PANTHERS CONTINUE TRACK SUPREMACY

By Shania Bulala

The 2025 ISA track and field season came to a close Saturday evening as the Guam High Panthers delivered a commanding performance, capturing championship titles in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions. Under the leadership of legendary coach Joe Taitano, the Panthers extended their dynasty, securing their eighth consecutive boys title while reclaiming the girls crown.

The Panthers boys team left no doubt about their supremacy this season. They stacked the podium with top-three finishes in nearly every single event. Their team’s depth proved to be overwhelming for the competition as they finished with a margin of over 100 points ahead of the second-place team.

In the sprints and hurdles, senior Jayden Jackson played a pivotal role in his team’s success, securing gold in both the 300-meter hurdles and the 400-meter race. Jackson contributed valuable points to his team’s score and further solidified the Panthers’ lead.

The Panthers’ relay squads were unstoppable once again. The 4x100m team—Cian Hannon, Christopher Angoco, Judah Alcantra, and Rai Johnson—sprinted to first place with a time of 45.34. The 4x400m team of Rai Johnson, Noah Harris, Angoco, and Alcantra followed up with another gold-medal finish in 3:25. Their championship sweep capped off a flawless season, as both relay teams remained undefeated throughout the entire season.

On the distance side, junior Caleb Steele anchored the pack, capturing gold in both the 3000-meter and 1500-meter races. Teammate Brandon Nielson followed closely behind in both events, earning silver and giving Guam High a powerful 1-2 finish in the long-distance events.

On the girls side, the Panthers delivered an equally dominant performance. Much like the boys, they secured a podium finish in nearly every single event. A big key to their success was Junior Hayden Buck, who swept all four of her events—long jump (5.12m PR), triple jump (10.39m), high jump (1.47m), and the 400 meters (1:03).

One of the highlights of the evening came in the girls 400 meters, where they pulled off a commanding 1-2-3 sweep. Buck led the charge, capturing gold, followed by Caitlin Jackson in silver with a time of 1:04 and Tierra Hearn securing bronze in 1:05.

Their relay teams mirrored the boys success, also going undefeated in both the 4x100m (Destiny Blaize, Caitlin Jackson, Brianni Soto, and Kathleen Franklin) and 4x400m (Brianni Soto, Destiny Blaize, Taliana Longoria, and Tierra Hearn) relays throughout the entire season. Their depth and consistency across sprint and field events played a pivotal role in reclaiming the girls division title.
Coach Taitano credited the program’s success to the hard work of his athletes and the trust they placed in the program.

“It really comes down to physical development and conditioning. We focus on getting our athletes ready and conditioned to perform at a competitive level. Without that conditioning, the results we want won’t happen. I believe tonight’s performance is a testament to the hard work these athletes have put in all season.”

– Guam High trach coach Joe Taitano

Islanders Na Takes Four Golds
Islanders sprinter and jumper Alex Na had a big meet, capturing gold in all four of his events: the 100 meters (12.15), 200 meters (22.83), long jump (6.06m PR), and triple jump (13.49 PR). His combination of speed and explosiveness made him a clear standout and one of the top individual performers of the championship meet.

Geckos Mendiola Crowned Discus King
Geckos sophomore Evan Mendiola continued his reign in the throwing circle, successfully defending his title in the boys’ discus with a big throw of 38.19 PR and winning the gold medal in the event for the second year in a row. His growth this season was fueled by working under new coach Johnny Borja.

“This year I entered with a different mindset. I competed with a different school this year and was under the wing of Coach Johnny Borja, who pushed me to my limit and made me stronger because of that,” Mendiola shared.

Dolphins Quinata Dominates Throws
In the girls’ field events, Dolphins thrower Lana Quinata proved untouchable. She secured gold in both the shot put and discus, consistently outthrowing the competition. Quinata threw 9.43 meters in the shot put and 29.37 meters in the discus, delivering impressive performances that capped off her dominant season.

Boys Team Scores
Guam High Panthers—223 points
JFK Islanders—122 points
GW Geckos—62 points
FD Friars—61 points
Sanchez Sharks—40 points
Okkodo Bulldogs—26 points
Southern Dolphins—9 points
Tiyan Titans—1 point

Girls Team Scores
Guam High Panthers—169 points
JFK Islanders—147 points
GW Geckos—102 points
Okkodo Bulldogs—30 points
ND Royals—26 points
Southern Dolphins—21 points
Academy Cougars—19 points
Sanchez Sharks—15 points
Tiyan Titans—15 points