The Guam Daily Post

For most athletes, the story starts with the wins, the trophies, the streaks and the highlight moments that define a career. But for Sadie Guerrero, the pitcher who would go on to throw four no-hitters and a one-hitter in her senior season, the moment that shaped everything wasn't a victory at all.

It was a loss.

Her first and only high school loss as a starting pitcher.

But that imperfect record, that lone blemish, became the turning point. It humbled her. It sharpened her. It taught her that success isn't a finish line but a responsibility. And it became the quiet engine behind everything she accomplished afterward.

By the time she reached her senior year at the Academy of Our Lady of Guam, Sadie had grown into the kind of pitcher who didn't just lead a team, she anchored a dynasty.

When Sadie learned she was a finalist for the 2026 Shieh Su Ying Scholar Athlete Scholarship, she didn't think about herself first. She thought about everyone who had poured into her: her parents, Benjamin and Jenais Guerrero; her teachers; her teammates; and the coaches who shaped her.

“Being selected is incredibly humbling,” she said. “There are so many talented student-athletes across Guam, and I’m grateful to be considered among them.”

✏️ Jojo Santo Tomas | The Guam Daily Post

Get the full story at postguam.com

How an imperfect record made everything perfect: the rise of Sadie Guerrero For most athletes, the story starts with the wins, the trophies, the streaks and the highlight moments that define a career. But for Sadie Guerrero, the pitcher who would go

Before he ever won an All-Island title, before he earned a nomination as a 2026 Shieh Su Ying Scholar Athlete finalist, Kai Duenas learned what it felt like to fall short. That moment, a freshman-year loss in the wrestling finals, could have stayed with him as a disappointment. Instead, it became the hinge point of his entire high school career.

He remembers its sting, the frustration, the feeling that he had let himself down. But he also remembers the decision that came next: respond, not retreat. That loss became the spark that pushed him to train harder, study smarter, lead better, and serve with intention and conviction. It became the moment that shaped everything that followed.

And now, as he prepares to leave Guam for the United States Air Force Academy, Kai sees that setback for what it really was: the beginning of the version of himself he always hoped to become.

When Kai learned he was a Shieh finalist, the first thing he felt was gratitude. He saw the notification, shared it with his family, and let the moment sink in. It wasn’t just about recognition. It was about validation.

“Being selected as a Shieh finalist is a huge honor,” he said. “It reminded me that all the hard work I put into academics, wrestling, leadership, and community service was worth it.”

He plans to pursue a medical-related field and eventually serve as an Air Force officer. For him, it’s not just a career choice. It’s a calling.

✏️ Jojo Santo Tomas | The Guam Daily Post

Get the full story at postguam.com

Kai Duenas and the lessons learned from loss Before he ever won an All-Island title, before he earned a nomination as a 2026 Shieh Su Ying Scholar Athlete finalist, Kai Duenas learned what it felt like to fall

More than 40 people packed a conference room in Hagåtña on Saturday to take apart the proposed 2026 Programmatic Agreement, the military cultural heritage pact that critics say hands control of Guam's ancestral sites and so-called sacred lands over to the Navy, and they left with a plan to take the fight to the governor.

The forum, organized by activist group Prutehi Guåhan and hosted at the Kumisión i Fino' CHamoru offices in the Bell Tower building, brought together preservation professionals, community advocates, and members of the public for what organizers described as the most substantive public discussion yet on a document they say is riddled with loopholes.

Monaeka Flores, head of the activist group, said the turnout reflected something broader than her organization's reach.

Among those in attendance were Joe Quinata, former chief program officer of the Guam Preservation Trust, along with staff from the offices of Sen. Telo Taitague, Sen. Therese Terlaje, Sen. Sabina Perez, and Sen. Tina Muna Barnes. Congressional candidate and former Sen. Mary Camacho Torres also attended. Notably absent were State Historic Preservation Officer Patrick Lujan and any representative from the governor's office, both of whom had been invited.

Flores said the message coming out of the forum was pointed.

"People are excited to see where we go from here and the next steps," she said. "One of those steps is to reach out to the governor and lieutenant governor and ask that they halt the programmatic agreement and prevent it from moving further for signature and that they meet with us so that we can share a lot of the information we presented at the forum and many recommendations that came from the panelists and community members who participated."

The group was finalizing a letter to Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero as of press time, with Flores saying she hoped to get it out as soon as possible.

✏️ Walter Ulloa | The Guam Daily Post
📷 Frank San Nicolas | The Guam Daily Post

Get the full story at postguam.com

Activists oppose draft heritage pact, urge governor to step in More than 40 people packed a conference room in Hagåtña on Saturday to take apart the proposed 2026 Programmatic Agreement, the military cultural heritage pact that critics say hands control

A committee vote in Washington last week quietly moved the United States closer to deploying nuclear reactors in the Western Pacific, and for many on Guam, the implications are deeply unsettling.

The House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment to the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act that would establish a pilot program allowing the Department of Defense to evaluate and deploy small modular reactors within the Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility. Guam is not mentioned by name, but the amendment specifically prioritizes the Western Pacific, leaving little ambiguity about where planners are focused.

The Pacific Center for Island Security, a Guam-based think tank, sounded the alarm in a press release warning of a troubling trajectory for the island.

"The trendline for Guam is not good," said Underwood, PCIS chair. "There are many layers of concerns about placing nuclear reactors in areas where the military anticipates contested operations, and all of these apply to any plans to experiment, evaluate, or operate transportable nuclear reactors in Guam."

PCIS director Leland Bettis, in an interview Monday with The Guam Daily Post, noted that the legislation redefines what qualifies as a microreactor, expanding the term from its traditional range of one to five megawatts to anything under 50 megawatts. He said the old Piti power plant produced roughly 35 megawatts, making a reactor at the upper end of this new definition something far more consequential than the name implies.

A reactor dedicated solely to military use, he said, becomes an obvious target in any conflict. And if struck by a conventional weapon, the radiological damage would extend well beyond what previous modeling for smaller units envisioned.

✏️ Walter Ulloa | The Guam Daily Post
📷 Frank San Nicolas | The Guam Daily Post

Get the full story at postguam.com

Congress’ nuclear reactor push alarms locals A committee vote in Washington last week quietly moved the United States closer to deploying nuclear reactors in the Western Pacific, and for many on Guam, the implications are deeply