Keaau and Kona win first BIIF Titles in Track & Field

Keaau boys celebrate first team title

KEAAU – The Wildcats and Cougars were running wild on Saturday as their track and field teams swept the girls and boys titles at the Big Island Interscholastic Federation championships.

For the Konawaena girls and the Keaau boys this was their first league championships in school history and a big reason to celebrate.

Keaau Coach Vicky Chai-Guerpo was at a loss for words in what was an emotional journey over several years.

“This was a team effort,” the tearful Cougar coach said.  “I’m so proud of them and they did it for themselves, their parents and for their school.”

The Cougars relied on the experience of a sprint core made up of Jesse Huihui, Damien Packer, and Alexander Engdahl with teammate Cliff Ericksson handling the jumps and hurdles.

Packer and Eriksson got the Cougars started going one, two respectively in the 110 hurdles to give the Cougars 18 team points and from that point forward Keaau never relinquished the team lead.

“It feels very exciting and I’m just glad to have had the opportunity,” Packer said of his 110 victory.  “I think I can do better at states if I remain determined and focused.”

Sprinting also translated into victory in the 4×100 with Keaau showcasing their multitalented corps, not only winning the BIIF relay title by posting the best time in the state with a 43.10 time.

Egdahl, Packer, along with Raskassa Johnson and Jessie Huihui were instrumental in the picture perfect sprint relay for the Cougars.

Balance in Keaau’s firepower could be found everywhere with Cougars Engdahl and Eriksson going 1 and 3 respectively in the 300 hurdles for 16 points.

“It feels awesome to win,” Engdahl said.  “This year I think I can do good at states and I will try my best.”

“This was our first BIIF title, in any sport, in school history,” Keaau Athletic Director Iris McGuire said.  “We entered the BIIF during the 1998-’99 season, so this title means a lot to our school.”

Chai-Guerpo has been the track and field coach at Keaau since 2000.

Keaau’s talent all started with middle school coach Randee Arkin

“Everyone in this school will know that it is possible,” Chai-Guerpo said.  “I’ve been coaching for a while and this has been a long time in coming.”

While the Cougar boys were racking up an enormous lead in the team standing, eventually winning by more than 40 points over a talented Kealakehe squad, the Wildcats girls were in a seesaw battle for their team title.

 Kona using their two big guns in Ua Ruedy and Lia Galdeira were heavily relied upon to score the big points, but it was the few unexpected points that helped put them over the top in a close battle.

Wildcat Coach Kuulei Karratti-Saole had predicted the team’s victory the day before saying, “We should win by 10 to 15 points.”

The Kona coach knew her team well and relied upon Galdeira to score 50 points and Ruedy to add another 34 to keep a talented Hawaii Preparatory Academy team at bay during most of the day.

At one point, with just three events to go, HPA trailed the Wildcats by 14 points with the 3K, 200 dash and 4×400 relay left.

Four pivotal points were scored by Kona’s little known freshman, Shayli Nakamoto in the 3000 run with her fourth place finish.

“I just wanted to keep my team in first place,” Nakamoto said.  “I feel really important.”

Nakamoto’s contribution managed to keep the Wildcat lead and it was a surprise victory in the 200 that sealed the team win for Kona.

The 200 dash saw Galdeira get disqualified in a false start the day before and it became a surprise victory for teammate Ruedy that sealed the deal.

“I never thought I could win the 200,” Ruedy said.  “It is a big win for me and our team.”

“I think this is the first time Kona has won a BIIF team track title,” Karratti-Saole said.

Karratti-Saole is in her fourth year at the helm of the Wildcat track program.  She is also a former state champion in track winning the gold medal in the 100 back in 2003.

Kona edged out HPA for the girls team title by 11 points.

The upset of the day may have come in the girls 1500 run with Hilo’s Carmen Garson-Shumway taking on defending state champion, HPA’s Zoe Sims.

HPA, known for their talented distance runners, took a pack of four runners immediately to the lead.

“I didn’t want to get boxed in so I moved out with 300 to go,” Garson-Shumway said.

It became an all out sprint to the finish with Sims and teammate Kristiana Van Pernis staying on the heels of Garson-Shumway.

All three girls crossed the finish line under the meet record, with Garson-Shumway winning in 4:53.36, Sims 4:54.63, and Van Pernis 4:55.23.

“I didn’t expect to win,” Garson-Shumway said.  “We are all friends and this is not about winning, it’s about the experience.”

Garson-Shumway was quick to give credit to her teammate, freshman Mehana Sabado-Halpern for helping to push her during practice.

“Mehana helps to push me and she is a real nice running partner,” Garson-Shumway said.

Sims later returned to the oval to redeem the situation in the 800 winning in a meet record time of 2:18.46 to edge out Garson-Shumway, 2:20.02.

The girl’s pole vault title went to HPA senior Sydney Budde at 8-6 with Kealakehe sophomore Kristi Lovell finish second.

The senior, who has vaulted all four years, was excited about her first BIIF title.

“That’s insane that I made it this far,” Budde said.  “I’ve been second in my previous three years.”

Keaau will play host to the Hawaii High School Athletic Association track and field championships on Friday and Saturday, May 11 and 12.

BIIF Track & Field Eastside Results – Top 6

BIIF Eastside Season Opener                         

                 Kamehameha Schools Hawaii Campus  – 3/27/2010       Kea’au, HI                     Results                                   

 Girls 100 Meter Dash

  1 Bronte Kaneakua           SR Kamehameha HI            13.3h   3  10  

  2 Teisha Nacis              SO Waiakea                  13.4h   3   8  

  3 Kailyn Chock              SR Waiakea                  13.6h   3   6  

  4 Rose Nakamura             FR Hilo                     13.8h   2   4  

  5 Aloha Bohol               JR Hilo                     14.0h   3   2  

  6 Abigail Houston           FR Keaau                    14.3h   3   1  

Girls 200 Meter Dash

  1 Bronte Kaneakua           SR Kamehameha HI            27.8h   2  10  

  2 Shina Chung               SO Hilo                     28.4h   2   8  

  3 Aloha Bohol               JR Hilo                     28.4h   1   6  

  4 Rose Nakamura             FR Hilo                     29.8h   2   4  

  5 Marley Strand-Nicolaisen  FR Ka’u                     30.0h   2   2  

  6 Lillie Davis              FR Keaau                    30.8h   1   1  

 Girls 400 Meter Dash

  1 Randi Estrada             SO Keaau                  1:03.7h   2  10  

  2 Teisha Nacis              SO Waiakea                1:06.9h   2   8  

  3 Karley Swain              SO Waiakea                1:13.5h   1   6  

  4 Kiana Heaukulani          FR Hilo                   1:15.7h   2   4  

  5 Vandey Okinaka            FR Waiakea                1:16.1h   1   2  

  6 Angeline Hoke             SR Waiakea                1:16.7h   2   1  

Girls 800 Meter Run

  1 Kailyn Chock              SR Waiakea                2:36.2h   10  

  2 Deann Nishimura-Thornton  SO Keaau                  2:37.1h    8  

  3 Claire Uetake             SR Hilo                   2:39.3h    6  

  4 Corin Kim                 SO Kamehameha HI          2:52.2h    4  

  5 Jessica Busek             FR Waiakea                2:53.5h    2  

  6 Karina Lawrence           SO Hilo                   2:54.2h    1  

 Girls 1500 Meter Run

1 Traci Palaermo            JR Hilo                   5:29.2h   10  
  2 Deann Nishimura-Thornton  SO Keaau                  5:31.8h    8  
—->  3 Kelsie Kobayashi          SO Waiakea                5:32.0h    6  
  4 Karina Lawrence           SO Hilo                   5:58.0h    4  
  5 Erin Carvalho             SO Kamehameha HI          6:01.9h    2  
  6 Hannah Hendershot         FR Waiakea                6:23.5h    1  

Girls 3000 meter run
   1 Shalila DE Bourmont       SO Hilo                  11:58.6h   10  

  2 Kelsie Kobayashi          SO Waiakea               12:24.1h    8  

  3 Natalie Hagemann          FR Keaau                 13:18.2h    6  

  4 Erin Carvalho             SO Kamehameha HI         13:40.6h    4  

Girls 100 Meter Hurdles

  1 Marley Strand-Nicolaisen  FR Ka’u                     18.0h   2  10  

  2 Alyssa Lehua McGuire      FR Kamehameha HI            18.0h   2   8  

  3 Abyssinia Hammouri-Davis  FR Keaau                    18.4h   2   6  

  4 Alisha Gangwes            SR Ka’u                     18.8h   1   4  

  5 Raycee Cooke              SO Hilo                     18.9h   1   2  

  6 Alyssa Hoshida            JR Hilo                     19.1h   2   1  

Girls 300 Meter Hurdles

  1 Azmera Hammouri-Davis     SO Keaau                    52.8h   2  10  

  2 Bronte Kaneakua           SR Kamehameha HI            52.9h   2   8  

  3 Kristina Padrigo          FR Ka’u                     53.1h   1   6  

  4 Alyssa Hoshida            JR Hilo                     54.0h   2   4  

  5 Alyssa Lehua McGuire      FR Kamehameha HI            55.6h   2   2  

  6 Bree Delacruz             SO Hilo                     55.7h   1   1  

Girls 4×100 Meter Relay

  1 Keaau High School                                     54.8h   10  

  2 Kamehameha Schools Hawaii                             54.8h    8  

  3 Hilo                                                  55.5h    6  

  4 Waiakea                                             1:01.5h    4  

 — Ka’u High School                                         DQ   zone violation 3rd e

Girls 4×400 Meter Relay

  1 Hilo                                                4:32.4h   10  

  2 Keaau High School                                   4:35.7h    8  

  3 Waiakea                                             4:47.4h    6  

  4 Kamehameha Schools Hawaii                           4:50.7h    4  

Girls High Jump

  1 Erika Cushnie             SR Waiakea                5-00.00   10  

  2 Randi Estrada             SO Keaau                  4-06.00    8  

  3 Marley Strand-Nicolaisen  FR Ka’u                  J4-06.00    6  

  4 Holly Lambert             SR Waiakea               J4-06.00    4  

  5 Jessica Busek             FR Waiakea                4-02.00    2  

Girls Pole Vault

  1 Shina Chung               SO Hilo                   8-06.00   10  

  2 Kaylee Rapoza             FR Hilo                   7-00.00    8  

  3 Kimberly Renee Hodson     JR Kamehameha HI         J7-00.00    6  

  4 Alyssa Lehua McGuire      FR Kamehameha HI          6-06.00    4  

  5 Rose Nakamura             FR Hilo                   6-00.00    2  

Girls Long Jump

  1 Natasha Ah Chong          SR Kamehameha HI         14-11.00   10  

  2 Jessica Busek             FR Waiakea               13-04.25    8  

  3 Kaila Olson               FR Ka’u                  13-03.25    6  

  4 Vandey Okinaka            FR Waiakea               12-06.75    4  

  5 Olivia Azevedo            SO Kamehameha HI         12-00.75    2  

  6 Shani Cosma               FR Keaau                 11-06.50    1  

Girls Triple Jump

  1 Marley Strand-Nicolaisen  FR Ka’u                  32-00.75   10  

  2 Azmera Hammouri-Davis     SO Keaau                 30-08.00    8  

  3 Shani Cosma               FR Keaau                 26-01.75    6  

Girls Shot Put

  1 Linda Sunia               JR Hilo                  35-03.50   10  

  2 Kaopua Sutton             SR Kamehameha HI         31-05.50    8  

  3 Jacquelyn Kaio-Goo        SR Keaau                 28-00.00    6  

  4 Alyssa Areola             SO Keaau                 26-01.25    4  

  5 Angeline Hoke             SR Waiakea               26-00.00    2  

  6 Ariel Brown               FR Pahoa                 24-09.75    1  

Girls Discus Throw

  1 Kaopua Sutton             SR Kamehameha HI         98-00.50   10  

  2 Janna Urakami             JR Waiakea               88-06.50    8  

  3 Jacquelyn Kaio-Goo        SR Keaau                    84-06    6  

  4 Linda Sunia               JR Hilo                  79-08.50    4  

  5 Jasmine Iuta              FR Kamehameha HI            70-04    2  

  6 Ariel Brown               FR Pahoa                    65-10    1  

Boys 100 Meter Dash

  1 Kaenen Akau               SO Kamehameha HI            11.1h   5  10  

  2 Jesse Huihui              SO Keaau                    11.2h   5   8  

  3 Kaimi Scott               SR Waiakea                  11.4h   5   6  

  4 Talon Ota                 FR Keaau                    11.5h   1   4  

  5 Michael Morikawa          FR Waiakea                  11.5h   2   2  

  6 Kason Marques             JR Keaau                    11.6h   2   1  

Boys 200 Meter Dash

  1 Kaimi Scott               SR Waiakea                  23.3h   5  10  

  2 Jesse Huihui              SO Keaau                    23.8h   2   8  

  3 Francis Blas III          SR Kamehameha HI            24.0h   1   6  

  4 Kristian Martinez         SO Hilo                     24.4h   5   4  

  5 Collins Mattos            SR Hilo                     24.5h   5   2  

  6 Luke Leasure              SR Waiakea                  24.7h   5   1  

Boys 400 Meter Dash

  1 Kaimi Scott               SR Waiakea                  52.4h   2  10  

  2 Richard Moylan            SR Christian Libert         53.4h   2   8  

  3 Jordan Decoito            SR Hilo                     55.3h   2   6   

  4 Travis Winters            SO Waiakea                  55.4h   2   4  

  5 Jacob St George           SR Waiakea                  56.4h   2   2  

  6 Talon Ota                 FR Keaau                    56.5h   2   1  

Boys 800 Meter Run

  1 Daniel Brooks             SR Keaau                  2:06.3h   10  

  2 Jeremy Grotenhuis         SR Christian Libert       2:11.6h    8  

  3 Jackson Halford           SO Waiakea                2:12.7h    6  

  4 Tyde Kunishiro            JR Hilo                   2:13.9h    4  

  5 John Fratinardo           SR Kamehameha HI          2:14.3h    2  

  6 Wayne Pavao               JR Keaau                  2:17.53    1  

Boys 1500 Meter Run

  1 Daniel Brooks             SR Keaau                  4:27.4h   10  

  2 Jackson Halford           SO Waiakea                4:45.0h    8  

  3 Kevin Olsen               JR Keaau                  4:45.9h    6  

  4 Tyde Kunishiro            JR Hilo                   4:47.1h    4  

  5 Wayne Pavao               JR Keaau                  4:47.3h    2  

  6 John Fratinardo           SR Kamehameha HI          4:54.9h    1  

Boys 3000 Meter Run

  1 Johan Kaipers             SO Hilo                  10:29.7h   10  

  2 John Fratinardo           SR Kamehameha HI         11:00.3h    8  

  3 Jordan Grotenhuis         FR Christian Libert      11:15.5h    6  

  4 BO Rasse                  SR Waiakea               11:22.1h    4  

  5 James Clubbs              JR Keaau                 11:29.1h    2  

Boys 110 Meter Hurdles

  1 Francis Blas III          SR Kamehameha HI            16.3h    1   10

  2 Everett McKee             JR Kamehameha HI            16.4h   2   8  

  3 Cameron Calistro          SR Hilo                     17.1h   2   6  

  4 Easten Tanimoto           SO Kamehameha HI            17.9h   1   4  

  5 Dan Taylor                JR Hilo                     18.4h   1   2  

  6 Dylan Alip                SO Kamehameha HI            19.5h   1   1  

Boys 300 Meter Hurdles

  1 Cameron Calistro          SR Hilo                     41.9h   3  10  

  2 Francis Blas III          SR Kamehameha HI            42.2h   3   8  

  3 Everett McKee             JR Kamehameha HI            43.4h   3   6  

  4 Damien Packer             SO Keaau                    44.8h   3   4  

  5 Cliff Eriksson            SO Keaau                    44.8h   2   2  

  6 Sai Weiss                 SR Hilo                     45.2h   3   1  

Boys 4×100 Meter Relay

  1 Kamehameha Schools Hawaii                             44.4h   10  

  2 Keaau High School                                     45.2h    8  

  3 Hilo                                                  47.1h    6  

  4 Hilo  ‘B’                                             48.1h 

  5 Ka’u High School                                      53.1h    4  

Boys 4×400 Meter Relay

  1 Hilo                                                3:47.6h   10  

  2 Waiakea                                             3:48.7h    8  

  3 Hilo  ‘B’                                           3:51.8h 

  4 Keaau High School                                   3:54.9h    6  

  5 Waiakea  ‘B’                                        4:19.2h 

  6 Ka’u High School                                    4:25.5h    4  

Boys High Jump

  1 Cliff Eriksson            SO Keaau                  5-04.00   10  

  2 Jacob St George           SR Waiakea                5-02.00    7  

  2 Easten Tanimoto           SO Kamehameha HI          5-02.00    7  

  4 Ka’u Eggers               SO Keaau                 J5-02.00    4  

  5 Joseph Ola                SO Keaau                  5-00.00    2  

Boys Pole Vault

  1 Wong LI                   SR Hilo                  11-00.00    9  

  1 Billy Ray                 JR Hilo                  11-00.00    9  

  3 Nelson Enos               SO Keaau                J11-00.00    6  

  4 Isaac DeRego              SR Kamehameha HI         10-00.00    4  

  5 Max Shimamoto             SR Kamehameha HI        J10-00.00    2  

Boys Long Jump

  1 Kaenen Akau               SO Kamehameha HI         21-05.25   10  

  2 Jacob Edwards             SR Ka’u                  20-05.25    8  

  3 Manta Dircks              SR Kamehameha HI         20-04.00    6  

  4 Alika Kaopua              SO Ka’u                  19-10.50    4  

  5 Michael Morikawa          FR Waiakea               18-09.00    2  

  6 Emilio Vallejo            JR Waiakea               18-00.50    1  

Boys Triple Jump

  1 Manta Dircks              SR Kamehameha HI         40-07.00   10  

  2 Damien Packer             SO Keaau                 39-10.00    8  

  3 Michael Morikawa          FR Waiakea               38-08.75    6  

  4 Travis Winters            SO Waiakea               37-06.75    4  

  5 Ka’u Eggers               SO Keaau                 37-05.50    2  

  6 Cameron Anderson          SO Waiakea               35-06.50    1  

Boys Shot Put

  1 David Kekuewa             SR Kamehameha HI         42-08.00   10  

  2 Hawk Hanoa                JR Kamehameha HI         41-08.25    8  

  3 Kainoa Crum               SR Kamehameha HI         39-03.00    6  

  4 Kyle Tirrell              JR Hilo                  38-07.25    4  

  5 Ilati Sipinga             JR Hilo                  37-01.00    2  

  6 Derrick Krygier           SR Pahoa                 35-03.50    1  

Boys Discus Throw

  1 David Kekuewa             SR Kamehameha HI           123-05   10  

  2 Kainoa Crum               SR Kamehameha HI        117-10.50    8  

  3 Hawk Hanoa                JR Kamehameha HI        115-04.50    6  

  4 Kyle Tirrell              JR Hilo                    111-08    4  

  5 Derrick Krygier           SR Pahoa                110-07.50    2  

  6 Dathan Toribio            SR Keaau                   106-02    1  

                    Women – Team Rankings – 16 Events Scored

===============================================================================

    1) Hilo                       119        2) Keaau High School         107  

    3) Kamehameha Schools Hawaii  104        4) Waiakea                   102  

    5) Ka’u High School            44        6) Pahoa                       2  

                    Men – Team Rankings – 16 Events Scored

===============================================================================

    1) Kamehameha Schools Hawaii  162        2) Keaau High School         106  

    3) Hilo                        93        4) Waiakea                    82  

    5) Christian Liberty           22        6) Ka’u High School           20  

    7) Pahoa                        3