On this day in 1962, ROIA athletes set the stage for an assault on the record book.
Mateo Arnado of Castle and Kailua’s Richard Rodrigues broke records in the league trials at Radford High School.
Arnado broke Joe Boyd‘s year-old record with a 51.5 clocking in the 440 and Rodrigues erased Boyd’s name from the list with a 22.6 in the 220 yard dash.
That was just the warmup act, though.
The athletes returned for the finals the next day and broke six standards, highlighted by Arnado shaving 4/10ths of a second off his 440 mark. Rodrigues tied the record with a 10.1 in the 100-yard dash.
Other records broken were by Leo Ortiz of Kailua in the 180 low hurdles, Radford’s Alfonso Chamizo in the 880 and fellow Ram Kenneth Abbot in the high jump. Leilehua’s 880-yard relay team and Castle’s mile quartet also broke records.
Boyd’s state meet record in the 400 stood for three years.
recognize name of Leo Ortiz of Kailua, who was a former track coach/Teacher there and I believe a football player back in the heyday when Kailua was a powerhouse athletic program. good man, great Coach.