Lehl, ‘Iolani step in to fill Kamehameha void

Connor Lehl is the first male state cross country winner from Punahou since Todd Iacovelli in 2001, but the bigger surprise might be that he didn’t have to overcome a Kamehameha runner to get there.

For just the second time in the last 20 years, Kamehameha failed to take home a medal. The Warriors were either team champions or had the individual champion, sometimes both, in every year since 1997 except this year and 2011. The Warirors failed to place a runner in the top 10 for the first time since 1995.

Losing all-time greats like Kaeo Kruse and Davis Kaahanui to graduation in successive years would doom any program. Four of Kamehameha’s six runners in the state championship were seniors, led by Kekoa Ulansey‘s 31st-place finish. The other two were juniors.

With Kamehameha out of the way, Iolani cruised to the team title over Lehl and Punahou. The Raiders will be going for the three-peat next year without the services of Royce Garcia and Tyler Ebisu but return their top runner in Nicholas Arima as well as juniors Jason Wang and Koen Bailey and sophomore Charles Sakamaki.

Here are a few notes from Saturday’s race:

Kalaheo has had a runner in the top five four years in a row, the second longest active streak behind Punahou’s five in a row.

Hudson Lockette (7th) is Castle’s top finisher since Eric Pak (6th) in 2009

Dodger Middlebrook earned Kauai’s second top 10 finish all time, Joshua Herr‘s 2nd in 2012 is the other.

Cody Ranfranz (10th) is Konawaena’s only kid to place top 10 twice, he was eighth last year.