By Dave Ornauer
Published: May 12, 2013
OK, we’ve frequently gone down the list of possible Pacific high school track and field records that may be broken this season.
What about the Far East meet May 20-21 at Yokota? Let’s give it a look:
Boys
Shot put—43.011 feet, Gabriel Ahner, Kadena, 2011. Dead on arrival; Yokota’s Dylan Kessler has already thrown 44-8 this season. Possible mark: 44.10.
Discus—133.79 feet, Roland Cote, Zama American, 2012. Possible, but a long shot by Yokota’s Jesse Hogan. Possible mark: 130-6.
High jump—6 feet, 6 inches, Lotty Smith, Kadena, 2011. Possible by Yokota’s Donovan Ball, who’s posted 6-4¾ this season; it would make him the second to break the 2-meter mark in the Pacific. Possible mark: 6-5½.
Long jump—21 feet, 6 inches, Chaun Lynn, Nile C. Kinnick, 2010. Safe.
100—11.01, Andre Watson, Kubasaki, 2010. Dead on arrival, with Kubasaki’s Rahman Farnell and Jarrett Mitchell, Yokota’s Stanley Speed and Seoul American’s Ronald Dogan leading the charge. Possible time: 10.7.
110 hurdles—15.15, Fred Gustafsson, Yokota, 2012. On life support, as Kadena’s Derrick Taylor has already posted a sub-15 on Okinawa; Zama American’s Mitchell Harrison will also give chase. Possible time: 15.05.
200—22.66, Andre Watson, Kubasaki, 2010. Dead on arrival, with the aforementioned chasing. Possible time: 22.05.
300 hurdles—40.15, Fred Gustafsson, Yokota, 2012. Dead on arrival; Taylor has gone sub-40 on Okinawa this season. Possible time: 40.0.
400—51.02, Justin Smith, Kinnick, 2012. Dead on arrival; Okinawa Christian International’s Keishi Nambara posted 50.38 in the districts. Possible time: 50.20.
400 relay—44.01, Kadena, 2011. On life support; we’ve seen several sub 44.5s this season. Possible time: 43.80.
800—2:01.2, Tomas Sanchez, Kadena, 2010. Dead on arrival; Kubasaki’s Ryan Bugler has posted two sub-2:00s this season. Possible time: 1:56.5, which would also break the Pacific record (see earlier post).
1,600—Has never been run at Far East, but the foundation record will be hard to beat, thanks to Bugler and Erik Armes of Kubasaki, Kinnick’s Robert Beard, ASIJ’s Kai Layden, Yokota revelation Daniel Galvin and Kadena’s Andrew Kilkenny, Hunter Ficenec and Carlos Gutierrez. Possible time: 4:22:55, which would break Armes’ Pacific record of 4:25.88.
1,600 relay—3:30.59, Kinnick, 2012. Possible, but a long shot; OCSI ran 3:32.93 at districts. Possible time: 3:31.
3,200—Another foundation record will be set here. Possible time: 9:56.
3,200 relay—8:20.48, Zion Christian Academy, 2012. Safe.
Girls
Shot put—31.88 feet, Shannon Jackson, Kinnick, 2010. Dead on arrival; Zama’s Niyah Lewis and ASIJ’s Liz Thornton will put this out of reach. Possible mark: 32-6.
Discus—108.66 feet, Christian Garner, Zama, 2012. Safe.
High jump—5.12 feet, Arrianna Guerra, Zion, 2012. Dead on arrival; Kadena’s Jasmine Rhodes has already jumped 5-3. Possible mark: 5-4½.
Long jump—16.14 feet, Liz Thornton, ASIJ. On life support, with Thornton and Kinnick’s De’Asia Brown chasing. Possible mark: 16-3.
100—12.7, Kristy Taylor, Seoul American, 2010. Dead on arrival; Kadena’s Janika Caines, Zion’s Jade Cummings, Kinnick’s Val James and Kubasaki’s Kaelyn Francis giving chase. Possible time: 12.4.
100 hurdles—17.33, Stefani Loisel, Guam High, 2011. Dead on arrival; Kubasaki’s Danielle Balfour has already posted a 16.74. Possible time: 16.5.
200—26.07, Stefani Loisel, Guam High, 2012. Dead on arrival, Caines, Cummings, Thornton and Francis giving chase. Possible time: 25.1.
300 hurdles—46.97, Stefani Loisel, Guam High, 2012 (also the Pacific record). Safe.
400—59.17, Jenna Doyno, ASIJ, 2012. Dead on arrival; James has posted two sub-59s this season. Possible time: 57.9.
400 relay—49.17, Kadena, 2012 (also the Pacific record). Possible, but a long shot. Possible time: 50.2.
800—2:25.19, Amanda Henderson, Seoul American, 2012. Dead on arrival; Kinnick’s Cary Fontanez has run a sub-2:25 this season. Possible time: 2:23.8.
1,600—Another foundation record, with Kubasaki’s Jessica Ircink leading the charge. Possible time: 5:21.50, which would break Ircink’s Pacific record of 5:23.26.
1,600 relay—4:06.49, Kadena, 2012. On life support after Kinnick’s 4:07.37 in the Kanto Invitational. Possible time: 4:06.10.
3,200—Another foundation mark. Possible time: 11:45.60, which would break the Pacific record of 11:48.1.
3,200 relay—10:24.57, ASIJ, 2012. Dead on arrival; Kubasaki’s district finals time was nearly five seconds better. Possible time: 10:17.50.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: May 12, 2013
Far East is the next big stage at which the following Pacific track and field records may take a tumble. This is the final update prior to the Far East meet May 20-21 at Yokota:
Boys
High jump-- Lotty Smith, Kadena, 6 feet, 6 inches, 2011. Possible. Yokota’s Donovan Ball 6-4¾) is definitely in the neighbourhood. Possible jump: 6-6.
100 – Andre Watson, Kubasaki, 10.30, 2011. Remains on life support, with Seoul American’s Ronald Dogan and Darien Briggs, Osan American’s Marlon Cox, Kubasaki’s Rahman “Chima” Farnell and Jarrett Mitchell, Yokota’s Stanley Speed and Nile C. Kinnick’s LaTendre Paylor in pursuit. Possible time: 10.25.
200 – Kenny Elder, Yokota, 21.4, 1977, matched by Yokota’s Preston Brooks and Watson in 2011. Possible, by the aforementioned . Possible time: 21.80.
400 – Timmy Gardner, Yokota, 48.9, 1988. Possible; Keishi Nambara of OCSI ran 50.38 at Okinawa districts. Possible time: 50.20.
800 – Blake Bannister, Christian Academy Japan, 1:57.3, 2008. Remains on life support, with Kubasaki’s Ryan Bugler, with a PR of 1:58.52, leading the charge. Possible time: 1:56.9.
1,600 – Erik Armes, Kubasaki, 4:25.88, 2013. Dead on arrival. Armes, Bugler and Yokota’s Dan Galvin and Kinnick’s Robert Beard all have a shot. Possible time: 4:15.
3,200 – Roger Olson, CAJ, 9:31, 1974. On life support, and the aforementioned are all in the hunt. Possible time: 9:40.
110 hurdles – Eric Robinson, Kadena, 14.1, 2006. On life support, after Taylor’s 14.74 earlier this season. Possible time: 14.25.
300 hurdles – Randall O’Bannon, Kubasaki, 39.14, 2008. On life support, after Taylor’s 39.94 earlier this season. Possible time: 39.20.
400 relay – Kubasaki, 43.34, 2011. Possible, with Kubasaki, Yokota, Kinnick, Guam High, Kadena and others leading the charge. Possible time: 43.70.
1,600 relay – Kadena, 3:24.6, 2004. Safe.
3,200 relay – Singapore American, 8:13.6, 1991. Safe.
Girls
100– Jackie Richards, Kubasaki, 11.5, 2001. Safe.
200 – Lorianne Roxas, Kubasaki, 25.03, 2003. On life support, with Kadena’s Janika Caines, Kubasaki’s Kaelyn Francis and Zion Christian Academy’s Jade Cummings trying. Possible time: 24.90.
400 – Jenny Melson, Singapore American, 57.20, 2001. On life support; Kinnick’s Val James posted a 58.32 this season. Possible time: 57.50.
800 – Nylin, Yokohama International, 2:19.4, 1996. Possible, though a long shot. Kinnick’s Carydaliz Fontanez has the best chance, with Kubasaki’s Allie Reichenberg and Jessica Ircink, Kadena’s Ana Hernandez and others following closely. Possible time: 2:21.
1,600 – Siarria Ingram, Jessica Ircink, Kubasaki, 5:23.26. Dead on arrival. Ircink will likely rebreak her own record. Possible time: 5:22.50.
3,200 – Sakuma, Seisen International, 11:48.1, 2004. On life support, with that whole gang giving chase; Reichenberg posted a 11:51.96 at districts. Possible time: 11:50.40.
100 hurdles – Serafina Smith, Kubasaki, 15.2, 2004. Safe.
300 hurdles – Stefani Loisel, Guam High, 46.97, 2012. Safe.
400 relay – Kadena, 49.17, 2012. Possible, with Kinnick and Kadena giving chase. Possible time: 49.50.
1,600 relay – Kadena, 4:06.49, 2012. On life support, following Kinnick’s 4:07.37 at the Kanto Invitational. Possible time: 4:06.55.
Does Sports Blog Nation have any other ideas? Somebody out there I didn’t mention? Let me hear it! Be true to your school, but remember, you’ve entered THE “No-Hate” Zone.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: May 12, 2013
Precious little movement up and down in the ratings, now that the Okinawa district titles have been settled. There could be some major movement in advance of Far East depending on what happens Thursday when Yokota visits ASIJ’s Mustang Valley.
Boys
1, Christian Academy Japan (6-0-1).
2, Kadena, Okinawa (10-4-4).
3, Seoul American (11-1-4).
4, Matthew C. Perry, Japan (20-6-3)
5, Zama American, Japan (13-6-0)
6, Nile C. Kinnick, Japan (14-6-3)
7, Taejon Christian International, South Korea (11-6-2)
8, Yongsan International-Seoul (8-4-4)
9, Seoul Foreign (11-8-3)
10, Kubasaki, Okinawa (7-7-4)
Girls
1, American School In Japan (10-0-1)
2, Nile C. Kinnick, Japan (18-1-1)
3, Seoul Foreign (16-1-2)
4, Yokota, Japan (13-1-3)
5, Kubasaki, Okinawa (4-3-2)
6, Osan American, South Korea (8-3-1)
7, Southern, Guam, (7-3-0)
8, Seoul American (6-4-2)
9, Kadena, Okinawa (5-4-3)
10, Matthew C. Perry, Japan (12-7-0)
By Dave Ornauer
Published: May 12, 2013
After a convincing doubleheader sweep of Kinnick, ASIJ remains firmly entrenched atop this group, which pretty much remains the same as last week.
1, American School In Japan
2, Kubasaki, Okinawa
3, Nile C. Kinnick, Japan
4, Yokota, Japan
5, Osan American, South Korea
By Dave Ornauer
Published: May 12, 2013
The points margin between Nos. 1 and 2 remains rather wide; Seoul American breaks tie for fifth by capturing DODDS Korea regular-season title.
1, Nile C. Kinnick, Japan
2, Kadena, Okinawa
3, Zama American, Japan
4, Kubasaki, Okinawa
5, Seoul American, South Korea
Dropped out: Daegu High.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: May 12, 2013
Kind of a bland Kanto Invitational, with just six girls and five boys teams and only one league record set. Bottom two teams trade places, margin between 1-3 still razor thin in the latest ratings.
1, Kubasaki, Okinawa
2, Kadena, Okinawa
3, Nile C. Kinnick, Japan
4, American School In Japan
5, Yokota, Japan
By Dave Ornauer
Published: May 12, 2013
Gaku Lange overtakes Jacob Son for the region lead among boys, while Kaile Johnson widens her girls lead. Only a couple more regular-season matches to be played. Here they all are, and there are more following last week's action, and with the players' divisions marked in parentheses next to their goal totals:
Boys
Gaku Lange, Matthew C. Perry, 38 (II)
Jacob Son, Gyeonggi Suwon International, 36 (II)
Paul Bin, Taejon Christian International, 23 (I)
Zach Yoder, Nile C. Kinnick, 22 (I)
David Voelker, Seoul American, 22 (I)
Yuji Callahan, Kadena, 19 (I)
David Nam, Seoul International, 19 (II)
Derek Stevenson, Zama American, 18 (II)
Aaron Russ, Nile C. Kinnick, 14 (I)
Steven Ball, E.J. King, 13 (II)
Imani Washington, Kubasaki, 13 (I)
JoJo Byrnes, Zama American, 12 (II)
Justin Hill, Matthew C. Perry, 12 (II)
Shin Ikeda, Yongsan International-Seoul, 10 (I)
Tyrone Boylan, Kadena, 10 (I)
Kai Stallings, Kubasaki, 10 (I)
Sam Ban, Yongsan International-Seoul, 10 (I)
Girls
Kaile Johnson, Nile C. Kinnick, 33 (I)
Courtney Beall, Matthew C. Perry, 23 (II)
Joyce Kim, Taejon Christian International, 22 (I)
Ebony Madrid, Osan American, 21 (II)
Katey Helwick, American School In Japan, 20 (I)
Michelle Richardson, Seoul Foreign, 17 (I)
Athena Peerson, Nile C. Kinnick, 16 (I)
Emily Birmingham, Yongsan International-Seoul, 12 (I)
Sam Herritt, Matthew C. Perry, 12 (II)
Marissa Mesquita, Kubasaki, 11 (I)
Kyandra Lane, Matthew C. Perry, 10 (II)
By Dave Ornauer
Published: May 11, 2013
Far East Division II baseball and girls soccer tournaments will go on minus Daegu's teams. The teams withdrew from the tournaments, the girls two weeks ago and the boys earlier this week, citing primarily injuries that left each team with eight healthy players, too few to field teams, according to athletics director Ken Walter.
The D-II soccer tournament is scheduled for May 20-23 at Misawa Air Base, Japan, and will feature just seven teams instead of the eight it had originally. It will feature a single round robin followed by modified single-elimination play with consolation. Same holds true for the baseball, slated for May 23-25 at Naval Air Facility Atsugi; five teams will participate, instead of the original six.
Each Daegu team began the season with about 14 players, at a school with an enrollment of about 150 having to support boys and girls soccer, track and field, baseball and softball. “They felt it wasn’t worth going with just eight players,” Walter said. “The last two years, it’s been tough to fill that many sports. It’s frustrating for an AD.”
In addition to injuries, families of baseball players had already made plans for Memorial Day weekend travel prior to the Far East D-II baseball being moved from May 20-22 to later in the week.
Zama American was originally supposed to host both D-II and Division I baseball, but only had one field available, Atsugi’s Bandy Field. In addition, there was not enough billeting to house baseball and softball tournaments concurrently at Atsugi; D-I and D-II softball are scheduled for May 20-22 at Atsugi’s MacArthur and Ranger Fields.
Yokota, which is hosting Far East track May 20-21, agreed to host D-I baseball but only after the track was done, so billeting wouldn’t be overtaxed. Zama then pushed back the dates of the D-II baseball to May 23-25, softball’s departure freeing up billeting for baseball players.
By Dave Ornauer
Published: May 9, 2013
A couple of months late, but better than never.
Sometimes, the PCS plane or an intra-area transfer blesses the gaining teams with the final pieces of the puzzle needed in the drive for a Far East basketball tournament title.
In Zama American’s boys and Nile C. Kinnick’s girls cases, it was a pair of sophomores, Trojans swingman Andrae Adams and Red Devils point guard Alyshia Allison, who provided that final boost, and ended lengthy Far East title droughts in the process.
For their efforts, Adams and Allison have been named Stars and Stripes Pacific high school winter sports season Athletes of the Quarter.
Adams averaged 15 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, as well as adding a healthy dose of playmaking and finishing spark to a Trojans team that needed to replace the scoring and rebounding of departed star Mike Duncan.
After transferring from American School In Japan, Adams fit into the Zama starting lineup like a hand in glove, helping the Trojans to a 22-5 win-loss record including a 15-game in-season winning streak. And Zama also won the Far East Division II Tournament title on its home turf, the Trojans’ first such championship since the 1962-63 season – a 50-year gap.
Zama started slowly at 2-3, but after losing at Robert D. Edgren in December, the Trojans reeled off that 15-game skein, the school’s best since the 2006-07 team set a school record by opening 34-0. The 2012-13 final record was a 7½-game improvement over the team’s 17-15 ledger the previous season.
“He made a big difference,” said Trojans coach Parish Jones. While Duncan “was that guy last year, we needed somebody to come in and create and make something happen. He (Adams) was the last piece of the puzzle.”
So, too, was Allison, who provided the needed ballhandling and playmaking to take the pressure off fellow sophomore shooting guard De’Asia Brown, who in her freshman season faced endless box-and-one defenses designed to shut her down.
And the transfer from Munford (Tenn.) High with AAU experience was the last puzzle piece coach Samuel Williams needed to solve the Red Devils’ chief nemesis, ASIJ, whom the Red Devils had not beaten during his two seasons – until when it counted most, the Far East Division I Tournament.
In a two-game final, Kinnick fell in the first game to the Mustangs 57-53 in overtime before prevailing 45-32 in the second and deciding game.
Allison averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5 steals and 7.5 assists in her first season at Kinnick. The Red Devils went 23-3 overall – all three losses to ASIJ – and captured the DODDS Japan tournament title at Edgren prior to ending their 12-year Far East D-I title drought.
“Alyshia was such a tremendous difference maker, not only because she’s a pure point guard, but is also a tenacious and terrific defender,” Williams said. “Her ability to intelligently pressure the ball, make steals and outrebound other guards is one that is far in advance of her 10th-grade year.”
Congratulations to the Athletes of the Quarter.
-- COACHES OF THE QUARTER/MOST IMPROVED TEAMS: This honor shared by current and former Trojans. Jones gets the honor on the hardwood for developing Zama’s first boys basketball champion in a half-century. Meanwhile, Ron Geist of Kubasaki – who used to coach football and soccer at Zama – and his assistant Justin Cook put the final touches on a three-year plan to return the Dragons to Far East tournament title prominence, extending the program’s Pacific-record title haul to 23.
-- TEAM OF THE QUARTER: Speaking of long title droughts, tournament Most Valuable Player Henry Wallrapp and ASIJ’s boys outscored Father Duenas Memorial 15-3 in the fourth quarter of their 61-49 triumph over the Friars in the Far East Boys Division I Tournament, ending the Mustangs’ 30-year title drought.
-- PROGRAM OF THE QUARTER/MOST IMPROVED PROGRAM: Zama’s wrestling team also captured the Far East D-II team banners, and the Trojans are clearly in the running for Far East most improved program and program of the year, with five total D-II banners on the gym wall just this school year and the Trojans chasing five more this spring.
-- BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE QUARTER: In addition to Adams, Allison and Wallrapp, Tara Long earned MVP honors for E.J. King’s girls, who posted the Cobras’ best D-II Tournament finish since winning the third of their three titles in 1997. Sheik Carino was named boys D-II Tournament MVP for St. Paul Christian of Guam, which lost the tournament final 28-25 to Zama.
-- WRESTLER OF THE QUARTER: A seasoned veteran of the stateside wars, junior Kalik Battle, coming off a bronze-medal finish in the 2012 North Dakota state finals took it two steps further in Yokota blue and gold. He earned Outstanding Wrestler honors in capturing the Far East meet 135-pound weight class gold, went 32-0, gave up 12 technical points and lost nary one period the entire season. He was also named Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools tournament Outstanding Wrestler.
-- WRESTLING BOUT OF THE QUARTER: It seemed as if the Far East 108-pound gold-medal bout between Kubasaki’s Daniel Mora and former Far East champion Justin Duenas of Kadena would stretch on forever … literally. Mora eked out a three-period decision over Duenas (2-4, 4-2, 3-2) that came down almost to the very last move, and required a 13-minute video review to confirm. Had Mora not won that bout, Kubasaki would have lost the individual freestyle portion of the tournament to Kinnick.
-- WRESTLING MOVES OF THE QUARTER: Kinnick’s Marvin Newbins executed a breathtaking five-point throw on E.J. King’s Thomas McGrath en route to a technical fall in the first round of January’s Nile C. Kinnick Invitational “Beast of the Far East” Tournament at Yokosuka. Alas, Newbins lost in the quarterfinals, but that throw had all heads turning. Micah Lopez of Father Duenas Memorial executed a similar throw on Kadena’s James Alexander en route to a superior decision in the dual-meet portion of February’s Rumble on the Rock at Kubasaki.
-- BASKETBALL GAME/PERFORMANCE OF THE QUARTER: Call him a late Bloomer … literally. Hanan Bloomer came off the bench and shot perfect basketball, 5-for-5 from the field with three three-point goals and 2-for-2 from the foul line as ASIJ’s boys routed Zama 68-45 on Feb. 13 at Mustang Valley. The Trojans were without Adams, who injured his thumb in the DODDS Japan tournament. Neither team would lose again the rest of the season en route to their respective Far East tournament titles.
