ASIJ CLEARS RAINY ASIA-PACIFIC INVITATIONAL

By Jay Leon Guerrero

For the third straight year, heavy wind and rain blessed the Asia-Pacific Invitational Cross Country Championships held at JFK’s Ramsey Field in Upper Tumon. Despite the bad weather conditions, 304 XC runners (167 boys and 137 girls from 26 different schools) took the course.

Jay Antonio, athletic director from the host JFK High School, said the meet is running on its 12th year. “It seems that every year we hosted the API it’s rained. There was probably one year that the weather was good,” joked Antonio.

According to Antonio, Day 1 declared the individual and team meet champions. Day 2 will take place on Saturday morning at 6am with the relay, along with the overall champion to be determined. “In the relay event, one female and one male runner will combine to run two legs of a mile each,” said Antonio. The course will start and end at Ypao Beach Park. Total points and placing from day 1 and 2 will determine the overall champion.

Race results

The American School in Japan Mustangs dominated the leaderboard at the meet with Evan Yukevich and Lisa Watanuki taking the top honors for the boys and girls, respectively. The 3.2 mile course featured the females starting their race at 6:00am and the boys following at 6:45am.

Watanuki, who is on her third visit to Guam for the tournament, was trailing Cricket Richter from Hong Kong International School throughout the race but was able to pass her in the jungle and finished with a 30 meter lead.

“I really have to thank her (Richter) for making me push myself, without her I really wouldn’t have been able to run my best,” said Wakanuki. Richter (20:24.7) set the fast pace; Watanuki (20:14.9) trailed but never let the early leader separate.

“We came here to go over the course yesterday and everyone is so nice. This is my third trip to Guam, it’s such a beautiful place,” said Watanuki.

Genina Criss (21:46.3) representing the host JFK Islanders was the first local female runner to cross the finish line. Criss, along with teammates Maria Ollet (21:48.7) and Lorraine Milan (21:58.5), helped the Islanders finish in third place for the team points. All three Islanders finished in the top 20. The Mustangs were first with 20 points, Seoul Foreign was 2nd with 47 and JFK garnered 60 points.

Girls Team results:
1. ASIJ – 20
2. Seoul Foreign – 47
3. JFK – 60
4. Seisen – 61
5. Korea International – 97
8. Okkodo – 142
10. Guam High – 176
16. Southern – 298
17. Sanchez – 310
19. GW – 312
20. AOLG – 365

Evan Yukevich and Lisa Watanuki were the first overall finishers in the Asia-Pacific Cross Country Champions.

Yukevich accomplished goals

Yukevich completed the sweep, running in the leading pack composed of Addison Smith (Seoul Foreign), Jordan Van Druff (Christian Academy in Japan) and Jonathan Dozier (Canadian Academy Kobe HS). Yukevich (17:06.8) maintained a slim lead throughout the meet and made a final kick to win by 20 meters.

“I told the team to block out the wind and rain and to just focus on running a good race,” said Yukevich. Yukevich and the Mustangs are currently in a dynasty achieving their fifth straight API boys title.

Yukevich’s teammates followed his instructions with Ryan Nishida (17:40), Britt Sease (18:30.5), and Zen Sperry (18:35.3) all making the top 20 to win the boys’ team event with 24 points. The IIAAG champion Simon Sanchez Sharks completed their dream season with yet another phenomenal performance finishing 2nd to the Mustangs with 64 points.

IIAAG champion John Garcia (18:39.5), Aaron Castro (18:40.5), Anthony Castro (18:56.7), and Evander DeGuzman (18:57.1) all finished in the top 20 for the Sharks to produce their highest API finish in school history. St. Mary’s International High School was 3rd with 82 points.

Boys Team results:
1. ASIJ – 20
2. Sanchez – 64
3. St. Mary’s – 82
4. Christian Academy Japan – 88
5. JFK – 99
11. Okkodo – 173
13. FD – 249
14. Guam High – 254
16. Southern – 268
20. GW – 372

“I’m a senior and I finished second last year to David Reeve Maddux (Hong Kong) and ran against John Aquino (JFK) in my sophomore year. It’s been a goal for me and my team to put up a good performance here at the API”. Yukevich accomplished his goal and will bring home an overall male trophy home.

Yukevich said despite today’s win, the mission is not fully accomplished yet. Day 2 will resume Saturday morning with the team relay event starting and ending at Ypao Beach Park in Tumon. “Were not done, got another race to focus on tomorrow,” said Yukevich.

After coming in 14th place in last weeks all-island XC meet, Guam High’s Isaac Ventura surprised the local running community and crossed the line as the fastest finisher from Guam. Ventura, a sophomore, said that he was glad to finish well and he will take the experience for future races. “It was a humbling to run against all the other guys from other countries,” said Ventura who had a time of 18:38.

PHOTO GALLERY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

2nd Place finisher Adison Smith makes his finish during the rainy Friday race. (photo by Richard Camacho IV)

1st Place finisher Evan Yukevich sprints during the final stretch.(photo by Richard Camacho IV)

(photo by Richard Camacho IV)

(photo by Richard Camacho IV)

(photo by Richard Camacho IV)

The top two male finishers going head-to-head midway through the race. (photo by Richard Camacho IV)

(photo by Richard Camacho IV)

(photo by Richard Camacho IV)

1st female finisher Lisa Watanuki stomps through the wet grounds on her way to the finish.(photo by Richard Camacho IV)

Here are the top 20 runners:

1 239 Evan Yukevich 12 ASIJ 1 of 7 17:06.8 PR 9.2
2 465 Addison Smith 12 SFS 1 of 7 17:12.1 PR 1st
3 258 Jordan Van Druff 9 CAJ 1 of 7 17:17.7 PR 1st
4 267 Jonathan Dozier 11 CA 1 of 2 17:26.2 PR 1st
5241Ryan Nishida11ASIJ2 of 717:40.0
6 309 Hugo Ward 11 HKIS 1 of 7 17:48.8 PR 1st
7 480 Thomas Richter 11 SMIS 1 of 6 17:56.5 PR 78.5
8 321 Nathaniel Geerdes 12 ISB 1 of 7 17:57.3 PR 11.5
9 479 Leon Pokrovsky 11 SMIS 2 of 6 18:25.6 PR 1st
10 243 Britt Sease 11 ASIJ 3 of 7 18:30.5 PR 1st
11 238 Zen Sperry 12 ASIJ 4 of 7 18:35.3 PR 1st
12 306 Isaac Ventura 10 Guam 1 of 5 18:38.0 PR 1st
13 397 John Garcia 12 SSHS 1 of 12 18:39.5 PR 1st
14 400 Aaron Castro 11 SSHS 2 of 12 18:40.5 PR 57.6
15 357 Patrick Seong 9 KIS 1 of 7 18:50.0 PR 1st
16 341 Elijah Reyes 11 JFK 1 of 18 18:50.5 PR 1st
17 256 Takehiro Murai 10 CAJ 2 of 7 18:55.5 PR 1st
18 340 Beato Mendiola 11 JFK 2 of 18 18:55.5 PR 3:20.5
19 401 Anthony Castro 11 SSHS 3 of 12 18:56.7 PR 31.4
20 396 Evander Deguzman 12 SSHS 4 of 12 18:57.1 PR 93.0

1 249 Lisa Watanuki 11 ASIJ 1 of 7 20:14.9 PR 93.6
2 317 Cricket Richter 11 HKIS 1 of 6 20:24.7 PR 1st
3246Tanya Riordan12ASIJ2 of 720:49.1
4 471 Grace Charnesky 12 SFS 1 of 7 20:55.9 PR 16.0
5 437 Kaitlin Rossman 11 Seisen 1 of 7 21:09.1 PR 1st
6 247 Anna Sheng 12 ASIJ 3 of 7 21:20.2 PR 91.8
7 477 Jane Anderson 9 SFS 2 of 7 21:34.1 PR 1st
8 343 Genina Criss 12 JFK 1 of 8 21:46.3 PR 2:41.2
9 347 Maria Ollet 11 JFK 2 of 8 21:48.7 PR 85.4
10 250 Emma Wingfield-Hayes 10 ASIJ 4 of 7 21:50.2 PR 1st
11 346 Lorraine Milan 11 JFK 3 of 8 21:58.5 PR 1st
12 522 Elizabeth Quintanilla 9 SoHS 1 of 6 22:03.7 PR 1st
13 438 Alisha Sharma 10 Seisen 2 of 7 22:14.2 PR 1st
14 361 Michelle Kwon 10 KIS 1 of 7 22:22.7 PR 1st
15 472 Emily Larsen 12 SFS 3 of 7 22:29.7 PR 1st
16 248 Hannah Mallard 11 ASIJ 5 of 7 22:30.0 PR 1st
17 299 Emma Sheedy 10 Guam 1 of 6 22:31.2 PR 1st
18 548 Jena Han 9 St. John 1 of 1 22:34.7 PR 1st
19 419 Anna Serbent 12 SAS PD 1 of 6 22:36.0 PR 1st
20435Anju Otsuka12Seisen3 of 722:38.8