By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

(Second of a series)

RUNNERS from Hopwood Junior High School, Whispering Palms and Saipan International School showed mastery of the Oleai Sports Complex track oval in impressive performances in the running events during the 2007 McDonald’s All Schools Track and Field Championships over the weekend.
Hopwood had eight first place finishes in both the boys and girls’ sprint, middle and long distance races.
Whisperings Palms recorded 13 first place wins in the girls’ running events and five in the boys, while SIS had five first place finishes in the boys’ division and four in the girls’.
Whispering Palms placed first in the girls’ 6-8 100m race with Taylor Knecht posting 18 seconds. Michaela Grandinetti gave Whispering Palms its second gold medal after ruling the girls’ 9-10 100m race.
Other winners in the girls’ 100m races were Tanapag Elementary School’s Ashley Babauta (11-12 age group), Hopwood’s Chiang Duenas (13-14), and Yvonne Bennett (15-18).
In the 200m races, the top winners in the different age groups were William S. Reyes’ Pauline Cabrera and Michaela Grandinetti, Koblerville’s Rachel Abrams, Duenas and Yvonne Bennett.
Knecht finished first in the 400m run to take her second gold medal, while Michaela Grandinetti earned her third gold after winning in the same event. Other top finishers in the 400m races were SIS’s Jellian Majors, Hopwood’s Reyllyn Sapong and Marianas High School’s Jacque Wonenberg.
Two Whispering Palms middle distance runners won in the 800m races with Neghar Rastguiy prevailing in the 6-8 age group and Gabrielle Race topping the 9-10 division.
SIS’s Dominique Austin won the 11-12 age group of the 800m run. Also included on 800m winners’ list were Sapong and Southern High School’s Haoting Romolar.
Rastguiy and Race claimed their second gold medal after winning in the 1500m race. Kagman Elementary School’s Janet Jones, Hopwood’s Lina Manalili and MHS’s Melody Ludwick also shone in the 1500m run.
In the 3000m races, Manalili and SIS’s Danbi Choi prevailed.
Kagman ruled the girls’ 9-10 4x100m relay, Tanapag won in the 11-12 age group, Hopwood dominated the 13-14 division and MHS topped the 15-18 age group.
Whispering Palms won in the girls’ 6-8 and 9-10 4x400m relay races, SIS in the 11-12 age group, Hopwood in the 13-14 division and MHS in the 15 to 18 division.
In the boys’ division, WSR’s Christian Morales finished first in the 6-8 100m race. Also winning in the same race were Kagman’s Jordan Manglona, San Antonio’s David Ramon, Hopwood’s Mike Bondoc and Kagman’s Juan Iguel.
Morales, Iguel and Manglona notched their second gold medal after ruling the 200m race in their respective age groups. Other top finishers in the same distance race were Koblerville’s Brandon Phillip and Hopwood’s JR Concepcion.
SIS’ Jordan Butcher claimed his first gold medal after placing first in the 6-8 400m run, while Manglona won his third gold after ruling the 9-10 age group.
Philip and Concepcion also prevailed in the 400m race for their second gold, while Hopwood’s Vicente Cepeda won his first event timing in at 57.20 seconds in the 400m run.
Butcher took his second gold after a first-place finish in the 800m race. Other winners in the 800m runs were SIS’s Angelo Jones, Whispering Palms’ Ryan Baron, Concepcion and MHS’s Champ Untalan.
Whispering Palm’s Kenyon Schultz topped the 1500m race in the 6-8 age group, while Jones grabbed his second gold medal after dominating the 9-10 age group.
Baron also clinched his second gold medal winning in the 11-12 age group. Other winners in the 1500 races were Whispering Palms’ Hunter Thorpe and MHS’ s Nate Mateo.
Baron secured his third gold medal after prevailing in the boys’ 3000m. Other top finishers in the 3000m were Hopwood’s Nicko Salem and Mateo.
WSR won in the boys’ 6-8 and 9-10 4x100m relay races, San Antonio in the 11-12 age group, Hopwood in the 13-14 division and Kagman in the 15-18 age group.
SIS dominated the 6-8 4x400m relay race, San Antonio topped the 9-10 and 11-12 age groups, while Hopwood and MHS ruled the 13-14 and 15-18 age groups, respectively.