BIIF Runners Set to Leave Mark at HHSAA Championships

: Kau’s Jacob Edwards leads the state in 110 & 300 hurdles

Runners, jumpers and throwers from around the state are flocking to the Big Island for the Hawaii High School Athletic Association track & field championships to be held at Keaau on Friday and Saturday.

The Punahou boys and Kamehameha-Oahu girls are the defending state champions and are loaded with talent in what should be a well contested meet in Keaau.

Several Big Island Interscholastic Federation athletes will be in the mix to compete for individual state titles.

Leading the way is Hawaii Preparatory Academy’s Ku’uipo Nakoa who is the BIIF Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

Nakoa is ranked No.1 in the state long jump with a leap of 17 feet 9 inches, more than seven inches further than any other girl in the state has jumped.

The Ka Makani junior is also ranked third in the triple jump, 36’ 10.25”, third in the 400 meter dash, 59.57 seconds, third in the 200 dash, 26.03 seconds and third in the 100 dash with a hand time of 12.5 seconds.

“I think my best chance of winning a gold medal would be in the long jump, but who knows,” Nakoa said. “We’ll all be pushing each other and we’ll all have our adrenaline pumping, so anything can happen.”

“I’d really, really like to win the 100 and I’d like to do my best in that event as well,” Nakoa said.

Hilo’s Cory Schattuaer, the BIIF champion in the 100 dash, is ranked second in that event, 12.70, behind state leader Punahou’s Ashley Satterwhite of Punahou who has clocked 12.53.

A pair of BIIF girls is ranked in the 300 hurdles, with Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Aubrey Lea Shaw listed as third, 47.61, and HPA’s Kini Shuping, who won the BIIF title, fourth at 47.48. Shuping is also fourth in the state in the triple jump with a leap of 35-05.5.

The BIIF champions, Kamehameha girls, 4×100 team of Heidi Hall, Lilinoe Heaukulani, Bronte Kaneakua and Jessica Marote ranks fourth in the state at 51.08 seconds while the HPA girls 4×400 team of Nakoa, Shuping, Hana Scully and Noelani Vargas is ranked fifth at 4:13.61.

Adding to the list of top BIIF girls are HPA’s Mindy Campbell and Waiakea’s Cassie Morigaki who are in a four way tie for high jump clearing five feet two inches early in the season. Radford’s Kaeli Patton sits in first place at 5-4.

“We are hobbling through some injuries, as Mindy, who jumped 5-2 in the first three meets sat out the last three weeks prior to the BIIF championships because of a foot injury,” HPA coach, Pat Lau said.

“Ku’uipo (Nakoa) has been experiencing some pain somewhere, but she won’t tell me, it might be in her thigh or hip, but that won’t stop her from running at states,” Lau said.

HPA is taking ten girls to Keaau for the state championships and they are listed in 19 events and the two relays, which has Lau hopeful that his girls can advance into 14 events and two relays in the finals, on Saturday.

“Our goal is to be in the top five. If the gods are on our side and the planets are lined up right we could score 85 points, but realistically 48 to 55 points is a more real number,” Lau said.

“The way the different girl teams look 65 points will win it. There are no dominating teams. Punahou and Radford have the sprinters, Maui has a great middle and distance running, and Kahuku is good in field events,” Lau said.

For the boys it is the BIIF’s most outstanding male athlete, Kau’s Jacob Edwards, has the best chance at bringing home two or three state individual titles.

The Trojan is also ranked fourth in the triple jump with his hop-skip-and jump of 45-06.5.

“I like my chances in the 300 hurdles as there is more room for adjustment during the race,” Edwards said. “I need to keep my head up, but I don’t want to put the cart before the horse and I must remain humble.”

Edwards placed second in the state last year in both the 110 and 300 hurdles and was sixth in the triple jump.

Close behind Edwards is a talented Thomas Delacruz of Hilo who ranks third in the state for the 110 at 14.97 and second in the 300 at 40.05.

Hilo also brings to the track some of the best sprinters in the state with Charles Clay, No. 3, in the 100 dash at 11.09 and No. 3 in the 200 at 22.51.

Teammate Bronson Kahaleua follows Clay in the 200 with the fourth fastest time in the state, 22.53, with Waiakea’s Ka’imi Scott fifth at 22.66.

The Viking boys 4×100 relay team of Chan Spikes, Kahaleua, Clay and Karl Ancheta is ranked fourth in the state at 43.17 seconds.

Konawaena’s Dakota Smith holds down the No. 2 state position in the 800 meter run, 1:59.81, with Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Jordan Lerma at No. 3, 2:00.15. King Kekaulike’s Reid Hunter brings the fastest time in the 800 clocking 1:58.61 earlier in the season.

In pole vault it is Hilo’s David King bringing his early season clearance of 15 feet as the No. 1 height in the state. King has been hampered with some nagging injuries and was only able to clear 13 feet during the BIIF championships. Teammate and defending BIIF champion in the pole vault, Scott Hunter, cleared 13-6 to win the event.

Kamehameha’s Caleb Friel is ranked No. 3 in pole vault with his early season height of 14 feet.

The Vikings should also score points in the shot with Jordan Loeffler ranked No. 5 at 52-05.5 toss.

“Our boys and girls are just hoping to make second day appearances in all events,” Kamehameha-Hawaii coach, Troy Souza said. “Our girls have a better shot at getting points and whatever points we get will be greatly welcomed.”

The Warrior girls won the BIIF team title last week at Keaau and are hoping to carry their success into this week’s championship. “The girls are really motivated and trying to carry any momentum into this week state track meet,” Souza said.

The HHSAA track and field state championship begins this Friday at Keaau with the qualifying heats for each event. On Saturday the championships conclude with event finals.

General admission tickets are $7, students in grades K-12 are $5; students, and Senior Citizens are $5. No outside food will be allowed within the stadium, no coolers, no tenting anywhere in the stands and parking will not be permitted at Keaau’s upper gym parking lot, that area is reserved for officials and workers, according to Keaau athletic director, Iris McGuire.