Kealakehe boys track team are possible contenders in the BIIF

Kealakekua – The Kealakehe boys and girls track & field team were short in numbers on Saturday during a Big Island Interscholastic Federation all schools meet held on the  Konawaena campus, but that didn’t deter them from turning in a great performance.

“We have about 15 kids missing with prom tonight, but we have a lot of depth,” Waverider coach Duke Hartfield said.  “We entered this year with what we never had last year.”

According to Hartfield the Waveriders boast one of their largest teams with 35 girls and 30 boys making Kealakehe a possible contender for the league title.

“Our boy’s team is a possible contender if everybody stays healthy. We have a legitimate chance at winning the BIIF team title,” Hartfield said.

Avery Hardy-Jordan got things started for the Waverider boys when he took on two of the league’s best sprinters and won it all in a blistering 11.07 seconds.

The Waverider beat out the defending BIIF champion, Kamehameha’s Kaenen Akau and the BIIF runner up, Keaau’s Jesse Huihui to establish himself as the one to beat in the sprint.

“A lot of people asked me to come out for track this season and I was hoping that it would help me become a better football and soccer athlete,” Hardy-Jordan said.

The multi talented Waverider competed in 5 events during the day, but the 100 was clearly his best performance until the end of the day when he took to the blocks to run the 200 meter dash, winning in 22.62.

“I like the sprints and I know I can get faster if I work on my form and my block starts,” Hardy-Jordan said.  “I’m still working on learning the long and high jumps and on my passing in the 4×100 relay.

Teammate Jason Fowler, a senior, turned some heads winning the 400 in a time of 52.24 seconds.

“I laid off track for the past two years in favor of canoe paddling,” Fowler said.  “I initially just came out for the training and to work on my cardio conditioning and have found my event in the 400.

Fowler wasn’t sure he was going to stick around for the end of the track meet as the 4×400 relay is the climax of the day long meet.

“I’m not sure I’ll be here for the 1600 relay as I am going to prom tonight,” Fowler said.  “I believe I can get my 400 time at 50 seconds flat and will work hard during the remainder of the season to reach that goal.”

Caili Ebaniz, a junior, was not headed to prom and performed well for the Waveriders in the 100, 200, and 4×100 relay.

“My favorite is the 100,” Ebaniz said.  “I like the short distances and I know I can bring my 100 time down below 13 seconds.   I come into the race nervous and it gets me ready and it keeps me alert.”

Hawaii Preparatory Academy’s Bre Vallente made it a true West Side Story as the freshman shot out of the blocks to claim victory in the 200.

Trailing in the initial stages of her race Vallente made up ground to run down her opponents to claim her first all schools victory.

“When I’m behind someone I like it because it makes me push myself harder,” Vallente said.  “The older, more experienced girls make me work harder and helps me get faster.”

Vallente ran in the 100 and 4×100 relay and also did the high jump.

“I like the sprints a lot as it gets me faster and will help me when I play soccer,” Vallente said.

Hilo sophomore Carmen Garson-Shumway had a notable performance in the 1500 bringing her personal best sub 5 minute finish.

“At states last year I ran 5 minutes flat,” Garson-Shumway said.  “I have a new training partner in Mehana Sabado-Halpern who helps to push me in practice.”

The Viking managed to cross the finish line in 4:59.67 but wants to improve on that time.

“I hope to eventually hit 4:50,” Garson-Shumway said. “I’m working on believing I can get there and I want to run against Zoe (Sims of HPA).

Several state champions, including Sims and Shane Brostek of HPA and Ua Ruedy and Lia  Galderia of Kona were participating at the Honolulu Marathon Invite on Oahu’s Kamehameha Kapalama campus.

Brostek, the defending state champion in the shot had his personal best on Oahu throwing the shot 56 feet and the discus 168-11.  Sims the defending state champion in the 1500 won on Oahu with a 4:50.86 and had a photo finish in the 800 at 2:16.67.

The next BIIF all schools track & field meet will be held at Kamehameha on Saturday with the field events starting at 9 and running events at 10.

Konawaena’s Emalia Galdeira wins 6 events in track and field

Meet held on Saturday, April7 at Hawaii Prep: 

Girls 100 Meter Dash

  1 Emalia Galdeira           SR Konawaena                         12.97  

Girls 200 Meter Dash

    Name                    Year School                  Seed     Finals

  1 Emalia Galdeira           SR Konawaena                         26.7h  

Girls 100 Meter Hurdles

  1 Emalia Galdeira           SR Konawaena                         15.32  

Girls Long Jump

  1 Emalia Galdeira           SR Konawaena                      16-05.25   

Girls Triple Jump

  1 Emalia Galdeira           SR Konawaena                      35-02.75

Girls High Jump

  1 Emalia Galdeira           SR Konawaena                       5-00.00    10

Kamehameha’s Aukai Akau shooting for the starts as the best in the state long jump

KEAAU – Shooting for the stars is what champions strive for.  And Kamehameha’s Aukai Akau was exploring the outer boundaries of the universe on Saturday on his home track as the Big Island Interscholastic Federation hosted an East Division Track & Field Meet.

Akau, the state champion in the long jump, displayed why he is number one by leaping 21-11.5 to rank himself as the lead jumper in the state.

The Kamehameha senior failed to reach a mark on his first two attempts before settling down on his third and final attempt to nail his picture perfect leap.

“When I warmed up my stride got longer and I needed to move my mark,” Akau said of his two fouls.  “I knew I had one more jump and I tried hard to keep that one behind the board.”

Akau comes in as the defending BIIF and State champion in the long jump and he didn’t disappoint the crowd with his massive leap.

“My goal this season is to go for the stars,” he said.  “I know I can go 23 feet or beyond so I’ll just go as far as I can.”

While Akau was exploring the outer limits of the stratosphere Kau’s Alika Kaopua decided to get a lift on the adrenaline rush and followed suit by leaping 21-9.5 to rank himself as the number 2 long jumper in the state.

“I believe that practice makes perfect and that is what I’ve been doing for the past several weeks,” Kaopua said.  “I’m just learning to get my mark down and when I perfect that, I’ll be ready.

 Kaopua came back later in the day to establish himself as the number 1 triple jumper in the state with his eye opening 44-7.

“I just set a personal record today,” Kaopua said.  “I’m the BIIF champ in the triple, but I shooting to become the best in the state at the triple.”

The confident Trojan also stated that he is looking for double gold medals at the state meet in May by winning both the long and triple.

“I know I can do better in the triple as I believe I can go 45 feet,” he said.  “Last year was the first year that I ever did the triple.”

Over at the high jump it was Keaau Cliff Eriksson also setting a personal record by going over the bar and qualifying for state.

“I came in at 5-10, which is two inches high than I’ve jumped before,” Eriksson said.  “My best last year was 5-8, but this year I am expecting to clear 6-4.”

By the end of the day Eriksson managed to clear 6-0 to establish  himself as one of the top jumpers in the league.

“My dad was a high jumper in high school and he cleared 6-8,” Eriksson said.  “I need to work on my form and not let negative thoughts get in the way in order to get anywhere near what my dad did.”

  Cougar teammate Damien Packer was entered in four events and excelled in his favorite, the 110 hurdles which has ranked him at number 3 in the State.

“The 110 hurdles is going to be my main focus this season along with the 300 hurdles,” Packer said.

Packer was sidelined last season and did not compete, but seems better prepared this season.

“I want to come back with a vengeance,” Packer said.  “I want to lead by example and help our team reach its goals.”

Packer was the lead runner in the boys 4×100 relay which hit the tape as the number one Fully Automated Timing System rated relay team in the state, according to the FAT crew.

In the boys 3000 it was St. Joseph’s Andrew Langtry running away from a large field to easily win with a sub 10 minute time.

“My goal this season in the 3K is to get somewhere in the 9:30 range,” Langtry said.  “Today no one tried to push me and I had to run alone which makes it harder to run faster.”

Langtry feels that his 9:59 is okay at this point of the season and looks forward to running with a more competitive field.

“I tell myself to push harder and not get sidelined by the ‘green monster’, that tells me to slow down or to rest,” Langtry said.

On the other side of the Warrior campus, and far away from the track, the throwers were competing with the discus and shot put.

    Pahoa’s Ariel Brown who was second in the shot last season had a winning toss of 30-10.

“I think I can throw between 33 and 35 feet,” Brown said.

An obstacle standing in the Dagger way is that she is coming off the wrestling season where she injured her shoulder and still has some discomfort in her neck.

“I’m undergoing physical therapy and my arm is very sore,” Brown said.  “Once it heals I plan on getting back in the weight room and will then also work on my technique in the circle.”

Even with an injured shoulder Brown is barely off the state qualifying mark of 31 feet.

“I’ll make it to states before the end of the season,” she said.

The BIIF season continues on Saturday with split meets at Hawaii Prep for the West Side Schools and Keaau for the East Side.

Both venues start at 9 am for field events and 10 am for running events.

Keaau to Host HHSAA Track & Field Championships, May 11 & 12, 2012

Keaau will host the 2012 track and field championships for the second time in three years league officials announced.

The Hawaii High School Athletic Association track & field championships will be held on May 11 and 12, 2012.

The complete Big Island Interscholastic Federation track and field schedule will be posted on this blog site sometime tomorrow.

 

800 Meter Results from Stan Shutes Track at HPA

HPA legend, Stan Shutes

Garson-Shumway takes early lead

  BIIF track and field action conintued from the Stanford W. Shutes Track at Hawaii Prep.

 

The new facility in Waimea is an all-weather track and is named after the last coach to bring HPA a state track and field title, Stan Shutes.

 

Shutes was on hand to watch some of the action as he still brings a lot of positive energy to those around him.

 

 

 

 

 

Girls 800 Meter Run
 BIIFQualify: B 2:59.00                                                        
  HHSAA Auto: A 2:27.44                                                        
  HHSAA Cons: C 2:36.24                                                        

  1 Zoe Sims                  SO Hawaii Prep              2:25.30A  10   
  2 Carmen Garson-Shumway     FR Hilo                     2:28.52C   8   
  3 Kristiana Van Pernis      FR Hawaii Prep              2:33.09C   6   
  4 Kela Vargas               SR Hawaii Prep              2:34.76C   4   
  5 Kelly Ulrich              FR Hawaii Prep          2:34.95C   2   
  6 Kaila Voss                JR Kealakehe            2:35.19C   1 

Boys 800 Meter Run
 BIIFQualify: B 2:28.00                                                        
  HHSAA Auto: A 2:05.04                                                        
  HHSAA Cons: C 2:09.64                                                        

  1 Luca Walter               JR Kealakehe           2:03.85A  10   
  2 Johann Kuipers            JR Hilo                2:08.19C   8   
  3 Chayce Moniz                 Honokaa             2:09.41C   6   
  4 Stephen McAuliffe         SR Waiakea             2:10.49B   4   
  5 Scott Henderson           SO Kealakehe           2:16.27B   2   
  6 Sonny Hapgood                Hawaii Prep         2:18.53B   1