KEALAKEKUA — The Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) track and field season stayed on the Kona side for more regular season competition, hosting all schools on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at Konawaena High School’s Julian R. Yates Field. The school’s resurfaced green track was used in competition for the first time, giving some of the island’s top athletes a premier place to showcase their talents.
Konawaena’s collection of speedsters put on a show for the home crowd, as multiple Wildcats dominated in the track events Saturday. Junior Violet Schaut headlined the green and white, winning in the girls 100-meter (12.05s) and 200-meter dash (24.82s). Through three meets, Schaut has won seven individual races.
Schaut’s teammate, sophomore Kea Sanders, won the boys 100-meter dash in 11.46s. Sanders also had himself a day in the field events, winning the long jump in a personal-best leap of 6.32 meters (20-08.75) and season-best launch in the high jump with a measurement of 1.68 meters (5-06.00).
The Wildcats relay team of Schaut, Kaella Masters, Dasha Kala and Jazmin Fillmore raced a season-best time of 49.14s in the girls 4×100-meter race, winning the competition over second-place finisher Kealakehe by over three seconds. Ironically enough, the Lady Waveriders’ relay team of Ia Pabre, Trinity Kahihikolo, Mia Thennes and Layla Grace also recorded a season-best time in the same race (52.77s).
Kealakehe’s boys relay team of Kekaimalu Macabio, Carl Trinidad, Kainalu Macabio and Jackson Rigg won the boys 4×100, racing a season-best time of 43.35. The ‘Riders barely edged second-place Konawaena and third-place Kamehameha Schools-Hawai‘i, who also finished with season-best times.
Waiakea’s relay squad of Austin Mohica, Carlos Soto Centeno, Kiran Letawsky and Shane Tominaga secured a season-best time in the boys 4×800, winning by over a minute in 8:28.88.
Rigg also won the boys 200-meter dash in 22.77s, notching a personal-best time. Rigg’s teammate, ‘Riders senior Noah Rosenbloom, raced a season-best time of 2:04.75 in the boys 800-meter run — winning the field by almost five seconds.
Hawaii Preparatory Academy junior Kirra Geesey reached a personal record in the girls 800, racing in 2:27.38. Kealakehe junior Grace Anderle finished right behind Geesey in second, notching a personal best herself in 2:30.84. Anderle also won the girls 1500-meter race, winning by almost 12 seconds (5:17.97). It was the second individual race Anderle has won this season.
Junior Caden Smith of Makua Lani Christian Academy accomplished a personal-best time in the boys 1500-meter run, finishing in 4:32.24 to beat Ka‘u sophomore Tristan Rasmussen by almost seven seconds.
Waiakea freshman Shannon Eckert impressed in the girls 3,000-meter run, winning the race in dominant fashion with a personal record of 11:25.43. She beat the second-place finisher, KSH senior Peyton Botelho, by over a minute and a half.
KSH sophomore Judah Kanoa continued his impressive season in the hurdles races by winning the 110-meter race in a personal-best time of 15.05s and the 300-meter race in 41.30s. Kanoa has won six individual hurdles competitions this season.
Kanoa’s teammate, junior Alyssa Hudman, reached a personal-best run in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.53s to place first.
In Thursday’s field events, Konawaena senior Elias Malapit earned season bests in his wins in the boys discus (151-04) and shot put (46-09.25). Malapit barely surpassed his discus throw of 46.05 meters (151-01) from a week ago, which was also a season-best attempt at the time.
St. Joseph’s Analei Wiedemeier picked up where she left off in her spectacular freshman season, winning the girls shot put (32-01.25) and discus (99-00). Her elder sibling, senior Cardinal Amari Wiedemeier, won the boys triple jump again Saturday with a winning leap of 13.00 meters (42-08.00).
HPA senior Elaina Head notched season bests in her wins in the girls high jump (5-2.00) and long jump (16-07.00). Head also won the girls triple jump with a winning leap of 10.84 meters (35-06.75) on Saturday and placed second in discus Thursday (90-00).
KSH junior Kaimanamaikalani Bowman was the star of the pole vault Saturday, winning the boys competition with a personal record of 3.66 meters (12-00.00).
This week’s meet will take place at Konawaena again, with field events set to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday on Julian R. Yates Field.
