PANTHERS WIN 9TH STRAIGHT BOYS TRACK TITLE

By Shania Oyardo

The ISA track and field season came to a close on Thursday afternoon at the JFK track as the island’s top high school athletes battled for supremacy at the All-Island Championship meet. By the end of the night, two programs stood atop the podium: the Guam High Panthers boys and the JFK Islanders girls captured the overall team titles, respectively.

Panthers Win 9th Consecutive Boys T&F Title

For the Guam High Panthers, this championship marked yet another chapter in an already historic dynasty. Under the leadership of legendary head coach Joe Taitano, the Panthers captured their ninth consecutive ISA track and field championship, once again proving why they remain the standard of excellence in high school track and field. 

The Panthers showcased their depth from start to finish, piling up points across nearly every event and recording first-place finishes in 9 out of 16 events. Whether it was on the track or in the relays, the Panthers simply overwhelmed the field with multiple podium finishes. 

“My boys performed precisely how they were supposed to perform. And that’s all I asked of them,” said Coach Taitano. “It’s nice that we’re dominating a lot of the events, and we knew that coming into this meet that we have depth, but I also heavily emphasized to the team to come to this meet with the mentality to not underestimate the rest of the competition.” 

Leading the charge once again was standout distance runner senior Caleb Steele, who battled through his final high school meet nursing an injury and yet still managed to deliver one of the most impressive performances of the evening. Steele was the only athlete at this meet who went for a perfect 4-for-4, capturing gold medals in all four of his events: 3000 meters (9:25 PB), 1500-meters (4:25), 800-meters (2:03), and 4×4 relay (3:37).

Steele’s leadership was matched by an explosive sprint team that continued to dominate the competition. Teammates Braden Flinn, Bradyn Rutland, Christian Polite, and Rai Johnson each contributed first-place finishes of their own, helping the Panthers earn an overall team score of 235 points. 

For Coach Taitano, the championships represent something far greater than trophies alone.

“Every year I get excited. This never gets boring for me. But to me the biggest thing is watching the athletes progress over time. That’s the beauty of coaching,” reflected Coach Taitano. “I love to win championships, and I knew this team was special. But watching the kids practice, perform, and most especially excel is the reason why I keep coming back.” 

ISLANDERS TAKE BACK GIRLS TITLE

On the girls side, the championship race came down to the wire as the JFK Islanders girls squad edged out the Panthers to secure the All-Island team title. 

The Islanders were led by standout athletes senior Hazel Wilson and freshman Zahna Whitehead, who combined for several key gold medal performances throughout the evening. Wilson once again dominated the hurdle events, winning gold in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.94 and the 300-meter hurdles in 48.60. Wilson also won gold in the girls’ high jump with a mark of 1.44m. 

Whitehead delivered an equally impressive performance for the Islanders, capturing first-place finishes in both short sprint events- 100-meters (13.16 PB) and 200-meters (27.30 PB). She also took gold in the girls’ triple jump with a mark of 10.82m. As just a freshman, Whitehead is emerging as a strong contender for years to come.

Adding to the Islanders’ medal count was distance runner Miachloe Decano, who earned a first-place finish in the girls 1500-meters in 5:19 PB. 

Individual Standout Performances
FD Friars thrower Alonzo Acosta put together a dominant showing in the field events, capturing gold medals in both the boys’ discus (49.04m) and shot put (14.44m) competitions. 

Southern Dolphin Lana Quinata once again defended her titles in the girls’ shot put (10.70 m) and discus (28.97 m), continuing her reign as one of the island’s most dominant female throwers.

GW Gecko Gwenizah Barcinas managed to earn herself a gold medal in the girls’ 800 meters in 2:31 and guided her team to a gold medal finish in the 4×400-meter relay.

Overall Team Scores

BOYS
Guam High Panthers- 235 points
FD Friars- 105.50 points
JFK Islanders- 70 points

GIRLS
JFK Islanders- 174 points
Guam High Panthers- 140 points
GW Geckos- 51 points