In the midst of unusual circumstances, an eighth-grade harrier on the ‘Iolani cross country team is making virtual lemonade.
Spencer Lyau is a competitive runner in his own right, posting a time of 12 minutes, 24 seconds, second among intermediate boys from ‘Iolani and Maryknoll on Saturday at the Raiders’ on-campus course. He took the opportunity to do more than videotape the two-mile races of his teammates. Part comedian, part reporter, the boy they call “Mr. Spence” may be on to something in his quest to ask the world, “Why aren’t koalas actually bears?”
The Raiders and their contemporaries in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu are fortunate to have a cross country season while four other leagues across the state cancelled the sport in 2020-21. The staggered format of an ILH cross country meet is protocol-driven, requiring each event to be operated without direct contact between teams.
Strange times in a COVID-19 pandemic world, but the Raiders have found a way to effectively go to class daily, play sports safely and retain a sense of unity — and humor. This is Lyau’s second cross country video. His videos are available at MrSpence on YouTube.
The Raiders have been dominant in two ILH meets so far. The first was held at Mid-Pacific Institute. The second meet featured a stunning performance by seventh-grader Logan Pang, who outperformed varsity, JV and intermediate competition.
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