By James Sablan
james@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
THE Public School System’s cross country program has announced that it will send a formidable team of 14 elite student-athletes to the highly anticipated Asia Pacific International Cross Country Championship 2025, set to take place in Guam this Thursday through Saturday.
The championship serves as the final race for top runners from over 20 public, private, and international schools across the Asia Pacific region, marking the conclusion of the cross country season.
The NMI team, comprising seven boys and seven girls, was selected based on their stellar performances in the first two qualifying meets hosted by PSS Athletics. The athletes — representing Saipan International School, Marianas High School, Agape Christian School, and Grace Christian Academy — will compete in both the challenging 5K race and the exhilarating team relay event.
A blend of speed and endurance
The NMI team is ready to represent the islands on the international stage, showcasing a blend of speed and endurance.
The boys’ roster includes high school champion Victor Nash Santos (SIS), who finished first overall with a time of 18:42.33, along with Victor Neil Santos (SIS), Landen Taflinger (SIS), Michael Miller (MHS), Takeru Jim (MHS), Ziheng Cai (ACS), and Yongqi Fan (ACS).
The girls’ roster features high school champion Addalee Taflinger (SIS), who finished with a time of 24:01.42, along with Orica George (MHS), Dianna Zheng (GCA), Jian Chun (MHS), Jiahui Chen (ACS), Zhaoyu Shen (ACS), and Jiamei Hong (ACS). The team will be accompanied by coaches and chaperones Angela Taflinger (SIS cross country coach) and Chad Taflinger (MHS cross country coach).
Prior to the two-day competition, there will be a course preview on Thursday, followed by the action-packed event kicking off on Friday with the individual 5K races and concluding Saturday with the dynamic team relays and a celebratory awards banquet.
The individual 5K races will test the endurance of the runners, starting with the Girls High School 5K at 6 a.m., followed by the Boys High School 5K at 6:45 a.m., and the Open 5K at 7:15 a.m.
The Team Relay will take place at the scenic Ypao Beach at 6 a.m., while the awards banquet will be held at 6 p.m. at the JFKHS cafeteria, with the All-Island awards ceremony to follow at 7:45 p.m.
The NMI delegation is departing this morning, Thursday, for Guam.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
