the Guam National Olympic Committee’s call to confirm participation. Answers are expected by April 12th.
In an emergency GNOC meeting on March 30th, the federation representatives were told to go home, meet with their boards and athletes and make a decision as to whether they are going to Samoa. As of Wednesday, according to the GNOC office, nobody from the Guam federation had turned in a formal response. That has not stopped the athletes from training though. The athletes have been preparing for the event for the last two years.
Part of their training was tested when they traveled to Saipan last weekend to participate in the Marianas Track and Field Invitational. Ken Karosich took first place in the Men’s 400-meter with a time of 54.8 seconds.
Edward Babauta and Nicole Layson would take first in the Men’s and Women’s 800-meter with Babauta finishing with a time of 2:14.29 and Layson finishing in 2:37.82. Three local teams have left for the Mike Petty Invitational in Okinawa with the George Washington Geckos and the Simon Sanchez Sharks leaving on Wednesday. And the John F. Kennedy Islanders left on Monday all to participate in the event.