Big Island Varsity Track & Field Results

Powerful Viks continue their winning ways

By Wayne Joseph/ For the Tribune-Herald
 

KEAAU - The Hilo High School boys' and girls' track and field teams ran to victory in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Championships on Saturday.

Using a balanced attack in all events, the Viking boys recorded their sixth consecutive track and field title.

Coach Bill McMahon beamed with pride, while giving credit to his athletes and coaches for Hilo's continued success.

The Viking boys were able to place athletes in the top five scoring positions in all 16 events to win with a total of 78 points. Hawaii Preparatory Academy finished second with 77 points.

The Vikings were particularly strong in the throwing events, led by strongmen Kauhane Hanson and Brett Erickson. Hanson won the shotput with a BIIF record throw of 55' 2 1/2" with Erickson taking second at 51' 9".

In the discus, Erickson won with a distance of 152' while Hanson took third with a 141' toss. The Viking throwers, which also included Elijah and Abe Mederios, combined for 21 points.

Hilo added a victory by Keoni Cooper in the high jump with his leap of 6' and the Viking sprinters took the 4x100 relay, beating rival HPA by two - hundredths of a second.

Individual sprinters Kauhane Castro and Joshua Gastillo, along with jumpers Kiyan Kanalu, Donald Iokepa and Keoni Cooper, added to the Viking total.

Bart Hefron contributed in the pole vault, with Kekoa Chavez and Peter Olsen adding scoring in the hurdles.

The Viking middle distance and distance runners all contributed to their success with Stefano Barbis, Ben Johnson and Jonathan Fisher all helping to secure the team title.

But the boys' championship all came down to the final event of the evening. With Hilo trailing HPA by one point, the outcome rested on the feet of the 4x400 relay team. McMahon had the point totals and knew that his team needed to beat HPA if it was going to win its 6th straight title.

In the end, the Vikings finished 2nd in the relay, with the Ka Makani taking third. Keaau took the final event with a great time of 3:32. and finished third place overall with 67 total points.

Outstanding performances were also produced by Joshua Enos of Keaau. Enos, the defending BIIF 800 - and 1,500 - meter champion, again won both events. In the 1,500 - meter run, Enos triumphed in 4:17.4. He later returned to capture the 800 in 2:01.6.

Teammate John Darby blazed his way to victory in the 400, winning in 50.9. Adam Palacat of Kealakehe took second in 52.5.

The Cougar attack also included Sean Rabusitz, who won both the long and triple jumps. Rabusitz first took the long jump with his leap of 20' 6" over closest rival Jeremy Javar of Ka'u, who went 19' 6". Rabusitz then returned to prevail with his hop - skip - and - jump of 40' 11".

George Purdy of HPA became the league's fastest sprinter by winning both the 100 - and 200 - meter dash. Purdy won the 100 with a time of 11.32 over Kyle Cabison of Waiakea who clocked 11.47. Later Purdy won the 200 in 22.8 over Darby of Keaau.

The Ka Makani took the pole vault with Mikal Barchenger jumping 11'. Teammate Mikey Vitousek swept the hurdle events, winning the 110 in 16.6 over Ka'u's Donovan Hashimoto (17.2), then made a clean sweep by winning the 300 in 42.2 over Hilo's Chavez.

In the girls championship, powerful Hilo won in a hotly contested team title with a total 73 points over HPA. The Ka Makani finished with 69.

The Viking girls were once again led by their throwers - Krystal Moore, Keisha Siliga and Chante Ching. The trio accounted for 26 points as they went 1 - 2 - 3 in both the discus and shotput.

Siliga won the discus with her throw of 115' 4", while Moore took the shot with her toss of 40' 2".

Much of credit goes to Viking throwing coaches Shane Moniz and Don Iokepa who have built a power dynasty at Hilo.

Major contributors in the Viking attack also included Malia Ahu, Sonya Kuki, and Grace Uyeda.

Uyeda won the pole vault with a height of 7' 6", with teammate Kuki taking second in 6' 6". Ahu won the 400 - meter dash in a time of 59.1 seconds with Kuki taking third.

Ahu added points with her 4th place finish in the 100 - meter dash, at 12.9, with Uyeda taking 5th. Ahu finished second in the 200 with a time of 26.1, while Uyeda was 3rd at 26.2 seconds.

In the final race of the evening, Hilo sealed its victory with an impressive 4x400 meter relay time of 4 minutes and 14 seconds.

The girls' top BIIF sprinter award goes to talented Fran Weems of Kealakehe. Weems won the 100 - meter dash in 12.8 with Ilima Shim of Konawaena 4/100ths behind. Then in the 200 dash, Weems triumphed in 25.9, narrowly beating Hilo's Ahu.

Ka'u's Kuulei Karratti won three events, capturing the long and triple jump, along with the 100 - meter hurdles. In the hurdles, Karratti's time of 16.7 seconds beat HPA's Jennelle Pollette (17.7) and Chelsea Morriss (17.8).

Karratti's long jump distance was 17' and triple jump of 34' 5" earned top honors.

In the 300 hurdles, Waiakea's Heather Kalei won with a state best time of 47.8 seconds. Kalei only took up the hurdles four weeks ago and thanks to hurdle - guru coach Leo Ortiz, was able to get the fastest state time.

Susan Gleed of HPA was second in 48.9 with Sarah Felmley of Kona coming in at 49 flat. Kalei was also second in the long jump, while Gleed was second in the triple.

The 1,500 - meter run was won by Melissa Pupo - Davis of Keaau. Pupo - Davis took the lead right from the start to win in a personal best time of 5:09. Elise Ciez of St. Joseph was next in 5:11, with Angela Beck of Waiakea taking third in 5:14.

In the 800 - meter run, it was Kelsey Harrity of Kona sprinting past Waiakea's Beck in the final 80 meters to capture the title in 2:29 to Beck's 2:30. Third went to Veronica Morriss of HPA in 2:32.

The 3,000 - meter run saw St. Joseph's Ciez, the "Queen of Distance Running," win her final BIIF track race. Ciez had won every BIIF 3,000 - meter race in her brilliant four - year prep career.

In her final Big Island appearance, Ciez took a commanding 80 - meter lead to win in a time of 11:40. Following in second was HPA's Tanya Lewis (11:56) and St. Joseph's Moana Postlewait (11:59).

The high jump was won by Kelsey Johansen of Kona with a leap of 4' 8" over Katie Morigaki of Waiakea who also jumped 4' 8".

A large contingent of BIIF track and field athletes are now headed to Honolulu for the state championships, scheduled May 8 and 10 on the Kamehameha Schools campus.