PANTHERS DOMINATE WEEK 2 TRACK MEET

By Shania Bulala

Runners, jumpers, and throwers from across the island delivered strong performances and set personal bests at the second ISA Track and Field Meet held on Saturday at the JFK field. This meet introduced a key schedule change, with all running events now beginning at 2 pm instead of the previous 3 pm start time.

Meet Highlights
In the female division, three powerhouse teams emerged as top contenders: the GW Geckos, JFK Islanders, and Guam High Panthers. Across nearly every event, athletes from these schools consistently finished in the top three, signaling a competitive season ahead.

In the male division, the Panthers continue to be the biggest threat, but other teams are continuing to put pressure. The Islanders continue to showcase their depth in the distance events led by senior Kaito Sakaguchi

JFK senior Alex Na also had a big performance this week, taking first place in the 100 meters with a time of 11.69 and second place in the 200 meters finishing in 23.90.

Panthers Continue to Dominate
Guam High continued to assert their dominance on both the male and female sides, excelling in both track and field events.

Tierra Hearn showcased her speed and strength in the short sprints, capturing 1st place in both the 100-meter (13.45) and 200-meter (27.82) races for the Panthers.

Freshman Caitlin Jackson made her mark in the 400 meters, taking 1st place with an impressive time of 1:05.27. Teammate Brianni Soto wasn’t far behind, finishing 2nd with a time of 1:05.95, securing a 1-2 finish for the Panthers.

In the field events, Hayden Buck stood out with dominant performances. She leapt 10.55 meters in the triple jump, a full meter ahead of the nearest competitor, and also claimed 1st place in the high jump by clearing 1.42 meters. She has officially set the bar, jumping to the highest mark yet for this season.

In the shot put, the Panthers continued to rack up top finishes. Maya Davis led the way with a powerful throw of 8.01 meters, securing 1st place. Teammate Leila Franquez backed her up with a strong 7.11-meter throw, earning herself 2nd place.

On the boys side, Panthers senior standout Jayden Jackson delivered a flawless performance, securing 1st place in all his events: the 110-meter hurdles (17.83-PR), 300-meter hurdles (42.70-SR), 400 meters (51.87-SR), and 200 meters (23.86 SR).

Continuing onto the distance events, Panthers’ Junior Brandon Nielsen led the pack and won both the 1500 meter race (4:33.04) and the 3000 meters (10:02.91).

The Panthers continue to prove their strength in numbers as their relay teams were untouchable across the board. Both the male and female teams swept the relay events, taking 1st place in both the 4×100-meter and 4×400-meter relays.

With the competition heating up, athletes are already setting the tone for a high-intensity season. From sprints and relays to jumps and throws, the level of talent on display continues to rise, and it’s clear that all teams are hungry for the title.