Matthew Rowland, a two-time Far East Division II cross country champion, helped the Panthers win the D-II relay title and repeat as D-II school champion. (Natalie DeLeo/Special to Stripes)

IKEGO HEIGHTS NAVAL HOUSING FACILITY, Japan – Different year, same school champions.

Led by two-time Division II champion Matthew Rowland and teammate Madeline Frost, Yokota captured the team relay portion of the Far East cross country meet team relay and repeated as D-II team champion.

Meanwhile, Guam High, with its deep lineup led by island champion Eldon Egbert, took the Division I team-relay crown and won its second straight D-I school title – just five days after dominating Guam’s all-island meet.

Frost and Rowland were the best D-II relay pair as well, coming in second overall in the relay race and atop their division.

Yokota coach Danny Galvin, a former Far East cross country champion, said Frost’s stretch run on the final relay leg gave her and Rowland the victory.

“She (Frost) got the baton in fifth place and came back to take second (overall) with a 30-meter lead over third place,” Galvin said. “She ran one of the best races she’s run all season.”

To Guam High coach Joe Taitano, the Panthers’ team-relay win and their second straight overall school win was a pleasant surprise after a sub-par performance in Friday’s 3.12-mile individual races.

“We worked hard in the (team relay) today, the kids really performed at a level a lot higher than I expected,” Taitano said. “It means a lot. The amount of work we put in validated what we did.”

While Guam High added to its book of champions inscriptions, two more Panthers, William Rhoades and Mia Clark of Kadena, were the best D-I relay pair, taking first in the division and overall.

“They were both working really hard, they did really good,” Kadena coach Abe Summers said, adding that after a sub-par day in the individual races, the Panthers said: “Let’s at least come back and take first in the relay. They ran away with it. They did a good job.”

Kinnick's Taishi Boyd passes the baton to teammate Justice Owens. (Ciara Marie Galvez/Special to Stripes)