Pony Tang pushes through for the finish during the AK 5.5K Fun Run Saturday at Banzai Cliff.
Kaithlyn Chavez crosses the finish line of the AK 5.5K Fun Run on Saturday at Banzai Cliff.
HIGH school students Pony Tang and Kaithlyn Chavez seized the spotlight in the Atkins Kroll’s 5.5K Fun Run on Saturday to top their respective divisions.
The 5.5K route started at Banzai Cliff and made its way down south past the Last Command Post for the turnaround and back to Banzai Cliff where 16-year-old Marianas High School student Pony Tang was the first to cross the finish line with a time of 00:23:03.
“It was good race with a lot of hills and strong winds,” said Tang. He did not lead the entire race as he had to run side-by-side with Cody Shimizu. But eventually, “I just sped up and took the lead,” Tang added.
“I want to thank my friends and Ms. Kelly and coaches at MHS,” he said. “I hope to encourage running at MHS.”
He said he wanted to join half marathon but he had to participate in a badminton competition later that day so he decided to go for the 5.5K instead.
In second place is Tang’s schoolmate Cody Shimizu with a time of 00:23:42 while David Zhao claimed third place with a time of 00:24:30.
Women’s division
In the women’s division, 15-year-old Saipan International School student Kaithlyn Chavez took the top spot as she crossed the finish line with a time of 00:25:09 followed by veteran runner Noriko Jim in second place with a time of 00:25:27 and Addalee Taflinger in third with a time of 00:26:12.
When asked why she did not join the half marathon, Chavez said, “I’m not prepared yet and not that fit.”
During the 5.5K event, Chavez lost the lead at one point due to her tracker falling off but she still managed to sprint her way back to the lead.
She said she considered it a fun run but decided toward the end to try and win the gold.
As for the course itself, Chavez felt as if it was a new race for her because “we usually go left for the race but today we went right.”
Special day
It was a special day for main sponsor AK Toyota as the 5.5K event coincided with its 55th anniversary celebration.
“We couldn’t be happier. [Event organizer] Run Saipan works very hard and are good at what they do. We expected around 200 participants but the turnout exceeded our expectations,” said AK Sales Manager Kevin Barnes.
“This is just our first year. Every year we hope to grow bigger and bigger and if anyone missed it, there will always be next year,” he added.
