AGAPE Christian School students continue to prove that they can run with the best as both their U14 and U18 age groups snagged most of the top spots of the running events of the 2020-2021 Public School System-McDonald’s All School Athletics Championships held Friday and Saturday at the Oleai Sports Complex.
It was in the U18 age group where the ACS Torchbearers shined the most as they claimed the gold in all six running events.
ACS’ Ray Qi dominated the competition with consistency and a steady pace to win three gold medals.
In the 3000m run, Qi took the top spot with a time of 11:54 while school-mate Peter Hu followed behind in second place at 11:59.
Saipan International School made the list with Rex Pixley taking third place with a time of 12:06 while ACS’ Allen Luo (12:09) claimed fourth place and Marianas High School’s Sildrey Veloria (12:10) completed the top five list.
Qi also topped the 1500m distance with a finish time of 5:04:85 with school mates Peter Hu (5:06:52) and Allen Luo (5:13:39) placing second and third.
SIS’ Rex Pixley settled for fourth place with a time of 5:14:04 followed by ACS’ Jason Cao who clocked in at 5:16:87.
Qi’s third gold came in the 800m race where he finished first with a time of 2:24:57. He beat SIS’ Kuu Nishimura (2:26:96), ACS’ Abraham Zhu (2:27:54), Caleb Dai (2:28:18), and Peter Hu (2:37:63).
The ACS Torchbearers also powered through the short distance events. Eason Tang led the 400m race clocking in with a time of 56:23 followed by MHS’ Josh Joson (59:66), ACS’ Peter Hu (59:9), MHS’ Cody Shimizu (1:00:96) and ACS’ Caleb Dai (1:03:14).
Tang also took first place in the 200m, crossing the finish line with a time of 25:10 followed by school mate Bill Li (25:64) in second place, SIS Charles McDonald (25:92) in third, Tinian’s Chit Acollador (26:10) fourth, and SSHS’ Salvatore Gotti (26:41) fifth.
Tang’s won his third gold medal in the 100m sprint where he clocked in at 12:12 to beat school mate Bill Li (12:30), Tinian’s Hombre Hocog (12:44), MHS’ Timothy Vergara (12:59) and SIS’ Charles McDonald (12:72).
ACS also notched first place finishes in the U14 age group.
Peter Peng bagged the gold in the 3000m distance as he crossed the finish line with a time of 13:17 while school mate Joseph Li (13:18) placed place and Chacha Middle School’s Travanie Atalig (13:19) came in third. Grace Christian Academy’s Takeru Jim (13:20) and Miles Linden (13:58) completed the top five list.
Peng also topped the 1500m race, timing in 5:36:46 while Dandan Middle School’s Tao Jin (5:41:45) took second place followed by ACS’ Joseph Li (5:41:78), Saipan Community School’s Elijah Ye (5:48:05) and Tanapag Middle School’s Ngewakl Nolan (6:01:31).
ACS’ streak was finally broken in the 800m distance as Tanapag’s Ngewakl Nolan clinched first place with a time of 2:42:74. Dandan’s Tao Jin finished second with a time of 2:43:52 followed by Grace Christian Academy’s Theodore Rodgers (2:43:72), ACS’ Peter Peng (2:44:12) and SCS’ Elijah Ye (2:47:10).
In the 400m race, GCA grabbed its first gold medal thanks to Theodore Rodgers who finished with a time of 1:03:91, outrunning school mate Jasper Hall (1:04:27), Dandan’s Arvin Hornejas (1:07:93), ACS’ Peter Peng (1:09:18) and SCS’ Elijah Ye (1:10:52).
GCA won one more gold medal in the 200m as Jasper Hall finished first with a time of 26:14 followed by Dandan’s Christopher Cruz (26:77), GCA’s Joseph Pangelinan (27:00), Mount Carmel School’s Minsoo Kwon (27:16) and Tanapag’s Stanley Iakopo (28:45).
Chacha’s Cristobal Dela Cruz, for his part, took the gold in the 100m sprint with a finish time of 12:50 beating GCA’s Jasper Hall (12:71), Dandan’s Christopher Cruz (12:96), GCA’s Joseph Pangelinan (13:18) and school mate Theodore Rodgers (13:39).
Agape Christian School’s Ray Qi leads the 1500m race on Saturday at the Oleai Sports Complex.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
