KENT MAKES HISTORY, CRUZ GOES BACK-TO-BACK

GSPN

Oct 16

By Jay Leon Guerrero

JFK's Hugh Kent made history on Monday after winning his fourth straight ISA All-Island Cross Country Individual Championship. Kent led from start to finish at his home course at JFK to accomplish something no other athlete has done in the sport.

JFKs Hugh Kent cruises to his fourth All-Island Cross Country championship. (photo by Matt Lorenzo)

According to JFK head coach Jay Antonio, the most recent dominant runner was Napu Castro from GW over a decade ago, who won three individual titles. From his freshman season to his senior year, Kent set the bar in local meets, winning the prestigious All-Island race all four years.

"It's unbelievable to accomplish this. I'm really happy that I've stayed consistent throughout the years."

- JFK champion Hugh Kent

Kent clocked in at 17:01, finishing ahead of the next competitor by over a minute and 20 seconds.

Cruz goes back-to-back

In the girls race, GW's Robin Cruz won back-to-back individual titles with a time of 23:12.

GW's Robin Cruz puts a cap on her second straight All-Island title. (photo by Matt Lorenzo)

"Yesterday, I didn't run because I felt I wasn't there mentally. But today, I came out and surprised myself," said Cruz.

The girls race was competitive from the start, with several runners battling in packs to set the pace. Cruz made her move mid-race and held on thanks to words of encouragement from her coaches and teammates.

Cruz finished ahead of Cheyoung Ahn from Southern High, who clocked in at 23:25. Three JFK runners rounded out the top five with Patricia Micla, Gabriella Gogue, and Annika Micla finished third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.

JFK's dynasty continues

The Islanders swept the girls' and boys' team championships, continuing their dynasty under coach Antonio.

The JFK boys squad had five runners in the top 10 to finish with 24 points. The Southern Dolphins finished in second position with 62 points, and the Simon Sanchez Sharks finished with 90 points to win third place.

Simon Sanchez sophomore phenom Rynier Diramos finished second with a time of 18:25, finishing a second ahead of third place finisher Isaac Valdez from JFK who finished with a time of 18:26.

The JFK girls finished with 27 points, also finishing with five runners in the top 10. Simon Sanchez finished second with 57 points, and the GW Geckos took home the third place trophy with 63 points.

Selina Jacob, a freshman runner at JFK, said her season was a memorable one and that she was happy to gain the experience. "It was such a good season. Everyone on the team is so nice and welcoming," said Jacob.

"Everyone here pushes us to be the best we can be. I would not be here without them," said Jacob. The JFK girls celebrated their fifth straight championship.

Asia Pacific Invitational

With the ISA season in the books, the Asia Pacific Invitational (API) Cross Country Championships will take place on Friday.

The two day event will feature high school teams from Guam, including the IIAAG teams and teams from Japan and Korea. The event will start on Friday morning at JFK. The individual race will take place as well as a relay race on day 2.

The event presents a challenge for Kent, who will be pushed once again to the limit. "In general, the competition speed-wise at the API will be faster because everyone improved. I'm looking forward to competing against schools like American School in Japan (ASIJ), I'm excited to meet them as well as the other schools," said Kent.

"I know what to expect now. Last year, I was going into the race not knowing how fast they were because of COVID, but now I know what to expect," said Kent.

Cruz said she is also looking forward to the challenge at the API: "I'm going to push myself even more. But I'm also looking forward to having fun with my teammates," said Cruz.