Led by Konawaena’s Caiya Hanks, the Big Island’s top track and field athletes made plenty of noise at Day 1 of this year’s HHSAA Track & Field Championships at Kamehameha-Kapalama.
Hanks recorded the fastest time of the day in both the girls 100 and 200-meter dash prelims, finishing in 12.70 and 25.62 seconds, respectively. The Konwawaena senior also anchored the Wildcats’ 4×100 relay team – along with Uhiwai Wall, Ila Henry and Braxton Kimitete – that qualified for Saturday’s final, crossing the line in 51.32 seconds.
A number of event finals took place Friday; Hawaii Prep’s Talia Threlkeld and Elaina Head recorded the highest final placement by any BIIF athlete through Day 1, each clearing 4’10” to tie for third place in girls high jump.
Other final results from Friday include a fourth place finish in boys long jump by Kamehameha’s Kahiau Poe (20’11.5”), followed closely by Konawaena’s Ro’o Satta-Ellis (20’11”) in fifth. Keaau’s Kamaila Paikuli took sixth place in girls discus with a throw of 107’6”.
Saturday’s slate of events will feature a plethora of BIIF athletes competing to bring a state championship title home to the Big Island. In addition to Hanks in the 100 and 200, Kealakehe’s Cozette Wood was the second-fastest finisher in the girls 1500-meter run prelims, crossing the line in 5:01.44. Hilo’s Hulali Halpern will join Wood in the 1500 final after finishing in ninth (5:12.39) in prelims.
Both Konawaena and Waiakea will compete in the girls 4×100 relay final; Konawaena finished prelims in third (51.32), while Waiakea was sixth (52.15).
Konawaena’s Malakai Fillmore qualified for Saturday’s boys 300-meter hurdles final, taking third in 42.16 seconds. Hawaii Prep’s Kaiulani Bento is the lone other BIIF hurdler to make finals with her seventh-place finish (16.66) in the girls 100-meter hurdles prelims.
A trio of Waiakea runners rounded out the remaining individual preliminary qualifiers from Friday. Kederang Ueda took sixth in the boys 1500 (4:20.64), while the Warriors had a qualifier in both the boys and girls 800. Koyoshi Todd (2:01.42) took fourth in the boys prelim, and Kaylie Hashizaki (2:27.21) took sixth in the girls prelim.
Waiakea also secured a spot in the girls and boys 4×400. The girls crossed the line with the sixth-fastest time in 4:17.56, and the boys had the eighth-fastest time in 3:36.43.
Day 2 on Saturday at Kamehameha-Kapalama will have field events begin at noon, followed by running events at 5:30 p.m.