Pestano and Galdeira win BIIF crowns on Day 1

KEAAU – Two athletes were crowned league champions in track and field on Friday during the Big Island Interscholastic Federation track and field qualifiers at Cougar Stadium.

Hilo’s Katon Pestano won the boys pole vault event by getting across the bar at 13 feet, while Konawaena’s Lia Galdeira took the girls high jump clearing 5 feet.

“I cleared 13 feet on my first attempt,” Pestano said.  “I used a 15 foot pole which is made for 160 pounds which is a big pole for me because I’m 146 pounds.”

Pestano was splitting his time between the long jump, an event he only took up last week, and his main event the pole vault.

Pestano finished third in the BIIF championships last year and redeemed himself by taking it all on Friday.

“Today was a personal best for me and when I get my technique down and stop being afraid I hope to clear 14 feet,” Pestano said.

While Pestano was splitting his time between two events Galdeira was all over the field.

“We plan on running her (Galdeira) in the maximum six events during the BIIF championships,” Wildcat Coach Kuulei Karratti-Saole said.

Galdeira split her time between the high jump and winning the 100 hurdles, then went back onto the oval to race in the 100 dash.

After clearing 5 feet and with the BIIF title assured Galdeira had the bar raised to 5-3.5 in an attempt to break the BIIF record.

“We ask the officials what the BIIF high jump record was and they told us it was 5-3.25 so we decided to let her try for the record,” Coach Karratti-Saole said.

Following her high jump victory the Kona coaches stated that Kona had a good chance to win the girls league team title with Galdeira expected to generate 60 points and teammate Ua Ruedy another 30 to 35, according to Karratti-Saole.

Galdeira failed in her attempt to set the new league record in the high jump, but was impressive in everything else that she attempted, at least until her final race of the day.

Teammate and defending state champion in the 300 meter hurdles, Ua Ruedy, had another flawless showing in her showcase event.

“I started out strong in the 300 and I wanted to see where everyone was at before pulling back with 100 to go,” Ruedy said.

Ruedy is also entered in six events and was optimistic about her team’s chances to bring home their first league championship.

“We think we have a shot at winning the BIIF’s,” she said.  “Hopefully this is our year.”

Ruedy also believes that she needs to improve on her time to defend her 300 state title.

“There is a girl from Iolani that has posted some really good times,” she said.  “I’m on pace to defend the state title, but I still need to improve on my time.”

“We expect Lia to win all six of her events on Saturday,” Karratti-Saole said.  “With Ua (Ruedy) doing six events we have enough firepower to take the team title.”

In doing the math the Wildcats coaches figured if everything went right they should capture the team title by 10 to 15 points.

But as fate would have it doing the math wasn’t enough because the unexpected wasn’t tabulated into the final results.

It was during the final sprint event of the evening, the 200 dash which saw Galdeira get a little excited as she jumped out of the blocks too soon causing her to be disqualified for the BIIF championships. Galdeira was the only major seeded participant to be disqualified during Fridays meet.

Hawaii Prepertory’s Shane Brostek advanced in both the shot and discus throws.

Brostek threw just far enough to rank him number one going into the BIIF finals with a shot put distance of 49 feet and a discus throw of 139-8 far below his season best.

Ka Makani teammate and defending state champion in the 1500, Zoe Sims,  had little trouble advancing to the BIIF finals

The top eight finishers, except in the 3K, in Friday’s Qualifiers advance to the Finals to be held today at the Cougar track.  The 3K will see a larger field.

Pole Vault Results from HPA has Chung seeing Purple

Hilo’s Shina Chung

Hilo’s Shina Chung moved to a purple pole to go with her purple shoes this past Saturday at the Stanford W. Shutes Track at Hawaii Prep in Waimea.

 

“Purple is my favorite color,” Chung said. 

 

Despite not clearing 10-06 Chung intends on staying with her purple pole throughout the BIIF championships and going into the HHSAA state championships on Maui.

 

The Viking junior is a foot above her local competition and is looking to medal during the state compeition.

 

 
 
 
 
 
Girls Pole Vault

 BIIFQualify: B  6-00                                                         
  HHSAA Auto: A  9-00                                                         
  HHSAA Cons: C  7-06                                                          

1 Shina Chung               JR Hilo                   10-00.00A  10     
2 Sydney Budde              JR Hawaii Prep             8-00.00C   8     
3 Taylor Esaki              JR Hawaii Prep             7-06.00C   5     
3 Rose Nakamura             SO Hilo                    7-06.00C   5     
5 Kanani Wishard            SO Hawaii Prep             7-00.00B   2     
6 Molly Mackay-Smith        SR Hawaii Prep             6-06.00B   1     
7 Christi Lovell            FR Kealakehe               5-06.00   
 8 Tehani Guieb              SR Kealakehe               5-00.00 
Boys Pole Vault BIIFQualify: B  9-00          HHSAA Auto: A 13-00                                                             HHSAA Cons: C 11-06                                                            1 Billy Ray                 SR Hilo                   12-00.00C  10     2 Kayden Haleakala          JR Hawaii Prep            11-06.00C   8                  3 Katon Pestano             SO Hilo                       11-06.00C   6     4 Nelson Enos               JR Keaau                  11-00.00B   4     5 David McMahon             SR Hawaii Prep            10-06.00B   1.50   5 Greg Matias               JR Keaau                  10-06.00B   1.50   7 Matthew Winters           SO Keaau                  10-00.00B

 

BIIFQualify: B  9-00                                                         
  HHSAA Auto: A 13-00                                                          
  HHSAA Cons: C 11-06                                                         
  1 Billy Ray                 SR Hilo                   12-00.00C  10  
  2 Kayden Haleakala          JR Hawaii Prep            11-06.00C   8                 
3 Katon Pestano             SO Hilo                       11-06.00C   6    
 4 Nelson Enos               JR Keaau                  11-00.00B   4    
 5 David McMahon             SR Hawaii Prep            10-06.00B   1.50  
5 Greg Matias               JR Keaau                  10-06.00B   1.50  
7 Matthew Winters           SO Keaau                  10-00.00B

Vikings producing some of the best pole vaulters in the state

Coach Viernes

KEAAU – Hilo keeps churning out athletes that can leap tall buildings with a single bound.

The Vikings over the past years have produced some of the best pole vaulters in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation and in the Hawaii High School Athletic Association.

Viking pole vault coach, Sherman Viernes, who coached his own daughter Daysha to an individual state gold medal continues to produce some of the best vaulters in the state.

 This past Saturday the Viking pole vaulters Shina Chung and Katon Pestano showcased what they do best, by leaping to new levels.

Shina Chung

Chung recorded an early season best 10’ 6” clearance to set a new Kamehameha stadium record as she continued to hold the lead on state competition, tied for first with Punahou’s Sammy Marumoto.

“I changed poles and got onto a 130 pounder, which made all the difference today,” Chung said.

“I really didn’t like the 125 pole that I used previously and earlier in the week I managed to practice on the heavier one for two days.”

 The larger pole, which takes more strength to manage, produced big dividends for Chung as she recorded her best height of the season.

“It’s harder using a bigger pole as it’s stiffer and doesn’t bend, but my off season conditioning helped me with the physical aspect and it paid off today,” she said.

Katon Pestano

Chung recorded an early season best 10’ 6” clearance to set a new Kamehameha stadium record as she continued to hold the lead on state competition, tied for first with Punahou’s Sammy Marumoto.

Teammate Katon Pestano also went with a bigger pole, using a 155 pound stick for the first time this season, as he cleared 14 feet.

“This is the highest I’ve ever gone,” Pestano a sophomore said.  “It was my goal going into the season to be able to clear 14 feet, but I never expected to do it so early in the year.”

Since clearing 14 feet and being ranked as the number one vaulter in the BIIF, Pestano has raised the bar again as he now hopes to go even higher.

“I’d like to go after David King’s BIIF record of 15 feet 6 inches,” Pestano said.  “I didn’t even make states last year as a freshman and now I’m hoping to be able to place in the top six and possible win the BIIF title.”

Randi Estrada

While the Vikings were dominating the pole vault competition a Cougar was tearing up the track.

Keaau’s Randi Estrada had victories in the 100, 200, high jump and helped her 4×400 relay team set a new Kamehameha stadium record.  The Cougar also joined her teammates to a second place finish in the 4×100 relay.

 “The 200 is my favorite event, although the 400 has been my main event during the past two years,” Estrada said.  “I like the 200 better than the 400 because it’s shorter and it’s over more quickly.”

Estrada feels that her confidence is growing in the 200 as she learns the more technical aspects of racing faster.

“I’m doing way better this year in the 200 because I’m using more arms and doing knee drives,” she said.  “I think I would have done even better today if we had more competition as it is harder for me to race in an East side only meet as there is no one to push me.”

 The BIIF track & field venue was divided with Kamehameha hosting the East side schools and Hawaii Preparatory Academy hosting the West.

Jackson Halford

In the distance races it was Waiakea standout, Jackson Halford racking up wins in the 800 and 1500 meter races, along with helping his 4×400 relay team to victory.

“I would have done a 3K if they would have held the race earlier in the day,” Jackson said.  “I am just discovering that I like to do the 800 as I usually only do the longer distances in the past.”

Halford ran a personal best 2 minutes 8 seconds in the 800 and is now looking at making that distance his premier event.

“I hit my first lap in 64 seconds,” Halford said, “and came back with another 64 second final lap.”

The Warrior also took 8 seconds off his previous 1500 time and ran the second leg of the distance relay to help his team to victory.

Kaenen Akau

Another pair of Warriors was also wowing the crowd in the field events as Kamehameha’s Kaenen Akau and Hawk Hanoa were establishing themselves as the best in the league and in the state in what they do best.

Akau, a junior, the defending champion in the boy’s long jump leaped 21’ 7.5” to establish himself as the league’s best and rank him as one of the best in the state thus far.

“The long jump is my favorite event because it requires a lot of speed and I like the feeling of flying through the air,” Akau said.

During practice Akau has gone 22’ 1” and he believes that as the season continues he’ll be able to deliver a 22 foot jump during meet time.

Hawk Hanoa

Warrior teammate, Hawk Hanoa, was also reaching new distances as the powerful built senior threw the shot 51 feet to win the meet and ranked himself as the number 2 thrower in the BIIF behind HPA’s Shane Brostek. 

“I was really disappointed with my 134 foot discus’ throw that when I went into the shot ring I turned my disappointment into positive anger and was able to motivate myself into my best toss ever,” he said.

Hanoa, who set his goal going into the season as trying to reach 50 feet in the shot, found himself well ahead of his preseason dreams and has now set the bar higher.

“The majority of what we do is mental,” Hanoa said.  “I don’t feel that I’m doing everything I can and that I still have this hunger to go further.  Visually I can do it and it will happen.”

Brostek launched a 52-01.5 on his home turf this past Saturday and also managed to outdistance his competition in the discus throw with a toss of 150-03.5.

The BIIF track & field season continues on Saturday with an all schools meet at Konawaena with field events getting under way at 9 am and running at 10.

Hilo’s Shina Chung Leaps Tall Buildings and remains #1

Two time BIIF Pole Vault Champ, Shina Chung

GIRLS POLE VAULT

1 Shina Chung           JR Hilo          10-03.00   10  

2 Rose Nakamura         SO Hilo           7-06.00    8  

3 Tressie Kapono        JR Hilo           7-00.00    6  

4 Alyssa McGuire        SO Kamehameha HI  7-00.00    4

BOYS POLE VAULT

 

1 Katon Pestano         SO Hilo          11-06.00   10  
2 Nelson Enos           JR Keaau         11-00.00    8  
3 Greg Matias           JR Keaau         10-06.00    6  
4 Kayden Haleakala      JR Hawaii Prep   10-00.00    4  
5 Matthew Winters       SO Keaau          9-00.00    1.50
5 Dylan Alip            JR Kamehameha HI  9-00.00    1.50