Overview:
🏃♂️🏃♀️ The race is on! Preliminary rounds of the 2026 BIIAA High School Track & Field Championships are in the books, and Palau’s young athletes have already shown they’re a force to be reckoned with. From blazing sprints to powerful jumps and throws, the stage is set for a thrilling championship showdown on March 23–24!
By: Ngeldei Tulop
KOROR , Palau ( Mar. 5. 2026) – The road to the 2026 BIIAA High School track and Field Championships is officially underway, as Preliminary Rounds One and Two have now concluded. Student-athletes from high schools across Palau gathered on the track over the past weeks, giving it their all in hopes of securing a spot in the final championship meet set for March 23 and 24.
With strong performances across both the boys and girls divisions, the competition has already shown the depth of talent among Palau’s young athletes. The top six athletes from each event representing their respective high schools will be qualified to advance to the championship round, where they will compete for the national high school titles.
Girls Division Highlights
In the sprint events, Palau High School athletes showed strong speed on the track. Faith Etpison led the way in both the 100-meter and 200-meter preliminaries, finishing with an impressive qualifying time of 15.00 seconds in the 100m and 31.78 seconds in the 200m. Teammates Teriana Chinn and Lloisse Elidechedong also placed among the top runners, securing their spots in the championship finals.
The 400-meter dash saw Teriana Chinn take the top qualifying position with a time of 1:14.69, followed closely by Ebiklou Ngiraswei of PMA. Both athletes will be among the top contenders heading into the finals.
In middle-distance races, Ngiraswei again made her mark by qualifying first in the 800-meter run, while Kyralynn Ngirchomlei of Palau High School topped the 1500-meter run preliminaries.
Field events also saw strong performances. BMS athlete Anya Abraham qualified in multiple events including high jump, shot put, and javelin, demonstrating versatility across the field events. Meanwhile, PMA’s Rainah Watson led the long jump preliminaries with a jump of 3.47 meters.
Boys Division Highlights
The boys sprint races delivered plenty of excitement as well. Jim Hesus of BMS emerged as one of the top sprinters, qualifying first among high school athletes in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.68 seconds and also leading the 200-meter dash with 24.49 seconds.
Elton Miguel Mangeron of Palau High School also stood out, qualifying near the top in multiple sprint events including the 100m, 200m, and 400m, where he recorded the fastest time of 54.83 seconds in the 400-meter dash preliminiaries.
In distance events, athletes from Palau High School dominated the 800-meter and 1500-meter runs, with Peace Adaba and Garette Welge both advancing to the finals after strong qualifying events.
Field events featured powerful performances from BMS athletes as well. Jim Hesus led the long jump, triple jump, and javelin throw, while teammate Rayden Madracheluib qualified in multiple throwing and jumping events including shot put, discus, and long jump.
Championship Up Next
With the preliminary rounds now complete, the focus shifts to the BIIAA Track and Field Championships on March 23–24, where the top six athletes from each high school in every event will compete for the championship titles.
Fans can expect an exciting showdown as the best high school athletes from across the country return to the track and field, representing their schools with pride. From explosive sprints to endurance races and powerful field events, the upcoming championship promises two days of intense competition and school spirit.
As the countdown begins, one thing is certain: Palau’s young athletes are ready to leave everything on the track.