KAHULUI — Several BIIF athletes medaled at the HHSAA State Track and Field Championships on Friday and Saturday, and many others finished in the top ten or top fifteen.
Hilo High School sophomore Kekaihulali Halpern won the gold medal for the girls 800 meter run, clocking in at 2:19.33. Halpern also placed second in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:51.21, and fourth in the 3000 meters at 11:05.48. Her sister, Kekaimalino, placed tenth in the 1500 meters at 5:09.01 and No.11 in the 3000 meters at 11:31.80.
Konawaena HS senior Torrance Sata-Ellis won gold for the boys triple jump — recording a distance of 44 feet, three inches. Sata-Ellis also placed fourth in the long jump, measuring in at 20 feet, 6.5 inches. He was also part of his school’s 4×100 meter relay team — alongside teammates Zedekiah Anahu-Ambrosio, Carmine Taetuna-Fautanu and Keoki Alani — which finished seventh.
Waiakea HS junior Analissa Paresa placed second in the girls pole vault with a height of 11 feet, two inches. Her male teammate, Shelbey Cabais-Fernandez, placed fifth in the boys’ event at 13 feet, two inches. Back on the girls’ side, Waiakea’s Ausity Urubio placed No.11 at 9 feet, two inches and Kaili Mahaulu placed No.16 at eight feet, eight inches.
Kamehameha Schools – Hawai‘i senior Tobey Lau won silver in the boys discus — throwing for 148 feet, nine inches. Lau also finished at No.17 in the shot put — measuring in at 42 feet, ten inches. Ahead of him in shot put was Waiakea’s Shauntae Taifmai, who placed sixth with a 46-foot throw. Lau’s teammate, Niau Palos, placed tenth in shot put at 135 feet, eight inches.
Kealakehe HS senior Levi Childers placed second in the boys 3000 meter run, finishing at 9:17.09.
Hawai‘i Prep had two top-five finishers in the girls high jump. Talia Threkheld placed fourth, jumping five feet, four inches — and Elaina Head came in fifth at five feet flat.
Kealakehe’s Layla Grace placed fourth in the girls long jump, measuring in at 16 feet, seven inches.
Pahoa HS’ Malachi Wilson placed fifth in the boys 300 meter hurdles, clocking in at 41.03 seconds.
Konawaena’s girls 4×400 meter relay team — which consisted of Violet Schaut, Ila Henry, Braxton Kimitete and Dasha Kala — placed third, finishing in 4:12.36. Schaut, a freshman, notched two individual eight-place finishes —the 100 meter dash in 12.72 seconds, and the 200 meter dash in 26.19 seconds.
Kimitete also placed No.13 in the girls discus, throwing for 93 feet, three inches.
HPA’s girls 4×400 relay team — made up of Dani Rojas-Castelblanco, Siddney Shumate, Bella Dadzie and Caroline Betlach — placed seventh at 4:15.69.
Betlach also placed sixth in the girls 400 meter dash, clocking a time of 59.91 seconds.
Waiakea’s Alexander Tuson placed sixth in the boys 400 meters, finishing in 51 seconds flat.
Jayden Gebin, Sylis Conley-Ruth and Sebastian Ortiz-Bloom joined Tuson to place sixth in the boys 4×400 relay, clocking in at 3:32.30.