PANTHERS ARE CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPS ONCE AGAIN

By Shania Bulala

The 2024 ISA Cross Country All-Island Championship took place on a breezy Thursday afternoon at the Guam High course in Agana Heights. This event consisted of three races: male, female, and the JV division. Known for its challenging terrain, the course featured numerous inclines, steep hills, and sharp turns that tested the ability of every runner.

Despite the conditions, the Guam High Panthers dominated the competition on home turf, showcasing their strength in numbers by claiming the team championship titles in both the male and female divisions. Their impressive performance solidified their reputation as one of the top cross country programs on the island led by the legendary Joe Taitano.

Female Race
In a dramatic turn of events, Panthers’ Naomi Spuler secured 1st place in the female race with a time of 22:33 after GW’s Gwenizah Barcinas was disqualified for an error. Barcinas led the entire race and actually crossed the finish line first, but DQ’d shortly after for inadvertently cutting the course.

As a freshman and first-time cross-country runner, Spuler has quickly made a name for herself by winning the All-Island title in her debut season.

“I feel really proud of myself, I didn’t know what running a race like this was going to be like. I didn’t even know I was good at running”, said Spuler.

Spuler gives credit to her coach, who has guided and molded her throughout the season. “I had a lot of support from my teammates, most especially my coach. He really helped me out a lot. I take his advice as constructive criticism and use it to encourage myself to do better”, said Spuler.

Behind Spuler was Knights’ Elizabeth Higley who earned 2nd place in 22:52. The Panthers’ strength showed in their pack running, as teammates Brianni Soto (23:22), Talianna Longoria (23:25), and Araceli Arriaga (23:26) followed closely in 3rd, 4th, and 5th place, respectively.

The Panthers’ depth in the lineup secured them the team championship with a total score of just 26 points.

After coming up just short in 2nd place last year, Guam High is back on top to add to their consecutive streak from 2020-22.

Team Results
1st Place- Guam High (26 Points)
2nd Place- St. John’s (41 Points)
3rd Place- JFK (58 Points)

Male Race
Islanders’ running star Kaito Sakaguchi continued his dominant streak, winning the male championship race with a time of 17:52. Sakaguchi, undefeated all season, entered the race with full confidence. “I feel extremely happy. Mentally, I was set for this race. All I needed to do was focus on racing. I had a plan, and tried my best to stick with it,” said Sakaguchi.

Sakaguchi’s strategy was to push the pace during the final 2K of the race, which allowed him to extend the gap and secure his All-Island victory. “Coming into the last lap, I knew I had to make my move. I pushed it to create that gap and finish strong,” he added.

PANTHERS SECURE 5TH CONSECUTIVE XC TITLE
The Guam High Panthers boys team once again demonstrated their dominance in numbers by claiming most of the top spots in the 2024 All-Island Championship. Eldon Egbert led the way for the Panthers, finishing in 2nd with a time of 18:04, followed by his teammates Caleb Steele (18:30), Wesley Augustine (18:39), Tyler Augustine (19:07), and Charles Swaggart (19:18), securing 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th place, respectively.

The Panthers’ depth and teamwork were on full display, allowing them to secure their fifth consecutive boys championship (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024). The Panthers’ strong pack delivered yet another impressive performance, securing their fifth consecutive boys’ XC championship and extending their dominance in the long distance running scene.

Team Results
1st Place- Guam High(26 Points)
2nd Place- JFK (54 Points)
3rd Place- Okkodo (108 Points)

PHOTO GALLERY BROUGHT TO YOU BY: