HUGH KENT RUNS AWAY WITH 2025 AOY

Hugh Kent is firmly planting his name in Guam’s running records, and four national records in 2025 was good enough to run away with GSPN’s 2025 Athlete of the Year.

The JFK alum who dominated high school running has taken his abilities to a whole different level this year in his first season running with the prominant University of Portland Pilots.

Still just 19, Kent pulled off the following accomplishments:

• In January, he broke the indoor mile record with a time of 4:21.15, just edging Derek Mandell’s 2007 mark of 4:21.65. He broke the same record less than three weeks later with a 4:18.86 clocking.
• In March, he smashed the 10,000m record in 30:44.04, breaking the old mark of 31:39.24 while running a meet with the Pilots.
• 20 days later, he broke the indoor 1500m record in 4:07.47.
• In May, he broke the 5000m record in 14:34.16 during a track meet in Portland. The old record was set by Neil Weare in 2002 (14:39.84). Kent had broken four national records in a span of 70 days.
• In July, he won two gold and a silver in the Pacific Mini Games in Palau. Gold in the 10,000m and 1500m and a silver in the 5000m.

“I’m very proud of what I was able to do,” Kent reflected on his year. “I got the 10K and 5K Guam records, both things I was hoping to get, but I didn’t expect it as quickly. It was very big progress that I’m very proud of.”

College Leap

Already in the high school record books at JFK, his jumping into the prestigious running program at Portland has just broadened his abilities to reach new levels of running.

“Everyone is there to become better and they are there to improve as much as they can. Being able to be put into that kind of place where so many people are fighting to be faster, it really motivates me to keep up with them.”

Expect Kent to downshift his international events in 2026 in order to concenctrate on his college program. With that, he’s setting his sights on new goals that will take to levels he’s never been before.

“Time wise, specifically the 5K, I’d like to get down as much as possible. I’d like to get under 14 minutes. We’ll see how close I get.”

Congratulations Hugh on a remarkable year and your naming as GSPN’s 2025 Athlete of the Year!

RUNNER UP: Francesca Lizama

Better known as Kika, the Purebred staple has run up the Asian ranks to be the #1 female brown belt. How did she do it? By winning gold in eight tournaments and silver in another.

Gold: SJJIF World Championship, JBJJF All Japan Championship, IBJJF East Asian Open, Marianas Open Championship, SJJIF Asia Jiu Jitsu Cup, SJJIF Marianas Pro Tokyo, SJJIF Marianas Pro Nagoya, SJJIF Marianas Pro Manila

Silver/Bronze: IBJJF Asian Championship 

Counting her double golds, that’s 13 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze. Nice medal haul for Lizama in 2025. With that type of year, a brand new black belt should be draped around her shoulders any minute now.

HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

RAYN RIOS

This was a pretty easy selection with GW’s Rayn Rios getting the High School Athlete of the Year for the second straight year.

The senior mirrored his 2024 accolades this year, but with a huge team effort he carried on his shoulders by winning the high school football championship. That was GSPN’s Top Story of 2025!

Besides leading GW to the football title, he won his 2nd straight Defensive MVP award, 1st Team linebacker and fullback, MVP in the boys rugby season in January-March and controlled wrestling once again, going undefeated and gaining his 2nd MVP on the mats as well. He even toyed around with field events during track & field season.

Oh, and he was just added to the GW National Honor Society this year. The once-in-a-generation athlete seals his senior season with yet another High School Athlete of the Year award.

RUNNER UP: Jia Peters

Senior Jia Peters had a mission and that was to guide the St. John’s Knights to a second straight girls basketball title to go along with her third straight MVP award.

Her game is the most complete Guam has seen in maybe a generation since the Destiny Castro years. She could do it all at a high level: dribble, pass, shoot, rebound and play defense. After crushing the competition throughout, Peters and the Knights needed every bit of effort to get past the Academy Cougars in the championship game to cap off their perfect season.

YOUTH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

RIO REYES

Untalan Middle School’s Rio Reyes has done it all in 2025, making him the GSPN Youth Athlete of the Year.

• Jiu-Jitsu champion in seven tournaments on Guam and Japan
• Middle School All-Island Cross Country (2nd place overall)
• 2025 Ko’ko’ Kids Race (1st place overall)
• Faha Outlaws football starting running back (Matua Division)
• 2nd Team All-Island M.S. Rugby; Untalan Wildcats 2nd place

From the jiu-jitsu gym to football practice in the summer to running cross country and playing rugby for the Wildcats, it’s been a non-stop and productive year for the 12-year-old Reyes.

He won a total of 11 gold and two silvers spanning nine tournaments on Guam and Japan. He was the starting running back for the Matua Outlaws, despite still being eligible to play in the Metgot bracket. All that speed and agility had him come in 2nd overall in the recent middle school All-Island cross country meet.

An impressive and well-deserved Youth Athlete of the Year Rio Reyes.

RUNNER UP: Sage Cruz

Cruz won the youth AOY award last year and, in fact, did even better by working his way up to #1 in the nation in his weight class for jiu-jitsu.

In 2025, Sage won his 4th straight IBJJF Pan Kids championship, 10 ADCC Open gold medals, has kept his IBJJF unbeaten streak in tact for four years running and made it to #1 in the ADCC world rankings. He also won the Hawaii state wrestling championship for the second year in a row.

He and younger brother Luck have been all over GSPN with medals and awards almost on a monthly basis. The Cruz Bros. are the real deal.

PAST GSPN ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

2024 – Josh Cantara (All-Around)

2023 – Manami Iijima-Martin (triathlon)

2022 – JJ Ambrose (MMA/Fitness)

2021 – Trevin Jones (MMA)

2020 – None due to COVID

2019 – Anthony Cruz (jiu-jitsu)

2018 – Alejandra Ada (D1 rugby)

2017 – Manami Iijima (triathlon)

2016 – Baby Joe Taimanglo (MMA)

2015 – Guam Men’s Basketball Team (Pacific Games Gold)

2014 – Eddie ‘Barefoot Bandito’ Vega (101 Barefoot Marathons)

2013 – Zach Pangelinan (USA National Rugby)

2012 – Jon Tuck (MMA)