Big Dog’s Boys HHSAA Preseason X-C Predictions
BIG DOG’s PRESEASON Boys Top 20 Predictions
1) Troy Esaki (12) Iolani
2) Charles Akiona (11) Kamehameha-Oahu
3) Elliot Estrada (12) Leilehue 4) Gianni Cuadrado (11) Kapolei
5) James Pearson (11) Baldwin
6) Sam Choe (11) Iolani 7) Joshua Herr (11) Kauai 8) Rocky Balala (12) Maui
9) Joshua Freitas (12) Kamehameha-Oahu 10) Chayce Moniz (12) Honokaa
11) Zachary Carvalho (11) Mililani 12) Jackson Halford (12) Waiakea
13) Angelito Cuaresma (12) Maui 14) Dylan Martinez (11) Leilehua
15) Royce Yamane (11) Mililani 16) Andrew Langtry (11) St. Joseph
17) Branden Miya (12) Leilehua 18) Kelvin Abe (12) Hawaii Baptist
19) Jesse Tarnas (12) Parker T20) Paven Sinn (12) Mililani T20) Cameron Dapkins (10) Radford
Some of Hawaii’s Best Harriers Run at Western Regionals
High School Western Regional Cross Country Races
Races held on Dec. 4 at Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, California
Several of Hawaii best pre harriers participated in the Footlocker cross country regional races recently and the group was headed by HHSAA champion Margarito Martinez who finished 14th overall (16:07) and Island School’s Pierce Murphy 32nd in 16:26 in the seeded races.
Margarito’s younger brother, Dylan placed 36th in the All West freshman/sophomore race in a time of 17:54. The Martinez brothers represent Leilehua as the Mules brought several runners to participate in the prestigious race.
Honokaa’s Chris Mosch clocked the fourth fastest time for runners from Hawaii finishing in 17 minutes 41 seconds in the Senior Boy’s race for a 45th overall finish.
Kapolei’s Gianni Cuadrado was 11th in the freshman/sophomore race finishing in a time of 17 minutes 45 seconds. Pearl City’s Zachary Villarmia clocked 19:02 and placed 58th.
Runners at the Western Regional’s needed to finish in the top 10 to qualify for Nationals. No Hawaii runner qualified.
For more information on finishers results go to: http://www.footlockercc.com/2010/results/west/Results/4S.pdf
Hawaii Prep Girls to make run at HHSAA Championship Title
It has been more than a decade since a Big Island school has won a state cross country championship, but come Thursday that may all change.
The Hawaii High School Athletic Association cross country championships will be held on Oct. 28 at the Patsy Mink Central Oahu Regional Park and a very strong Hawaii Preparatory Academy girl’s team has a legitimate chance at winning it all.
Last week the lady Ka Makani won their third consecutive Big Island Interscholastic Federation team title in impressive fashion beating out runner-up Honokaa by more than 70 points.
HPA’s Kela Vargas won the individual title with teammates Zoe Sims, Emily Evans and Kristiana Van Pernis finishing second through fourth respectively while teammates Mariah Haight, Sam Neal and Hanna Scully took the seventh through ninth spots.
“Our success this season was from our focus on team goals instead of individual performances,” HPA Coach Michael Franklin said. “We will keep that same focus at States.”
HPA is no stranger to runner success as their teams over the past four decades have won numerous state cross country championships.
In 1994 HPA swept the boys and girls state championships under former coaches Karl Honma for the boys and Phil Conley for the girls.
No BIIF team, other than Hawaii Prep, has won a state championship and Honma’s 1995 boys’ team was the last time a Big Island school had taken center stage.
“If we are successful at States, then it is our runners’ love of a challenge that is the key,” Franklin said.
The Punahou girls come into the state championships as the five time defending champion and is considered to be the favorite to win their sixth title, but with HPA’s ability to bunch their runners in the lead pack they are recognized as serious contenders.
Punahou returns sophomore Elli Brady who won the state individual championship as a freshman, but it is another freshman, Dakota Grossman of Seabury, Maui, that is the favorite to win the state crown.
“I hope we can make the top five again this year,” said a humble Franklin. “Punahou is the obvious favorite, but magical things can occur on race day. As usual, we will run together and we will embrace the challenge.”
Vying for the boy’s state team title is defending champion Kamehameha-Oahu and the 2007 and ’08 champions Leilehua along with a talented Iolani squad.
Four time boys BIIF team champion, Honokaa, is expected to improve on their fifth place finish from last year.
“Kamehameha, Iolani and Leilehua will score well, but with all the individuals busting up the top runners who knows how the cards will fall,” Dragon Coach Josh Abner said.
During the BIIF championships Honokaa claimed the top individual spots with Chris Mosch successfully defending his title and teammates Joshua Robinson and Chayce Moniz following close behind.
If their top three runners can break into the top 20 at the state championships, while keeping their fourth and fifth runners close behind, then anything is possible.
“I often talk about how anything can happen on any given day and with that mentality any day can be the Dragons day,” Abner said.
Leilehua’s Margarito Martinez is the defending state champion and will get a stiff challenge from Pierce Murphy of Island School from Kauai for the individual crown.
Mosch, an experienced senior, is expected to be somewhere in the top five and if the rest of the Dragon team stays close to Mosch there could be an upset.
“My highest finish was 14th overall last year,” Mosch said. “My goal going into this race is to finish within the top five and my plan is to stay with Iolani’s Troy Esaki, Leilehua’s Dylan Martinez and Mid Pac’s Ryan Hobson during the race.”
Earlier this year Mosch ran on Oahu at the HHSAA site during the Kaiser Invitational and learned a lot from the experience.
“What I learned from the Kaiser Meet is that a lot of people go out too hard and burn out, so I’m going to try to run under control during the first mile and not get too crazy,” he said.
Honokaa’s best team finish, fourth, came when Mosch was a freshman and the upper classman now thinks of improving on that placement.
“I think we can make it into the top three on a good day,” Mosch said.
“This is more than trying to win championships,” Abner said. “When Dragons are ready to leave the program I hope they’ve learned that hard work and big goals bring the biggest prizes in life.”
The HHSAA championships was moved from a Friday to Thursday because of a County Furlough Day, according to HPA Athletic Director and BIIF cross country coordinator.
“My understanding is that CORP is a county facility on Oahu and HHSAA made the final decision,” Perry said.
Big Dog’s Boys Top 20 HHSAA cross country predictions
BIG DOG’s Top 20 BOYS in HHSAA Cross Country – Predictions
1) Margarito Martinez, Leilehua, senior, will repeat as HHSAA champ
2) Pierce Murphy, Island School, senior, state runner-up will give Martinez a strong challenge.
3) Jordan Thibodeau, Kamehameha-Oahu, senior
4) Dylan Martinez, Leilehua, sophomore
5) Chris Mosch, Honokaa, senior, defending BIIF champ
6) Ryan Hobson, Mid Pacific Institute, senior
7) Troy Esaki, Iolani, junior
8) Justin Higa, Iolani, senior
9) Nikolai Scharer, Punahou, sophomore
10) Gianni Cuadrado, Kapolei
11) Royce Yamane, Mililani, sophomore
12) Zach Furguson, Maui Prep, senior
13) James Pearson, Baldwin, senior
14) Chad Nakaoka, Hawaii Baptist Academy, senior
15) Charles Akiona, Kamehameha-Oahu, sophomore
16) Zachary Carvalho, Mililani, sophomore
17) Angelito Cuaremsa, Maui High
18) Joshua Robinson, Honokaa
19) Borys Pleskacz, Iolani, senior
20) Colton Sisler, St. Louis, senior
Leilehua should win the boys team title with Iolani coming in second, Kamehameha-Oahu third and Honokaa fourth.