The BIIF announced its All-League cross country selections for the Fall 2023 season over the weekend.
The selections were based on the results of the Oct. 28 Central Pacific Bank/BIIF Championship at Hawaii Prep, and combined Division I and Division II athletes together — dividing select runners between the First Team, Second Team and Honorable Mention categories.
Athletes’ performances throughout the regular season and during the Nov. 4 state championship were also taken into account when making selections.
Girls’ First Team
The girls’ first team was led by BIIF individual champion Elisa Childers, a Kealakehe High sophomore who completed the championship 5k at 22:32.89.
Childers led the Waveriders to a No. 2 team finish in the BIIF championship’s DI category — alongside No. 6 Lily Marshall, No. 24 Audrey Montgomery, No. 26 Acadia Clark and No. 37 Shaylee Clark.
Throughout the regular season, Childers notched one first place finish, five second place finishes and a third place finish. She recorded a personal record of 19:49.0 during the final regular season meet Oct. 21 at Kea‘au High — finishing at No. 2 behind Hilo High’s Kekaihulali Halpern, who clocked in at 17:45.07. Childers placed No. 8 at the state championship, finishing at 20:35.7.
Also topping the first team was Hilo’s Kekaimalino Halpern, Kekaihulali’s twin sister, who finished No. 2 in BIIFs at 23:36.42 — just over a minute behind Childers.
Waiakea High received three First Team placements — Sri Butz, Nova Stickley and Shanay Ha‘a. The trio, led by No. 4 Stickley at 23:36.42, helped Waiakea to a team championship title. Butz placed No. 5 at 23:36.42, followed by No. 7 Ha‘a at 24:17.40 — and teammates No. 9 Camilla Megargel (24:33.46) and No. 16 Priscilla Mow (25:46.93).
Two runners from BIIF DII team champion HPA made the first team — No. 3 Tiffany Ravaglia (23:37.64) and No. 6 Wynter Radey-Morgan (24:11.17).
Boys’ First Team
Waiakea’s boys dominated the BIIF championship to take the title, and also like the girls, got their top three placed on the First Team.
No. 1 Shane Tominaga, a Waiakea sophomore, (18:17.39) tops the list. Tominaga was a force all throughout the regular season, notching four first-place finishes and two runner-up finishes. One of those No. 2 placements was behind teammate Austin Mohica, who was side-by-side with Tominaga at every meet — finishing No. 2 at BIIFs (18:23.31) and also making the First Team.
No. 6 Sebastian Ortiz-Bloom (19:28.17) was WHS’ third First Team placement.
The next member of the First Team was Hilo senior Nathan Hock, another one of the isle’s most consistent runners. Hock placed in the top three at every regular season meet, placing No. 1 on Sept. 30 at Waiki‘i Ranch and No. 2 a week prior at KS-Hawai‘i. Hock was edged by Mohica at the championship, finishing No. 3 by a quarter of a second (18:23.56).
Hock’s twin brother, Henry, also made the First Team — finishing No. 7 at BIIFs (19:28.72). The Hock twins are the Hilo XC team’s second set of twins alonside the Halperns.
The final First Team selections were HPA senior Mickey Petras — who finished No. 5 at 19:27.99 — and Konawaena High senior Isaac Keanaaina, who placed No. 4 at 19:25.21.
Girls’ Second Team
Lily Marshall, Kealakehe
Camila Megargel, Waiakea
Naomi DeMille, Hawaii Prep
Maya Schneider, Hilo
Titahni Ka‘awaloa, Hilo
Rosey Wawner, Hawaii Prep
Bella Dadzie, Hawaii Prep
Boys’ Second Team
Kaumuali Gancinia, HAAS
Demos Manuokis, St. Joseph
Joel Neves, Kea’au
Henry Huovinen, Waiakea
Landon Cabatbat, Kealakehe
Jack Soon-Ludes, Hawaii Prep
Takumi Wetherell, Parker
Honorable Mentions
Christian Liberty — Emma DeCleene, Emily Vogt, Aaron Bartz, Ethan Bartz, Elijah Montrose
HAAS — Oakley Allen
HPA — Johna Sejeti, Ed Lustik, Luca Kasumovich, Nicholas Pigotti
Hilo — Kekaihulali Halpern (state champion, did not compete at BIIF championship)
Kealakehe — Acadia Clark, Shaylee Clark, Audrey Montgomery, Archer Ankrun, Cameron Connery, Roman Fonua
KS-Hawai‘i — Peyton Botelho, Aisyss Respicio-Ragocos, KaydeeRae Ah Yo, Kalamakua Francisco, Kamaka Masuko, Kaleb Padaken
Kea‘au — Brandon Huff, Josh Westfall
Konawaena — Laila Palfy, Noah Langford, Samuel Nakamoto
Parker — Isabel Camp, Kai Garcia-Tobar, Tobias Gordon, Takumi Wetherell
St. Joseph — Axel Reid, Yuriy Russon, Amari Wiedmeier
Waiakea — Charley Brown, Malia Hill, Priscilla Mow, Carlos Soto Centeno, Rogelio Doratt, Kiran Letawsky