Four medals, 2 national records, multiple PBs in Australia

The NMI track and field team came home today, Monday, May 25, from the 2026 Oceania Championships in Darwin, held from May 18-23, with four medals, two national records, and a string of personal bests, led by Landen Taflinger and Simon Tang against strong fields from Australia and New Zealand.

Behind the medal haul of one gold and three silver, the rest of the NMI squad also put up solid performances, with Addalee Taflinger, Theodore Rodgers, Tania Tan, and Maria Quitugua all holding their own and picking up personal bests in a meet that was fast and competitive all week.

Landen came away with a breakout international debut, running a personal best and national record in the 800m (2:05.70) and another PB in the 1,500m (4:25.23), while picking up double silver medals. He said, “It felt great and refreshing to represent the NMI for the first time on an international level,” adding that he was excited but also nervous because of the level of competition. He also mentioned how tough the heat was in Darwin, saying, “Darwin is very hot and I didn’t really expect it.”

Even with that, he said he was happy with how it all came together. “I felt great accomplishing all my goals and even doing better than expected,” he said, adding that he’s now looking ahead to cross country, future international meets like the 2027 Pacific Games, and possibly college running in the U.S.

On the hurdles side, Tang added one gold in the 110m hurdles at 15.02 seconds and one silver and national record in the 400m hurdles at 57.43 seconds. He said, “I feel that this is a great start to the Oceania Champs as we all witness the level of competition here,” noting that it meant a lot to bring home medals during a tough time back home for the NMI community.

Tang, who runs at Oberlin College, said his training there has helped him step up, with structured workouts and strength training building his base. He said, “The records only continue to prove that progress is inevitable when you believe in yourself, your team and your country,” and added he’s still focused on bigger goals ahead in the hurdles.

With representing the NMI during its recovery from Super Typhoon Sinlaku, he said, “I’m beyond thankful to be healthy to represent NMI during this difficult time, more positive news means more positive energy to uplift our spirits to chasing greatness for our community,” and dedicated everything to his family, coaches, and friends.

Addalee, Landen’s younger sister also had a strong meet in her first national team appearance, running a personal best in the 1,500m (5:28.32). She said, “Coming to this event I was super excited and scared because it was my first ever national event, but getting in a plan and getting my uniform ready the night before just felt so surreal,” adding that she was proud just to go out and represent the NMI for the first time.

She also said the level of competition surprised her, noting, “The competition was extremely intense, and seeing the girls my age run the times they ran was so impressive.”

Rodgers also picked up a personal best in the 200m (23.67), saying it felt “very good” especially coming off injury. He said collegiate training at Evangel University has been tough but helped him push through, describing weeks of weights and hard training sessions. He added that it meant a lot to represent NMI during this time and said, “I feel very honored and I can't wait to get home to start helping in the recovery efforts.”

Tan focused on running her own races (1,500m and 5,000m) in tough conditions, saying, “I just focused on running my own race and trusting my training,” and added her goal was top five in the 5,000m, which she hit. She also said, “I know I didn’t come away with a medal but I’m glad I got to put up a good fight against the Aussies and Kiwis.”

Meanwhile, on the field, NMI record-holder and Micronesian Games gold medalist Maria Quitugua, recorded a best throw of 32.44m on her first attempt in the javelin throw.

Overall, the NMI team’s trip to Darwin ended with medals, national records, and personal bests, plus a lot of first-time international experience and resilience with everything going on back home.