PANTHERS GIRLS DOMINATE, SAKAGUCHI SHINES

By Shania Bulala

The JFK campus provided the perfect backdrop for a competitive cross-country meet on Monday afternoon as athletes from across the island gathered to showcase their endurance and skill in the ISA Cross Country League. Teams from the Notre Dame Royals, Sanchez Sharks, JFK Islanders, Guam High Panthers, Guam Adventist Angels, and Southern Dolphins faced off in an intense race that tested not only their physical fitness but their mental stamina.

Spuler and Panthers Girls Dominate
The girls race was dominated by the Panthers, led by standout freshman Naomi Spuler, who set a personal best time of 22:59. “I felt really good about my race, but I definitely feel like I could’ve gone much faster in the last lap,” said Spuler, showing her drive for improvement despite a stellar performance.

The Panthers girls swept the top five slots, leaving no doubt about their dominance over the competition. Spuler’s leadership at the front of the pack, along with strong performances from her teammates—Taliana Longoria (23:18), Brianni Soto (23:36), Araceli Arriaga (23:42), and Carly Devore (23:55)—highlighted the Panthers’ depth and consistency.

“Coming into this race, my strategy is always just to stick with my teammates and never fall behind. We have a strong pack. I felt really good and was keeping up really well so towards the end I just told myself to go faster” Spuler added.

Sakaguchi Sets Personal Best
In the boys race, Kaito Sakaguchi of the JFK Islanders delivered an impressive performance on his home course, crossing the finish line with a personal best time of 17:32. His commanding pace and strong finish secured first place in front of a supportive JFK crowd.
Sakaguchi faced stiff competition from Guam High, who had two runners behind. Eldon Egbert (18:15) and Wesley Augustine (18:31) took 2nd and 3rd places, respectively, pushing Sakaguchi throughout the race.

“Despite the hot weather, I felt that the conditions were perfect. The last two meets I consistently hit PRs, and that really built up my confidence. This meet, I went all out and pushed myself as much as I could,” Sakaguchi said after the race.

Team Results
While individual victories were celebrated, the meet also highlighted strong team performances from both the Islanders and Panthers. Guam High came in first in the overall team scores for both the male and female races, thanks to a clean sweep in the girls’ race and strong finishes in the boys’ race. JFK trailed in second for both the male and female team scores but still showed impressive performances with several top finishers in both races.

Female
GHS- 15 points
JFK- 48 points
NDHS- 82 points

Male
GHS- 23
JFK- 46
SSHS- 96
SHS- 116
GAA- 124
NDHS- 141

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