The BIIF track and field championships provided many highlights at Julian Yates Field in Kealakekua on Saturday. Many meet records fell as athletes from all over the Big Island saved their best results for when it counted most.
The BIIF track and field championships provided many highlights at Julian Yates Field in Kealakekua on Saturday. Many meet records fell as athletes from all over the Big Island saved their best results for when it counted most.
The Waiakea boys — led distance runner Louis Ondo who recorded three meet record times — claimed the boys title with 108 points. They were able to pull away from Kamehameha late in the meet after the school was spotted 40 points by Tre Evans-Dumaran, who brought home four gold medals. Kamehameha finished with 83 points.
In the girls competition, Hawaii Preparatory Academy claimed the top spot with 117 points. They were led by hurdles specialist Emma Taylor, who took first in both events. Kealakehe finished second with 97 points. They made up some ground late thanks to their long distance runner, Keili Dorn, who blew away the field in the three events.
Ondo was a force to be reckoned with in the long distance runs for the Warriors of Waiakea. His first race was the 1500 and he pulled away early, winning by six seconds with a time of 4:06.46 to earn his first meet record of the day. Ondo went on to win the 800 by four seconds with a time of 1:58.92, and the 3000 by 10 seconds with a time of 9:16.45.
“It is a great feeling and this shows that I have improved in my running,” Ondo said. “I train hard every day. I like the atmosphere over here and I felt like I pushed myself.”
Kamehameha’s Evans-Dumaran claimed a BIIF championship meet record of his own after winning the 110 hurdles in a time of 14.86.
“I feel like I can still go a lot faster,” Evans-Dumaran said. ”I could feel everyone behind me after the first four or five hurdles and then I started to distance myself.”
Evans-Dumaran went on to claim more gold medals at the meet than anyone else, winning the 300 hurdles (40.52), 100 (11.23) and 200-meter dash (23.05).
Freshman Hauoli Akau also had a solid performance at BIIF’s, claiming three gold medals for Konawaena. Akau showed versatility, winning the triple jump with a distance of 42 feet, 1.75 inches, and the 400, with a time of 4:15.06. He also claimed a share of the title on the 4×400 relay team, along with Aukai Adams, Austin Ewing and Thomas Johnson. The team finished in a time of 4:15.06.
In the girls competition, HPA pulled away from the competition based on the depth of their team. Taylor showed why she has been the top hurdler all season long, finishing first in the 100 (14.94) and 300 (42.27). HPA’s Ula Brostek dominated the throwing competitions, winning both the discus (114-00) and shot put (37-11.25). Kau’i Taylor also picked up a win for Ka Makani. She cleared 5-feet in the high jump and took the tiebreaker with fewer misses.
Dorn led the second place Kealakehe squad with three titles. She won the 800 (2:21.96), 1500 (4:56.88) and 3000 (11:09.02).
Teammate Alysa Gamache also picked up three gold medals. She won the 100 in a meet record time of 12:47, edging out HPA’s Taylor in a very close race.
“I wanted to be first in BIIF, but it is also nice to break records too,” Gamache said. “It was nerve racking because Emma doesn’t normally run. Seeing her again provided a lot of tension because I didn’t know what she was going to bring.”
Gamache also won the 200 (26.34) and claimed a share of the victory in the 400 relay with a time of 50.21.
Kamehameha’s Meagan Kualii also had a great meet, winning two events. As the top seed, she cleared 18-01 to claim first in the long jump. In a much anticipated showdown against Kealakehe’s Nicole Cristobal in the triple jump, Kualii managed to outdistance her rival by only two inches. She cleared 35-09.
Cristobal did not leave without a gold, claiming a piece of the 4×100 title with Gamache, Kiana Fudala and Hi’i Mano’i. Also claiming titles in the girls competition were Hilo’s Mehana Sabado-Halpern (400, 1:00.00) and the Hilo 1,600 team of Sabado-Halpern, Ka’U Mossman, Alana Peterson-Kamaka and Leilani (3:34.58).
Rounding out the champions in the boys competition were Hilo’s River Brown (pole vault, 11-06), Esteve Salmo of Ka’u (long jump, 20-01.75), Waiakea’s Ridge Quitoriano (shot put, 50-07.5), Hilo’s Ofa Fahiaa (discus, 142-11) and Waiakea’s 400 relay team.
Hilo (89), Kamehameha (72), Waiakea (65), Konawaena (32), Keaau (22) and Kohala rounded out the team scoring for the girls. Finishing the field in the boys competition were Hilo (78), Keaau (77.50), Hawaii Prep (53), Konawaena (44.50), Kealakehe (28), Ka’u (14), Pahoa (6) and Kohala (1).