Keaau Remembers a Fallen x-country runner – Maka Lum Ho

The Keaau cross country team brought this framed poster to the BIIF championships on Oct 22 to honor a teammate that died this past summer, Maka Lum Ho.

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HPA’s Sims, Honokaa’s Moniz, crowned BIIF cross country champions

Zoe Sims

KEAAU – Honokaa’s Chayce Moniz and Hawaii Preparatory Academy’s Zoe Sims won individual cross country titles and in the process led the Honokaa boys and HPA girls to team titles during the Big Island Interscholastic Federation cross country championships held Saturday at Kamehameha.

For Moniz and Sims it was the first time either had crossed the finished line in first place during a season of parity and unpredictability.

Sims credited her win to flying fruit, saying that images of being a plantain traveling through the air at 70 miles per hour made the difference during the race.

“I kept thinking of a poem our coach, Michael Franklin, read to the team called Problems with Hurricanes, as I kept seeing all these flying fruit during the race and I was a plantain,” Sims said.

With Sims victory the BIIF had seen six different girls win a meet in six weeks, with four of those girls wearing the red and white Ka Makani uniform.

talking about flying fruit

“I had fun today running with my teammates in the lead pack,” Sims said.  “We talked to each other and encouraged each other.”

Sims ran with teammates and previous BIIF winners, Kristiana Van Pernis and Mariah Haight as the threesome led from start to finish, while exchanging words.

Waiakea’s Kelsie Kobayashi and Hilo’s Carmen Garson-Shumway tried their best to stay with the leaders, but in the end finished in fourth and fifth respectively.

“I’m really excited about winning this race and I don’t want the season to end,” Sims said.

“Whenever Zoe would say something to me during the race, I answered her back,” runner up Van Pernis said.  “Zoe would say plantain and I’d say coconut.  The idea was to focus on other things and take the pressure off running.” 

“We always try to read poems to them before each race and we’d expect them to take that into the race,” Franklin said of his unusual race tactic.

Ka Makani girls dominated the team competition, as they’ve done all season long, capturing their fourth consecutive league title and their 34^th league crown in the last 38 season.

“I guess now the secret to our success is out,” Franklin said with a wide grin.  “The ability to have six different winners in six weeks is a complement to the credit of the running programs on the Big Island”

HPA legend, Stan Shutes

Franklin also gave credit to HPA’s rich tradition of winning cross country titles to his predecessor, Stan Shutes.

“I walked into this program and I’m just glad that I can continue it during the years that I’ve been here, but Stan, who passed away this year, deserves much of the credit,” Franklin said.

Franklin’s assistant coach, Sarah Hayslip, English teacher at HPA, has implemented the reading of poems along with Franklin during the regular Monday team meeting.

“Our girls are made stronger by the level of talent here on the Big Island,” Franklin said.  “Girls like Kelsie and Carmen push our girls to be better and we are appreciative of the caliber of running they bring each week.”

Waiakea’s Kobayashi, a senior, was very pleased with her fourth place finish saying that she ran her best.

“I am blessed for having a supportive team, coaches and competitors,” Kobayashi said.  “I am also grateful to have had my parents at every race during my four years of running.”

Ka Makani harriers won the varsity 3 mile team scoring with 24 points followed by Hilo with 82.

In the boys race it was a health Chayce Moniz showing what he is capable of doing when healthy.

Moniz had been out early in the season with an illness, according to Honokaa Athletic Director Keith Tolentino.

“The boys team (Honokaa) had either illness or injuries throughout the season and we only got to see them running together in the last two meets,” Tolentino said.  “Our coaches, Josh Abner and Johnny Anderson, work really hard with the kids and they really push them.  Bottom line is whoever steps up during the last meet is what matters and these kids peaked at the right time.”

The Honokaa coaches and team declined to be interviewed after winning their fifth consecutive team title.

“I’m sorry, but my team and I have no comment and we don’t want to be interviewed until after states,” Moniz said.

Moniz victory was the only one of the season and Waiakea’s Jackson Halford who had won most of the meets during the season having high praise of his competitor.

Halford

“I ran my hardest and Chayce earned the win,” Halford said.  “I just tried pacing off him during the race as I didn’t expect him to be in the lead and he took me by surprise.”

Moniz and teammate Tony Conners took the early lead with a pack of four runners, in Halford, St Joseph’s Andrew Langtry, Kamehameha’s Shawn Correa Doll, Makua Lani’s Brandt Mabuni and Parkers Paul Gregg in hot pursuit.

“I never expected Chayce to hold the lead for the entire three miles,” Halford said.  “I was expecting him to die out at the end, but he didn’t.”

Honokaa beat out Waiakea in team scoring, 50 to 65, with a philosophical Waiakea coach Jordan Rosado.

“I’m happy with our second place finish,” Rosado said.  “It is better than coming in third.”

The top two boys and girls teams, HPA and Hilo, along with Honokaa and Waiakea, won the automatic berth to the HHSAA championships along with the top 38 boys and 37 girls to the state championship coming up on Saturday on the island of Maui.

Big Dog’s Top picks for BIIF cross country chamionships

This is a no brainer in BIIF cross country as HPA girls go for their fourth straight title and 34th team title in 38 years.

Also, look for four or five of Lady Ka Makani to stand upon the medal list to make all BIIF first team selections.

Hilo’s Carmen Garson-Shumway and Waiakea’s Kelsie Kobayashi could break up HPA runners from making a perfect score.

HPA girls were #2 in the state last year, and coach Michael Franklin says that this years team is even better than last years team, so look for Ka Makani to challenge Punahou and Seabury Hall for the HHSAA state title.

Boys team title will be between Waiakea and Honokaa as both schools have the depth and fire power.  Honokaa has the experience of being in the winners circle with four consecutive team titles under their belts, so lets see how hungry Waiakea might be.

Waiakea and Honokaa might get two runners from each school in the top 7, with St. Joseph’s Andrew Langtry and Makua Lani’s Brandt Mabuni joining in on the fun.  Kamehameha’s Shawn Correa Doll will challenge Jackson Halford for the league individual crown.

But as everyone knows, anything can happen on race day, and something special usually happens.  Good luck to all.

BIIF Cross Country Championship Preview – Titles up for Grabs

     Mystery, intrigue and unbridled excitement continues to build as the Big Island Interscholastic Federation cross country championships will crown its individual and team champions this Saturday at Kamehameha.

During the five week season the BIIF has seen five different girls cross the finish line in first place and chances are there might be a sixth, if the pattern holds.

“It is amazing what things can happen on race day,” HPA girls coach Michael Franklin said.  “Surprising things can happen as there are a number of strong young women on the island who have not yet won a race.”

Franklin’s Ka Makani girls come into the championships as the heavy team favorite to win their 34th title in the last 38 years, but the savvy coach is not taking anything for granted.

“We’re not looking beyond today as we are training hard and that is our current challenge,” Franklin said.

HPA talent, from the first through seventh runner, is so strong that they have had three runners win individual meets during the season and could have a fourth emerge to claim the league individual crown.

Kristiana Van Pernis started things off for HPA winning the Sept 3^rd meet on her home course, followed by Emily Evans taking the second Ka Makani meet on Sept 30, followed more recently by Mariah Haight claiming the individual crown at Kamehameha two weeks ago.

Looming in the background for HPA is Zoe Sims, who was injured early in the season, but has come back to claim two third place finishes and a second place.

Coach Franklin will tell you that Ka Makani harriers are more concerned with team rather than their own success.

“We focus on the strength of a community,” Franklin said.  “We do not train for individual success and the results simply reflect that philosophy.”

With four HPA runners having the ability to win the individual title there are two other girls with the proven talent to mix things up with Ka Makani harriers.

Waiakea’s Kelsie Kobayashi won one meet this season, on her home course, and has frequently run within the HPA pack along with Hilo’s Carmen Garson-Shumway.

Garson-Shumway was the first BIIF runner to cross the finish line during the Kamehameha Invitational and considers the championship course to be her favorite.

“I like running at Kamehameha,” Garson-Shumway said.  “There is something about that course, the rolling hills, and the grassy surface that makes it my favorite.”

     With the race wide open to possibly any of the leagues six girls being able to capture the crown, the boys has Waiakea’s Jackson Halford as the favorite.

Halford has won three of the regular seasons five meets, being first to cross the finish line at second HPA meet, Waiakea and Kamehameha two weeks ago.

St. Joseph’s Andrew Langtry won the first HPA meet and then became runner up to Halford in the second HPA meet and again second at the Kamehameha Invitational.

With the championships at Kamehameha another stiff challenger to Halford’s quest of becoming a league champion will be home course favorite Kamehameha’s Shawn Correa Doll.

Correa Doll was the first BIIF runner to cross the finish line at the Kamehameha Invitational and was runner up to Halford at the Waiakea meet. 

Late in the season Makua Lani’s Brandt Mabuni started to run with the leaders and during the last regular season meet at Kamehameha showed that he should be considered a contender.

Mabuni took the race to Halford and Correa Doll, leading for the first two miles before giving way and finishing in third place.

“The Kamehameha race gave me the confidence to know that I have a good chance of winning at the BIIF championships,” Mabuni said.

Parker’s Paul Gregg and Honokaa’s Tony Conners each had third place finishes during the season and are expected to try to keep up with the leaders in the early going.

“It’s been nerve racking waiting for the championships because I know everyone wants to stop me from winning,” Halford said.  “I expect Shawn (Correa Doll) to be my strongest competitor because this is his home course and he’ll be looking to win.  Knowing I’m the front runner is a good excuse for me to work harder in preparation for this race.”

The Honokaa boys are the four time BIIF team champions, but had a slow start during the season as Waiakea claimed all but the final team scoring titles.

But Honokaa’s experience might be peaking at the right time under Coach Josh Abner as the Dragons are poised to claim their fifth consecutive title.

The top two boys and top two girl’s teams will gain the automatic berth to the Hawaii High School Athletic Association championships on Maui along with the top 38 boys and 37 girls to be held on October 29 on Maui.

League championship action gets under way this Saturday with the junior varsity races starting at 2 pm, followed by the boys varsity and girls varsity races in which the top seven in both varsity events will medal and win all BIIF first team honors.

BIIF Championships – Girls Varsity Results

HPA & Honokaa girls teams headed to states

2010 BIIF Cross Country Championships                     

                                October 22, 2010                                

                           Hawaii Preparatory Academy                           

                       Event 3  Girls 3 Mile Run CC VARSITY

  1 Vargas, Kela                 Hawaii Prep           20:17.23    1            

  2 Sims, Zoe                    Hawaii Prep           20:59.07    2               

  3 Evans, Emily                 Hawaii Prep           21:18.60   

 4 Van Pernis, Kristiana        Hawaii Prep           21:25.26    4            

5 Greenwell, Tialana           Honokaa               21:44.25    5            

6 Kobayashi, Kelsie            Waiakea               21:58.68    6            

7 Haight, Mariah               Hawaii Prep           22:29.95    7            

8 Neal, Sam                    Hawaii Prep           22:35.92    8              

9 Scully, Hana                 Hawaii Prep           22:41.12    9            

10 Choe, Grace                  Makua Lani            22:41.43   10            

11 Shiraki, Allie               Honokaa               22:47.79   11            

12 Iwata, Tiana                 Kamehameha – Hawaii   22:48.02   12            

13 Busek, Jessica               Waiakea               23:01.01   13            

14 Garson-Shumway, Carmen       Hilo                  23:06.97   14            

15 Cooke, Raycee                Hilo                  23:07.31   15            

16 Kim, Corin                   Kamehameha – Hawaii   23:07.70   16            

17 Choe, Joy                    Makua Lani            23:15.26   17            

18 Carlos, Monica               Honokaa               23:26.92   18            

19 Nishimura-Thornton, Dean     Kea’au                23:27.40   19            

20 Carvalho, Erin               Kamehameha – Hawaii   23:27.82   20            

21 Adona, Hildang               Honokaa               23:28.07   21            

22 Mabuni, Lexi                 Makua Lani            23:28.56   22            

23 Hagemann, Natalie            Kea’au                23:29.11   23            

24 Okinaka, Vandey              Waiakea               23:32.10   24            

25 Martins-Keliihoomanu, Ch     Kamehameha – Hawaii   23:33.75   25            

26 Van Mols, Kari               Kealakehe             23:35.13   26            

27 Rapoza, Kaylee               Hilo                  23:41.20   27            

28 Osorio, Mary Josephine       Kohala                23:46.93                 

29 Bianchi, Rachael             Kealakehe             24:03.04   28            

30 De Bournmont, Shalila        Hilo                  24:12.15   29            

31 Lawrence, Karina             Hilo                  24:15.52   30            

32 Ombac, Skye                  Waiakea               24:21.70   31            

33 Nakamura, Tiffany            Makua Lani            24:28.23   32             

34 Paulachak, Kara              Waiakea               24:32.87   33            

35 Rasse, Haley                 Waiakea               24:36.78   34            

36 Alterman, Allison            Kealakehe             24:53.70   35             

37 Aguilar, Katie               Honokaa               25:00.75   36            

38 Jobes, Marie                 Parker School         25:05.40                 

39 Kerr, Lauren                 Hilo                  25:10.42   37            

40 Greenwell, Kelly             Honokaa               25:19.32   38

   Rank Team                     
   1 Hawaii Prep                  17    1    2    3    4    7    8    9         
  2 Honokaa                      91    5   11   18   21   36   38   48             3 Waiakea                     107    6   13   24   31   33   34   41         
 4 Kamehameha - Hawaii         112   12   16   20   25   39   40   42         
 5 Hilo                        115   14   15   27   29   30   37   49              6 Makua Lani                  124   10   17   22   32   43                   
 7 Kea'au                      178   19   23   44   45   47   50   51         
 8 Kealakehe                   187   26   28   35   46   52