BIIF List of Girls Cross Country team and individual champions since 1973

	GIRLS	GIRLS
	Team Champion	Indiv. Champion	School
2011
2010	Hawaii Prep	Kela Vargas	HPA
2009	Hawaii Prep	Tia Grenwell	Honokaa
2008	Hawaii Prep	Tia Grenwell	Honokaa
2007	Kamehameha	Tia Grenwell	Honokaa
2006	Hawaii Prep	Keri Ogden	HPA
2005	Kamehameha	Lucy Pollard	HPA
2004	Hawaii Prep	Keri Ogden	HPA
2003	Hawaii Prep	Keri Ogden	HPA
2002	Hawaii Prep	Tamarah Binik	Waiakea
2001	Hawaii Prep	Angela Beck	Waiakea
2000	Hawaii Prep
1999	Hawaii Prep	Cobey Ackerman	HPA
1998	Hawaii Prep	Lisa McManus	HPA
1997	Hawaii Prep	Maromi Abe	Hilo
1996	Hawaii Prep	Casey McGuire-Turcotte	HPA
1995	Hawaii Prep	Casey McGuire-Turcotte	Ka’u
1994	Hawaii Prep	Heather Onuma	HPA
1993	Hawaii Prep	Kelly Buscher	HPA
1992	Hawaii Prep
1991	Waiakea HS	Rachel Shackelford	HPA
1990	Hawaii Prep
1989	Hawaii Prep	Judy Stott	HPA
1988	Hawaii Prep
1987	Hawaii Prep	Lane Pogue	HPA
1986	Hawaii Prep
1985	Hawaii Prep	Tiare Judd	HPA
1984	Hawaii Prep	Tracie Howard	Hilo
1983	Waiakea HS	Tiare Judd	HPA
1982	Hawaii Prep	Tiare Judd	HPA
1981	x	x	x
1980	Hawaii Prep	Theresa Elbogen	HPA
1979	Hawaii Prep
1978	Hawaii Prep	Purea Knight	HPA
1977	Hawaii Prep	Wende Haserot	HPA
1976	Hawaii Prep	Wende Haserot	HPA
1975	Hawaii Prep	Maile Wall	HPA
1974	Hawaii Prep	Maile Wall	HPA
1973	Hawaii Prep	Maile Wall	HPA

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Large number of BIIF TRack & Field athletes make finals of HHSAA

After day one of the HHSAA track & field qualifiers held on Maui several Big Island Interscholastic Federation Athletes made it into today’s finals.  Below is the list of qualifiers going into the finals:

BOYS                 Shane Brostek, HPA, #1 shot, #3 discus

Mauna Palamama-Danielson, WHS, #5 shot, #7 discus              Kaenen Aukai Akua, Kamehameha, #3 long jump

Everett McKee, Kamehameha, #5 long jump, #7 110 Hurdles                   Michael Morikawa, WHS, #6, long jump

Travis Winters, WHS, #7 long jump, and FINISHED #3 high jump going 6-02

Jesse Huihui, Keaau, #8 100, #5 200

Jackson Halford, WHS, #6 1500, #7 800              Luca Walter, Kealakehe, #3 400

Chris Mosch, Honokaa, #8 3K                                     Andrew Langtry, St. Joseph, #12 3K

GIRLS

Emalia Galdeira, Kona, #1 long jump, #5 triple jump, #3 100 hurdles, #5 100, #6 200  McKenna Davidson, Kealakehe, #8 long jump

Marley Strand-Nicolaisen, Kau, #8 triple jump           Lana Queen, HPA, #6 100 hurdles, #4 300 hurdles

Zoe Sims, HPA, #4 1500, #2 400                                     Carmen Garson-Shumway, Hilo, #5 1500

Kristiana Van Pernis, HPA, #6 1500, #3 800               Kela Vargas, HPA, #9, 1500

Randi Estrada, Keaau, #7 400                                        Ua Ruedy, Kona, #3 300 hurdles

HPA girls seeded #2 in the 4×400 relay                    Kealakehe girls seeded #7 4×400 relay

BIIF Track & Field Season begins on Saturday at Keaau

Start of girls 100 meter race

Sizes does matter!  Just ask Hawaii Preparatory Academy track & field coach Pat Lau and he’ll tell you that having depth plays an important factor in making a run for the island team championships.

“Our 2011 track team is the largest in school history,” Lau said.  “With 89 athletes, 62 girls and 27 boys, we have a lot of depth.”

Lau, who begins his fifth season at the helm, has a reputation for winning Big Island Interscholastic Federation team titles, capturing a boy’s title in 2007 and two girl’s titles in 2008 and 2010.

“For me and my coaches our biggest achievements is producing six individual state champions over the past four years,” Lau said.

The defending girls BIIF champs look overwhelming on paper as they return Kela Vargas, 800 & 1500 meters, Lana Queen and Chelsea Akamine at hurdles, Sydney Budde and Taylor Esaki at pole vault, along with Hana Scully, Mackenzie Buckner and Pam Lynn at sprints.

“Joining us also are most of the girls from the 2010 BIIF cross country championship team which gives us a lot of depth in the distance events,” Lau said.

Ka Makani boys return Shane Brostek in the throws with teammates George Twiggsmith and Rokas Cesnuievicius in the jumps.

“With our new track and HPA’s reputation for having a successful track program we are working hard to defend our 2010 girl’s championships.  As for the boys we will be very competitive, but Kamehameha looks to be the team to beat with Hilo and Keaau teams to watch,” Lau said.

Kimo Weaver returns for his third season at Kamehameha with impressive credentials.  The Warrior girls were the 2010 BIIF runner-up to the Ka Makani and their boys captured the league team crown.

“We continue to maintain the same team goals as we would like to contend for the league title and improve on our number of state qualifiers,” Weaver said.

Kamehameha boy’s top returnees include Everett Maka McKee at hurdles, Kaenaen Aukai Akau, long jump and sprints along with Hawk Hanoa in the throws.

For the lady Warriors Corin Kim and Kera Akiyama returns at the 400, Erin Carvalho at the distance events, Hi’ilani Evans-Bautista at jumps and hurdles along with teammates Kimberly Kalei Hodson and Alyssa Lehua McGuire taking on Pole Vault duties with McGuire also taking on the hurdles.

“We still need to fill the slots of those that have since graduated,” Weaver said.  “We need to better our times and marks each week and we want to keep working hard and peak at the right time.  If we can do this and have fun doing it good things will happen.”

Across town the other Warrior team, Waiakea, returns top distance runners, Kelsie Kobayashi for the girls and Jackson Halford for the boys. 

Waiakea coaches, Lance and Mary Jane Tominaga are carrying 20 girls and 35 boys on the team and are looking to improve on last year’s third place team finishes for both their boys and girls.

“We did lose a few key seniors, however, with the returnees coming back stronger and the addition of young recruits, the team hopes to better last year’s finish,” Lance Tominaga said.

Waiakea will have a strong sprint and jump corp. lead by Travis Winters and Michael Morikawa for the boys and Teisha Nacis for the girls.  Stephen McCauliffe will take on the middle distance, 400 and 800 events.

Keaau’s Vicky Chai also carries 55 athletes on their team, which Chai describes as a young and talented squad.

Jesse Huihui is the Cougars top sprinter with Damien Packer taking on the hurdles and horizontal jumps.  Look for Kevin Olsen in the distance events and a talented Nelson Enos in the pole vault.

For the Cougar girls it will be Randi Estrada in the high jump and 400 meter events and Deann Nishimura-Thornton running the distance events.

“I think most schools want the same thing as we do, to win a championship” Chai said.  “Having never accomplished this it would be especially sweet for us and this year I think it’s possible.  We continue to grow together as a team, most of who have been together for three years.  We’re looking forward to an exciting season.”

For Hilo it is first year head coach Jonathan Peralto taking over a large and talented Viking squad.

“Right now we are carrying about 45 boys and 35 girls on our track team,” Peralto said.  “A pretty large group, but they are motivated and working hard each day and I have a great coaching staff helping me.”

The Viking girls return Shina Chung at pole vault, Shalila de Bourmont at 3000 meters, Alyssa Hoshide, sprints; Linda Sunia, throws with boys Tyde Kaneshiro, distance, Rick Michels and Dan Taylor in the hurdles.

“I’m not sure who will be in the running for the team titles this year,” Peralto said.  “Each year new athletes come out, mixing things up a bit, but I am really looking forward to what the BIIF, as a whole, will produce this year.”

Peralto believes that the level of competition on the island has been increasing each year and is excited about what this season may have to offer.

The 2011 track and field season got under way with a preseason meet at HPA on Saturday, March 5 followed by the Kamehameha preseason invitational on Saturday, March 19.

The regular BIIF season starts on Saturday, March 26, at with an all schools meet at Keaau.  Field events get under way at 2 pm followed by running events at 3.

Kamehameha-Hawaii Favored to win BIIF Wrestling Team Titles

Marlon Miller with state champion Megan Aina

Twenty five weight class championship titles are up for grabs this Saturday when Konawaena host the Big Island Interscholastic Federation wrestling individual and team championships at the Colonel Ellison Onizuka Gymnasium.

Defending girls team champions Kamehameha are considered the heavy favorites to repeat as team champions, but  Warriors coach Marlon Miller believes that their standings are overrated.

“Due to our intensity and rigorous demand that one must give in this sport I had a lot of girls drop out during the season, including several returnees,” Miller explained. 

Miller believes that other coaches are saying that Kamehameha are the heavy favorites, which is a tactic, to draw attention away from them.

“This past weekend I noticed that Konawaena and Hawaii Preparatory Academy were filling more weight classes than we do,” Miller said.  “After having a scrimmage dual meet with Hilo a couple of weeks ago I know they (Hilo) will be contending for the girl’s title also.”

Miller believes that all the private school Warrior girls have the confidence and ability to be State and BIIF champions.

“They all believe in themselves and their teammates,” he said.  “If they didn’t I wouldn’t put them out there.”

Rustee-Ann Johansen and Megan Aina are the two returning BIIF champions for the Warriors girl’s team with Aina (a state champion at 98 pounds) going for her third league title.

HPA coach Gary Jarvill still sees Kamehameha as the team to beat for the girl’s crown.

“I am missing four weight classes for BIIF’s,” Jarvill said.  “I only have two girls with any experience at all and my most successful girl, Kela Vargas, needs to wrestle Megan (Aina) who is the returning state champion.”

Jarvill believes that Kamehameha is on an easy road to winning another girl’s team title and the Ka Makani coach noted that Kona’s strength is in the weight classes from 120 to 140.

Dominate among the Kona ladies is defending champion Tanalei Louis, 125, who won the BIIF championships as a freshman last season.   Louis may be one of the best in the state in her weight class and is considered a heavy favorite to repeat as BIIF champ.

Wildcat teammate Sage Aoki, 108, comes from a rich family tradition in wrestling champions and will also make a run at defending his BIIF title.

“Honokaa’s newest top wrestler is Harry Auweloa. He came to Honokaa this year from Maui, a junior with one year of experience, “said Dragon Coach Dan Whetstone.  “He (Auweloa) took 1st place in 189’s in the preseason tournament at Waiakea and then placed first again in the same weight class at the Kealakehe tournament in early January.”

Whetstone believes that Auweloa  will drop weight and compete in the 171 bracket as the favorite to win at the BIIF championships as he remains undefeated during the season.

Dragon teammate Geo Chavez-Pardini will be wrestling in only his second tournament of the year but should be the one to beat in 189’s and capture his fourth BIIF title.

“I’m switching some of these kids around as a strategic measure,” Whetstone said.  “Geo could actually compete at 171, but we need him in the high weight division.”

Another one of Honokaa’s newcomers is first year senior Elvis Cardoza at the 145 division. Whetstone believes that Cardoza will contend for the BIIF title as he won won all of his matches this past Saturday at Keaau.

Wrestling fans should also watch for a repeat performance from Kau’s heavyweight defending champion, Keani Mello-Waiwaiole who has been dominate in the 220 division.

The main attraction on the girl’s side for Waiakea is Tracy Poch who took top honors at the Officials Wrestling Tournament on Oahu in December and is considered the heavy favorite to win the BIIF crown at 175.  Poch is the BIIF champ at 155 last season.

While there is no clear favorite in the race for the boys team title most coaches agree that Kamehameha and Waiakea have a slight edge over the rest of the field.

Kamehameha returns a pair of title defenders in Justin Hirae, 114, and Nalu Souza at 120 while the public school Warriors showcases Tyler Yonemori and the Enos brothers, Pat and Patrick.

“I think it is impossible to pick, even on paper, who will win the boys team title,” Kamehameha boys coach Brendan Courtot said.  “No one school has shown real dominance at any of the meets, but Kealakehe is the defending champ, so they have the target on their back.”

According to Courtot several Warriors have been undefeated during the regular season and include CJ Matsuyama, 171, and Akokoa Paleka-Kennedy in the heavy weight division.  Despite the unblemished record Courtot feels that they are not well tested because of their missing several key match ups.

“We will be competitive at 114, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 152, 189 and 215 with our best chance to medal coming from our two defending champions (Hirae who will wrestle at 125 and Souza at 120) and two returners Charlie Aina, 130, and Kema Chin at 215,” Courtot said.

Action will get under way in Kona on Saturday at 10 am using three mats as the highly anticipated individual and team champions will not be crowned until later that evening.

Keaau Boys & HPA Girls making moves on the Mat

Keaau’s Treyven Ah Quin-Fely positioning for the pin against Kona’s Keanu Malina-Serion in the 215 weight division

KEAAU – Sometimes moving up a weight class can pay high dividends as it did when Keaau’s Treyven Ah Quin-Fely was called upon to wrestle in the heavyweight, 215 pound class.

Ah Quin-Fely was asked by his coach, Charles Manning, to move up from his normal 189 division in order to compete with the big boys.

“I weighed in at 183.6, but my coach asked me to wrestle in the next higher weight division,” Ah Quin-Fely said.

During first round action of Big Island Interscholastic Federation wrestling matches held at Cougar Gymnasium on Saturday Ah Quin-Fely took on Konawaena’s Keanu Malina-Serion in a clash of heavyweights.

Ah Quin-Fely wasted little time in the match getting a first round take down by shooting low and grabbing Malina-Serion’s upper thigh for a takedown.

“I got him on a high crotch move and used my strength to hold him down for the pin,” he said.

The Cougar, who has 8 wins and 2 losses on the season is in his second year of wrestling and list amongst other things his likeness for full contact sports as an attraction that brings him on the mat.

“I think my success has come because of my never give up attitude and my willingness to always learn something new,” he said.

Ah Quin-Fely’s size and strength played an important role in his victory on Saturday, and his desire to continue to improve showed on the mat.

“I like the idea that we go into full combat on the mat, but once we step off we become instant friends,” he said.  “I’ve made so many friends during the season.”

Jove Asagra

Cougar teammate, Jove Asagra, was also on the mat, but without the success of some of his teammates.

The sophomore in his first year of wrestling admitted he still has a lot to learn in order to be on top.

“I still need to work my way up from the bottom,” Asagra said.  “I have to work on escaping once I’ve been taken down which means I need to work harder.”

In his opening match Asagra was pinned in the 114 weight class by Kona’s Warren Buena Vista, but the Cougar put on a valiant effort in his attempt to get out of the Wildcat grasp.

“I was trying to face up and bridge, but his hold only made it tighter,” Asagra said of his loss.  “I know that I have to work harder.”

Jesse Huihui

Another Cougar, Jesse Huihui, wrestling at 140 pinned his opponent, Kona’s Fidel Meza, during the second period by using a combination of moves.

“I used the high crotch to get him on the mat, then got him in a half nelson to flip him over for the pin,” Huihui said. 

The junior noted his desire to improve on his conditioning in order to last the entire three rounds during a close match.

“My conditioning could be better,” he said.  “Everything in wrestling comes down to conditioning and if I want to be a BIIF champion I know that is the key.”

For the girls it was a pair of Hawaii Prep cross country harriers making a name for themselves on the mat.

Sam Neal

Seniors Sam Neal and Kela Vargas are experienced runners who helped HPA to a BIIF title and a second place finish at the state championships, but both come to the mat lacking wrestling technique.

“Sam has been our most successful wrestler this season,” HPA coach Gary Jarvill said.  “We have 11 girls on the roster, but only two of them are returnees.”

Despite her lack of experience Neal has only two losses on the season and both to the same girl, Kamehameha’s Megan Aina.

In her first match of the day Neal was again facing Aina in the 103 weight class and both girls were tied after the first round 3-3.

“I think I need to learn more skills and techniques,” Neal said after being pinned by Aina in the second round.

Neal has tried a variety of sports, including boxing, and adds an aggressive style of wrestling to her repertoire.

“I can be aggressive, but at times I don’t know what to do with it,” Neal said.  “I think I need to work on things in advance in order to be better prepared.”

Kela Vargas

Ka  Makani teammate Kela Vargas was also on the mat late in the day at 98 pounds and taking on the same opponent in defending BIIF and state champion, Megan Aina of Kamehameha with the same result as Neal.

“I’ve lost to Megan two times now as she’s good,” Vargas said.  “I like wrestling the best as I know that it will only make me better.”

Vargas credits her years of running cross country as a benefit in wrestling.

“I have strong legs and I know I can use that to my advantage during drives and take downs,” she said. 

The road to success for any girl wrestling in the lightweight division this season is through Megan Aina as the tough and seasoned Warrior has challenged all comers and has come out on top.

The BIIF season comes to a conclusion on Saturday when Konawaena plays host to the island championships.