BIIF BOYS Champions top 50 – Conners wins

 BIIF Cross Country Championships
                                Hawaii Prep  October 19, 2012           

 Place TmPl No.  Name               Yr School                    Varsity_
===== ==== ==== ================== == ========================= ========
    1    1   52 TONY CONNORS       11 Honokaa                   18:27.10
    2    2  215 IAN MCQUATE        11 Waiakea                   18:35.70
    3    3  190 PAUL GREGG         12 Parker                    18:39.30
    4       200 ANDREW LANGTRY     12 St. Joseph’s              18:53.90
    5    4  159 JOSIAH ADAMS       10 Kohala                    18:58.25
    6    5   29 MICHAEL SPETICH    11 Hawaii Prep               18:58.95
    7    6  151 THUNDER FROST      10 Kealakehe                 19:03.15
    8    7   36 STEPHEN HUNTER     11 Hilo                      19:15.90
    9    8   22 JUSTIN MACY        12 Hawaii Prep               19:24.70
   10    9   44 TIMON SKINNER      11 Hilo                      19:25.10
   11   10  193 TYLER MCCULLOUGH   12 Parker                    19:40.85
   12   11   90 MAKA’ALA CRUZ      11 Kamehameha (hawaii)       19:41.20
   13   12   58 BROOKS MCVEY       12 Honokaa                   19:42.60
   14   13   16 WALTER DISNEY      11 Hawaii Prep               19:51.45
   15   14  112 DALLAS TADA        12 Kamehameha (hawaii)       19:53.45
   16   15  103 JONAH KNELL        12 Kamehameha (hawaii)       19:54.95
   17   16   47 ISAAC ANGELO       11 Honokaa                   19:55.65
   18   17   46 SEANRY AGBAYANI    11 Honokaa                   19:57.50
   19   18   96 COLTON HILL        11 Kamehameha (hawaii)       19:58.35
   20   19   97 KAIMIOLA HO        10 Kamehameha (hawaii)       19:58.95
   21   20  149 CJ AGUSEN          12 Kealakehe                 20:00.30
   22   21   61 SEAN PERALA        11 Honokaa                   20:03.80
   23   22  155 TYLER LA SALLE     11 Kealakehe                 20:08.15
   24   23   39 RICHARD KERR       12 Hilo                      20:12.05
   25   24  127 JEFFERY FERRELL    10 Kea’au                    20:21.15
   26   25  152 JEREMY GAMBING     11 Kealakehe                 20:22.85
   27   26   40 HYRUM KIM          10 Hilo                      20:23.15
   28   27  220 MARK PACRIS        10 Waiakea                   20:23.45
   29   28   20 NATHAN LADWIG      9  Hawaii Prep               20:27.15
   30   29  205 MATTHEW CAMACHO    11 Waiakea                   20:30.45
   31   30   63 DAVID ROBINSON     12 Honokaa                   20:31.30
   32   31   64 PEDRO SANCHES      12 Honokaa                   20:36.65
   33   32   95 MALU HAMMOND       12 Kamehameha (hawaii)       20:36.90
   34   33   94 KAWIKA FINLEY      12 Kamehameha (hawaii)       20:38.35
   35   34   13 HIDE AKAI          10 Hawaii Prep               20:46.20
   36        31 RYUTA YODA         12 Dq                        20:46.35
   37   35   21 JAKE LAI           11 Hawaii Prep               20:49.55
   38   36  158 GAVIN ULMAN        10 Kealakehe                 20:56.95
   39   37  169 JOSHUA KUPERUS     10 Makua Lani                21:01.15
   40   38  209 HAJIME HAYANO      11 Waiakea                   21:02.15
   41   39   33 RIVER BROWN        9  Hilo                      21:03.75
   42       198 LUKE POTTER        10 Dq                        21:04.05
   43   40  211 ALAN IKEHARA       11 Waiakea                   21:05.35
   44   41  191 EVAN KASBERG       12 Parker                    21:21.55
   45   42  123 AUSTIN ANDERSON    11 Kea’au                    21:27.10
   46   43   43 MAXIMILLIAN PANOFF 11 Hilo                      21:33.15
   47   44  122 DAVIN ALVIENTO     12 Kea’au                    21:48.35
   48   45    6 KEKOA MUNDO        11 Christian Liberty         21:49.85
   49   46  186 JESSE BURNS        12 Parker                    21:50.75
   50   47  154 SCOTT HENDERSON    11 Kealakehe                 21:51.05

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BIIF track and field season gets a running start on Saturday

     It’s never easy to dethrone a champion and this track & field season won’t be any different as the Big Island Interscholastic Federation defending girls and boys champions look for a repeat.

The Hawaii Preparatory Academy’s girls and Waiakea boys look to defend their team titles when the BIIF gets a running start with dual season openers at Kamehameha and Konawaena on Saturday.

“We return a young, but experienced girls team,” Veteran Ka Makani Coach Pat Lau said.

“Our strength will be with our distance girls in events of 400 meters and above.”

Lau has the luxury of having the entire 2011 girl’s state champion cross country team on the track.

Zoe Sims, last year’s 1500 meter state champion along with Kristiana Van Pernis who placed in both the 1500 and 800 meter events at states, will headline the talented Ka Makani distance squad.

“Besides our distance girls we have two strong finishers in pole vault, Sydney Budde and Taylor Esaki,” Lau said.

Experience is the name of the game with HPA having two hurdlers in Emily Evans and Katie Case which give firepower and depth to Ka Makani track squad.

“In the rest of the events we have a lot of new girls and they should do well,” Lau said.

Lau also has a host of talent to choose from with another large turnout on the track.

“This year we have another big  team with 47 girls and 32 boys, most are still learning,” Lau said.  “Pole vault alone will have 11 athletes with only 4 having experience.”

Lau points to his coaches which are working hard at finding the right events for each of his athletes.

“Our coaches will spend time with each and every one of them to find how they can best contribute to the team,” Lau said.

The HPA boys return state shot put and discus champion Shane Brostek and Lau feels that he will have another great year.

“Our senior leader is Kayden Haleakala in the pole vault and sprints,” Lau said.  “We expect a few surprises in the hurdles and jumps with our young boys.”

Defending boy’s team champions, Waiakea, return most of their squad from last season which have coaches Mary Jane and Lance Tominaga looking for a repeat.

“We’re expecting our returnees to contribute in their events,” MJ Tominaga said.

The Tominaga’s have high expectations for Mauna Palama-Danielson, throws, Jackson Halford, Ian McQuate and Keoni Rice in the mid to long distance races, Michael Morikawa and Kevin Nicolas in the hurdles and jumps and Colton Austria in sprints.

“We have about 40 athletes on the boy’s side and we expect some of our new additions to be key contributors to this year’s team,” Coach Tominaga said.  “We feel the team will be competitive as we have the depth to field athlete in every event except for pole vault.”

Waiakea has a small girl’s team with 15 and the Tominaga’s agree that they lack the depth of the boy’s squad.

Key individuals for the Warrior girls will come from Kelsie Kobayashi in distance, Haley Rasse, mid distance and Teisha Nacis in sprints.

Around the rest of the league:

KEAAU will field a large squad of 77 athletes, but according to Coach Vicky Chai-Guerpo most are young and have raw talent.

“We have a close knit group of kids who are focused on doing their best,” Chai-Guerpo said.  “Our goal is to be a ‘brotherhood’ caring about each other and if we accomplish this, then a win may follow.”

The Cougars will rely on the experience of a sprint core made up of Jesse Huihui, Damien Packer, and Alexander Engdahl. Teammates Cliff Ericksson, jumps and hurdles; Nelson Enos, pole vault; Talon Ota, jumps and 400; Joey Aquino, high jump; Randi Estrada, sprints; and Deann Nishimura-Thornton at distance events.

HILO with veteran coach Bill McMahon has a good turnout of mostly young girls and he is trying to see how they will develop.

“Our girls will bring back Carmen Garson-Shumway at distance, along with Shina Chung at Pole Vault,” McMahon said.

The Viking boys will see Zack Atagi in the discus and shot.

“Our boys had a good turnout but almost all are new guys so we don’t know what we have yet,” McMahon said.  “We are going to try to be competitive.”

HONOKAA – One of the league’s best distance coaches, Josh Abner, brings with him one of the strongest 1500 and 3K runners on the track in Chase Moniz along with brothers Robert and Tony Conners handling the mid distance. 

“I also have high expectations for our 4×400 meter relay team and sprints with the addition of Dylan Oanadasan, Brooks McVey, and Koa Phenice returning,” Abner said.

Abner also noted that Josh Tobias will join the team, after a fantastic soccer season.

For the Dragon girls Abner has high hopes for Hildhang Adona and Kelly Greenwell in the distance races along with Nahe Lau and Yvonne Daniels in the sprint events.

KAU – has a new coach, but a familiar face on campus, Kapua Lapera returns to her alma mater after graduating and running cross country for the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

The Trojans return one of the islands fastest sprinter and jumper in junior Christina Padrigo. 

Marley Stand-Nicolaisen, triple jump and hurdles along with teammate Alika Kaopua, the BIIF triple jump champion will also be a highlight for Kau.

KAMEHAMEHA – Under head coach Kimo Weaver always produces outstanding hurdlers who have gone on to win state titles.  Weaver is a master coach in the hurdles as that is his area of expertise.

The Warriors will carry between 20 and 30 boys and another 20 to 30 girls, according to Weaver.

Outstanding returnees include Kaenen Aukai Akau in the long jump and sprints along with Chelsea Poe in sprints and relays and Alyssa Lehua McGuire in the hurdles, pole vault and relays.

“Our strengths are in the jumps, but we are a young and inexperienced team,” Weaver said. “Our main goal is to simple get better every week and having fun doing it.”

KONAWAENA –  Wildcat coaches Kuulei Saole and Kuulika Taveras return some super star power in Ua Ruedy, the defending state champion in the 300 hurdles and Lita Taomoefalau who placed third in the BIIF throws.

The big question was whether or not basketball great Lia Galderia will compete as she was questionable going into the preseason while she was still working on preparing for college, according to a school source.

Galderia, a muli talented athlete will appear in action on the BIIF track scene, as her presence will add a boost to the Wildcat program according to sources within the BIIF.

The BIIF regular track and field season gets a leaping start this Saturday as West side schools head to Kona with East side running on the Kamehameha Keaau track.

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

Hawaii Prep girls cross country HHSAA state champions for 2011

Franklin

“Something special and magical happened today,” Coach Michael Franklin said when learning that his Hawaii Preparatory Academy girls cross country team won the state title.

Ka Makani harriers gave everything they had during the 49^th Annual Hawaii High School Athletic Association cross country championships held Saturday at the Kapalua Village Golf Course on Maui.

 “Everything worked out according to how we trained over the years, as we ran as a team and packed our runners together,” Franklin said.

HPA the Big Island Interscholastic Federation team champion went step to step with HHSAA six time defending champion Punahou in what proved to be a run for state bragging rights.

Ka Makani harriers were runner up to Punahou last year, but turned the tables on the Buff and Blue with their pack style running.

HPA had all five girls in the top 9, which saw their lead pack of Kristiana Van Pernis, Mariah Haight,   Zoe Sims, Emily Evans and Kelly Ulrich finish fifth through ninth respectively.

This was Hawaii Preps first girls cross country state title since 1994 when the team was coached by Phil Conley.

“Phil Conley and Stan Shutes have played an important role in the success of this program,” Franklin said.  “Those two coaches established the foundation for what we have today as they instilled the tradition and philosophy behind our success.  I just happened to step into a program that fits my style of coaching.”

Franklin also contributed a huge portion of his team’s ascent to being the best in the state to having the right combination of young runners.

“We have the right group of personalities with great team leadership and really positive attitudes,” Franklin said. “What happened today was very special and magical and I’m very proud of what we did.”

Kelly Ulrich

HPA’s number five runner, Kelly Ulrich, didn’t run on the varsity team last year and was key to the team’s success in winning the team championship by finishing 9^th overall this year.

“Our coaches read a poem called ‘Power of the Pack’ and I kept listen to the words in that poem as I wanted to be able to see our top four girls during the race,” Ulrich said.  “I didn’t expect to do as well as I did, but it felt really good to run fast and stay with our pack.”

Kristiana Van Pernis had a 14^th place finish last year during state competition and was the first BIIF girl to cross the finish line this season in fifth place overall.

“I felt like I turned my brain off during the race and just focused on running,” Van Pernis said.  “I enjoyed running with my teammates and that’s where all my thoughts went.”

Trying to stay with the HPA pack was Waiakea’s Kelsie Kobayashi who placed 11^th overall (the top 20 individual boys and girls received state medals.

“This was a phenomenal season,” Kobayashi said.  “I had my best finish ever in the four years I’ve run states.  I just tried to get out fast and not get boxed in at the beginning of the race.  I used the HPA pack as I was trying to make my way up to them.”

Kobayashi, a senior, was pleased with the outcome.

“I left everything on the course,” she said.  “I kept thinking about what my coach (Rosado) told me early in the season, that cross country doesn’t require a lot of equipment, just a lot of heart.”

Seabury Hall’s Dakota Grossman a sophomore won the individual state title for a second year finishing in a time of 19 minutes 27 seconds

In the boys race it was Waiakea’s Jackson Halford being the first Big Island runner to cross the finish line with St Joseph’s Andrew Langtry close behind.  Halford finished eighth overall in a field of 160 runners, managed to redeem himself after a second place finish during the BIIF championships the week before.

“This race more than made up for my finish at the BIIF championships,” Halford said.

“I beat my personal goal coming into states,” Halford said.  “I was just hoping to come in 10^th this year after my 25^th place finish last year.”

Halford started out slow during the opening mile of the three mile race and his strategy paid big dividends.

“I knew everyone was going to go out really fast and then die,” Halford said.  “At the first mile marker I was in 40^th place and people started falling back.”

Halford a senior believes this was the best race of his four year racing career.

For Langtry who finished tenth overall this was his first opportunity to participate in the state cross country championships.

“It was great and I went out perfectly,” Langtry said.  “I was staying close to Jackson and we helped push each other.  Also having my dad come out to watch the race was something that helped me run well.”

Waiakea boys were the top scoring BIIF team, placing ninth to BIIF champion’s Honokaa tenth place finish.

“I told my guys if they didn’t do well today they’d be walking back to Kahului,” a joking Warrior Coach Rosado said.  “They were a lot more serious and focused today than they were at the BIIF Championships a week ago.”

Leilehua won the boys team title with 55 beating out Maui 63 and Iolani with 74 points.

Other top BIIF finishers placing within the top 100 on Maui were:

Boys: 27) Parker’s Paul Gregg  30) Kamehameha’s Shawn Correa Doll,  45) Honokaa’s Robert Conners, 54) Waiakea’s Ian McQuate  62) Honokaa’s Tony Conners  76) Waiakea’s Robbey Meguro  77) Hilo’s Stephen Hunter  80) Kealakehe’s Luka Walter  84) Kamehameha’s Makaala Cruz  92) Parker’s Jesse Tarnas  94) Honokaa’s Chayce Moniz  96) HPA’s Justin Macy    97) HPA’s Michael Rogerson

Girls:   15) Kealakehe’s Kari Van Mols  26) Hilo’s Carmen Garson-Shumway  30) Hilo’s Satya Ray   35) Kealakehe’s Sydney Kirkhill  38) Makua Lani Joy Choe 45) Makua Lani’s Grace Choe  47) Keaau’s Deann Nishimura-Thornton  53) HPA’s Veronica Ladwig  56) Kamehameha’s Erin Carvalho  61) Konawaena’s Shayli Nakamoto  63) Hilo’s Shalila De Bourmont  66) Kealakehe’s Mika Bettencourt  67) Kamehameha’s Corin Kim  69) HPA’s Cat Bradley  80)  Hilo’s Jordyn Breithbarth   81)  Hilo’s Kaylee Rapoza    82) Keili Dorn Makua Lani  84) Honokaa’s  Hildhang Adams 85) Honokaa’s Elizabeth Aguirre  92) Honokaa’s Kelly Greenwell  93)  Kamehameha’s Mikela Cabel  95) Makua Lani’s Tiffany Nakamura   100) Keaau’s Natalie Hagemann

BIIF X-C champs, Honokaa and Hawaii Prep, starting 7 for HHSAA championship

Bradley	Cat	11	Hawaii Prep
Evans	Emily	11	Hawaii Prep
Haight	Mariah	10	Hawaii Prep
Ladwig	Veronica	10	Hawaii Prep
Sims	Zoe	11	Hawaii Prep
Ulrich	Kelly	10	Hawaii Prep
Van Pernis	Kristiana	10	Hawaii Prep

Agbayani	Seanry	10	Honokaa
Aguirre	Alden	12	Honokaa
Conners	Robert	12	Honokaa
Conners	Tony	10	Honokaa
Moniz	Chayce	12	Honokaa
Robinson	Clayton	11	Honokaa
Sanches	Pedro	11	Honokaa

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.