PANTHERS CONTINUE XC DOMINANCE AT ALL-ISLAND MEET

By Shania Bulala

The 2025 ISA Cross Country season reached its end on Monday afternoon at the George Washington High School course, where the island’s best high school runners competed for top honors in the All-Island Championship race.

The Guam High Panthers continued their reign of long-distance dominance by claiming both the boys and girls team titles, led once again by the legendary coach Joe Taitano. 

Meanwhile, GW Gecko Gwenizah Barcinas (21:42) and Guam High Panther Eldon Egbert (17:41) earned individual victories in their respective races.

Panthers Capture Sixth Straight Boys Title

The Guam High Panthers once again demonstrated their dominance in the boys division by securing their sixth consecutive All-Island team championship. The Panthers managed to secure four out of the top ten spots with Egbert in 1st (17:41), Caleb Steele in 3rd (18:14), Wesley Augustine in 6th (18:31), and Tyler Augustine in 8th (18:58). 

Following the boys race, Guam High head coach the legendary Joe Taitano praised his runners for their consistency and work ethic throughout the season.

“I’m really proud of my team,” Taitano said. “My job as their coach is to get to their hearts and minds.” 

Boys Team scores: 
1st place: Guam High Panthers – 28 points 
2nd place: Okkodo Bulldogs – 61 points 
3rd place: JFK Islanders – 70 points

Panthers Girls Defend Their Title

The Panthers girls team also continued their championship streak, earning back-to-back All-Island titles with a strong group performance. 

The Panthers girls demonstrated impressive depth, with a strong scoring pack also taking five out of the top ten slots, consisting of Naiomi Spuler in 3rd (22:16), Taliana Longoria in 4th (22:44), Amelia Desiderio in 5th (22:03), Ava Steele in 6th (23:10), and Jenna Birth in 10th (23:44), which secured the team championship. 

The Panthers’ sweep of both divisions solidified their legacy as the cross-country powerhouse of the ISA league.

Coach Taitano reflected on the hurdles his team faced while preparing for the All-Island race and added that their success stemmed from discipline and the concept of mind over matter.

“Coming into this championship, this group pushed through all the challenges they faced. With the shutdown and not being able to practice and compete in the last regular meet, this group maintained the mindset,” said Coach Taitano. “As a coach, my greatest challenge is getting my athletes to stay focused and motivated to do their best. No matter the circumstances, this group stayed disciplined and competitive.” 

Girls Team Scores: 
1st Place: Guam High Panthers – 28 points 
2nd Place: JFK Islanders – 56 points 
3rd Place: St. John’s Knights – 98 points

Egbert Claims Boys Individual Title

In a field packed with talent, Panthers junior Eldon Egbert delivered a breakout performance in 17:41 to claim the boys individual All-Island title, marking the highlight of his high school running career.

Egbert led the opening pack and set a strong tempo alongside teammate Caleb Steele, Sharks’ Rynier Di Ramos, Bulldogs’ Jordan Balicha, and Knights’ Jackson Fulkerson-Smith.

In the final stretch, it was Egbert who managed to pull ahead of the competition to take the individual title. The victory was not only a personal achievement but also the key piece to the Panthers’ dominance. 

Egbert expressed the significance of the victory to himself and his teammates.

“I’m very proud of all my teammates today for pushing through all the challenges we faced,” Egbert said.

“This win feels great,” reflected Egbert. “We’ve all been working so hard for this moment, and to finish like this means a lot. Caleb and I just stuck to our game plan. We kept a steady pace, stayed together, and pushed each other when it mattered the most.”

Barcinas Wins Girls Individual Title in Emotional Finale

In the girls race, Geckos’ Gwenizah Barcinas delivered a personal best performance with a time of 21:42 to win the individual All-Island girls title. This win closed out her high school cross-country career with an unforgettable victory on her home course.

Barcinas ran with opening lap precision and strategy alongside Panthers’ Naomi Spuler. The pair set a steady back-and-forth pace to feel out the rest of the competition field.

It wasn’t until Barcinas saw the finish line nearing that she knew she needed to shift gears. With the home crowd cheering her on, she pushed through and gave everything she had to cross the finish line as the all-island champ.

“It honestly means so much to win this race, especially here at home,” Barcinas said, fighting back tears. “This win is really special to me. I want to give thanks to everyone who has been a part of my journey. Most importantly, teammates, coaches, and my mom.”

Barcinas said the cheers from the GW fans gave her a final burst of energy when she needed it most.

“Hearing everyone cheering for me on the course gave me that extra motivation to finish strong,” Barcinas said. “I just wanted to make this last race count. I kicked it and left it all out there on the last stretch. It feels like all my hard work over these last few years finally paid off.”

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