Pacific Mini Games

KENT WINS 2ND GOLD OF MINI GAMES

Softball settles for silver

by
GSPN
July 8, 2025

Hugh Kent won his second gold medal and third overall in the 2025 Pacific Mini Games after sprinting to gold in the men’s 1500m event Tuesday night – the even of the closing of these Games.

“I’d just like to state first I did it for fun,” Kent stated after.

What? Did he just say he signed up for the 1500 ‘for fun’?

Kent had to stave off the charging runner from Papua New Guinea to finish in 4:01.37.

“I wasn’t expecting anything out of the race. Especially with the 5k the day before and the half marathon tomorrow. I started off ahead to get my legs moving. By the first lap, I realized people weren’t right on me. By the second lap, I still wasn’t pressured by others while I still felt like I could keep going, so I decided ‘why not, just keep going’. Then by that last lap, I realized I actually had a chance at winning gold and so I went for it. I went into the race with the most light-hearted mentality thinking that I’ll go easy to conserve for tomorrow, but instead ended up running a PR as well. I have nothing else much to say other than that I am surprised as well.”

Moments later, Jordan Baden took the women’s 1500m in 4;47.64. Baden held the lead heading down the final stretch before being passed with about 100 meters to go.

Other Athletics results:

Aleah Castro: women’s 200m 27.39 seconds (10 of 11)

Jeofry Limtiaco: men’s 400m hurdles 58.35 seconds (5 of 6)

Hazel Wilson: women’s 400m hurdles 1:11.32 (5 of 6)

Gwenizah Barcinas: women’s 400m hurdles 1:12.25 (6 of 6)

Giovanni Palad: men’s javelin 40.67m (6 of 7)

Jan Alamoite: men’s javelin 40.13m (7 of 7)

FASTPITCH SOFTBALL

Another tough loss for Guam on the diamond as we lose to American Samoa 13-5 Tuesday afternoon in the women’s softball gold medal game.

It was an offensive affair as the top two ranked teams in the Games – both 6-1 coming in – battled to an even standstill half way through.

After four complete innings, the scoreboard was identical as both teams posted 5 runs, 9 hits and 1 error.

But American Samoa scratched off five runs on five singles to double the lead to 10-5 in the 5th inning, then added three more runs the following inning to break the game wide open.

Leadoff hitter Colleen Quinata did her best, going 3-for-4, while Sirena Cepeda and Meagan Maratita had a pair of hits. Nicole Cruz drove in three of the five runs.

Maratita got roughed up in the circle in hurling the complete game. Twelve of the 13 runs were earned in 17 hits for American Samoa.

Guam actually led 5-2 after the top of the 3rd sparked by Cruz’s two-run single down the left field line.

It is the second straight day Guam had its heart broken as the men dropped an 8-1 loss to Palau for baseball gold.

TRIATHLON

The 2×2 mixed triathlon had Guam taking bronze in 1 hours, 26 minutes, 20 seconds.

Manami Iijima, feeling better after a sickness had her pull out of the individual race on Monday, got things started with a solid swim. Rynier Di Ramos, Dina Soriano and Jacob Torres did the rest.