(See updated results at kautech.com.)
The second and final day of competition at the Island Movers/HHSAA State Track and Field Championships is underway this afternoon at Keaau High School.
Skies are blue, partly cloudy, not as humid as Friday. A torrential rain fell in the final hour of Friday’s action. Some finals were completed as scheduled, which is a different format from previous state meets when all finals were held on the final day. Still, the last events — the 4×400 relays — are not slated until 7:30 p.m.
Punahou boys have a significant lead in the team standings. The girls team battle is much closer between Punahou and Kaiser. Punahou has the numbers and the veteran coaching of Duncan Macdonald and his staff. Kaiser has multiple-event standouts under longtime coach Kevin Kruszona.
For the record, some amazing research by the Mad Librarian, Jerry Campany.
Heidi Freise of Punahou
Gold medals (career)
1979: 4×400, 200
1980: 100 hurdles
1981: 4×100, 200, 100 hurdles, 100
1982: 4×100, 4×400, 200, 100 hurdles, 100
That’s a total of 12 first-place finishes. WOH.
Jerry also lists Victoria Chang and Karen Phillips with 10 golds each.
9 gold medals
Breanna Pearson
Cheryl Grimm
Eri Macdonald
Lauren Dignam
Prestine Foster
Zhane Santiago
This is relevant, as always, and perhaps a bit more so because Kaiser’s Kristen O’Handley has an opportunity to win four golds tonight (100, 200, 400, high jump, 4×100, 4×400). Her toughest competition in the 200, freshman Chenoa Frederick of Kamehameha-Hawaii, competed in several event preliminaries yesterday. The 200 was not one of them.
First, some capsules on finals winners who completed events on Friday.
Girls Pole Vault
Champion: Juliette Lum
The Kaiser junior, won with a vault of 11 feet. She edged two other vaulters who also had 11-foot vaults because she had the fewest attempts at lower vaults.
“It feels awesome to know all of my hard work paid off in the end. Hopefully we get lots of points from Kristen and our relays,” she said.
Boys High Jump
Champion: Douglas Mitchell, Waianae
Mitchell, who was a shot-blocking basketball standout, won this event with a jump of 6-4. He trained all season without a high-jump pit on campus.
“I love jumping. We do lots of bounding.
And I watch a lot of YouTube. I look up high jump formation and visualize it a lot. I do that a lot for basketball,” he said.
Girls Discus Throw
Champion: Taegan Keep, Kauai
Only in her second season in the sport, she bested her PR by 10 feet. Her trials throw was a mere 112 feet, but she unleashed a 135-7 to win.
“I peaked at the right time. I was a lot less nervous than in trials. My palms were sweaty,” said Keep, who is also a basketball standout.
Keep, 6-foot-2 junior, is hoping to attend BYU.
“Once I was in top 8, I was lot more chill,” she said.
Boys Discus Throw
Champion: Alama Uluave, Punahou
The junior faced challenge after challenge in a highly competitive field. The new high from several throwers raised the bar each time until Uluave topped them all with a distance of 154 feet, 5 inches. He overcame teammate Miki Suguturaga (152 even).
Boys Shot Put
Champion: Alama Uluave, Punahou
After rising to a PR and winning the discus on Friday, the junior rose to the challenge again with a title in the shot put. His winning distance, 54-9, is another PR.
“I definitely felt something. I was feeling good,” said Uluave, who plays offensive line for the Buffanblu football team. “Normally, I would be training for football every day, but I’m taking this more seriously and my football coaches have been supportive.”
Boys Long Jump
Champion: Jacob Wright, Kamehameha
Wright soared to 23-1 on his third and final attempt to get past Campbell’s Ronald Norbrey (22-4.25).
“Yesterday in the triple (jump), I fouled on all three of my jumps, but my team told me to use that as motivation for the long jump,” said Wright, whose previous PR was 22-9.75. 
Girls Triple Jump
Champion: Chenoa Frederick, Kamehameha-Hawaii
The freshman’s 39-8 broke the previous mark of 38-6.50 held by Punahou’s Samantha Cabreros. Her biggest motivation may have been the most unusual in the entire state meet.
“It might sound really weird, but my coaches told me if I broke 38 they would buy me a prime rib dinner,” said Frederick, who came close with a 37-10.5 at the BIIF championships.
She missed a lot of practice time during the spring due to a lingering calf injury that started during soccer season.
“I wore a ti leaf anklet to call on my ancestors for protection. I didn’t feel (the injury) until halfway through the 400,” said Frederick, who still managed to finish third.
Boys triple jump
Champion: Isaiah Harris, Waipahu
The junior jumped 45 feet, 3 inches to edge Punahou senior Eamon Brady (45-1.5) and Baldwin senior Chayse Tamaki (45-0.75).
Girls High Jump
Champion: Kristen O’Handley, Kaiser
She cleared 5-2, well off her 5-5.25 at the OIA championships, but it was enough to win the gold ahead of Jasianna AhNee-Green (Campbell) and Kellie Okamura (‘Iolani).
Boys Pole Vault
Champion: Logan Rubasch of ‘Iolani
The junior cleared 15 feet even and edged ‘Iolani freshman Kai Yamafuji.
Girls 100 Hurdles
Champion: Saydee Aganus, KS-Hawaii
The junior roared to a 14.11, shattering the previous state record. The mark of 14.55 was held by Kahuku’s Zhane Santiago in 2011.
Boys 110 Hurdles
Champion: Rey Cadiz, Baldwin
The sophomore turned in a time of 14.58 with a strong tail wind. His nearest competitor, teammate John Dimuro, was nearly three-tenths of a second behind.
Girls 100 Dash
Champion: Kristen O’Handley, Kaiser
The senior blazed to victory in state-record time (12.01), but it was over the 2.0-mph metric allowed, making the effort “wind-aided.”
Boys 100 Dash
Champion: Christian Padron, Damien
Padron’s time of 10.63 seconds broke the previous mark of 10.77 set by Kamehameha’s Justin Desaki in 2016. The wind factor was 1.9, making Padron’s time a new record.
Weather is far less humid, nice breeze today compared to yesterday. Records are falling. Padron had no idea whether he had a state record, which was once held by his brother Jonathan (10.97), a 2010 Damien graduate.
“I didn’t get out hard enough. For me it’s normal. I told myself don’t worry about the guys next to me,” Padron said. “A record is something special. I’m here now doing the same thing as my brother.”
Girls 1,500 Run
Champion: Ava Shipman, Seabury Hall
The senior won in 4 minutes, 39 seconds, just three ticks off the state mark.
“It wasn’t that windy which was nice. It was similar to War Memorial,” she said. “Yesterday was hit and humid. I try not to dwell on it. I just go and run free. I listen to my body a lot.”
Boys 1.500 Run
Champion: Connor Lehl, Punahou
The senior set a site record with a time of 4:03.35. ‘Iolani junior Jason Wang closed six seconds behind. For Lehl, years of being close led to this moment.
“Today was good conditions. Honestly, it was so disappointing getting close to first (place),” Lehl said.
He was second in the 800 as a freshman, then was third in the 1,500 and fourth in the 3,000 as a sophomore. Last year, he was runner-up in the 1,500 and 800.
On Saturday, he later ran the 3,000 and won in 9:13.
Girls 4×100 Relay
Campbell (49.58) outlasted Kaiser (49.78) and Baldwin (49.78) for first place.
Boys 4×100 Relay
With Pardon anchoring, Damien (42.6) edged Hilo (42.68) to win this event.
Girls 400 Dash
Champion: O’Handley
She collected her third gold of the day with a win here, crossing the line at 57.61. Seabury Hall’s Claire Borthwick, who had the fifth-fastest time during trials (1:00.11), stepped up and took second place with a time of 58.71 to give her team crucial points in the team standings.
Boys 400 Dash
Champion: Trenton Wailehua, Saint Louis
The freshman ran a 49.22 to outpace Leilehua junior Jacob Schmidt (50.24). Wailehua set a site record, which was previously 49.78 set by Luka Walter of Kealakehe in 2012.
Wailehua’s 49.22 is a PR.
“I run faster when it rains,” he said.
Girls 300 Hurdles
Champion: Madison Moku, Sacred Hearts
The junior ran in 44.19, nearly a full second ahead of runner-up Nikki Shimao of ‘Iolani. KS-Hawaii’s Saydee Aganus placed third, keeping the Warriors in contention. Shimao is a freshman and Aganus is a junior.
Boys 300 Hurdles
Champion: Carver Locke, Lahainaluna
The Lunas’ basketball player and all-state selection won in 39.89, more than a full second better than his trials time. Kilikai Ahuna (Voyagers) and freshman Tanner Moku (Kamehameha) placed second and third, respectively.
Tanner Moku and sister Madison (Sacred Hearts) are the children of former Kamehameha head coach Sam Moku.
Girls 800 Run
Champion: Shipman
Not long after winning the 1,500, Shipman (2:16) captured first place in the 800 by a margin of more than 3 seconds. Maya Reynolds of Kihei Charter (2:20) and Veronica Winham of Seabury Hall (2:23).
Boys 800 Run
Champion: Nicholas Georgia, Kaiser
The sophomore ran a 1:58.55 to outlast Konawaena senior Lawrence Barrett (1:59.85). It was a joyous moment for Georgia, who was a quick learner after the 2016 state meet.
“Last year, I did 2:01 at OIA (fourth place), but at states I did so bad. I think I got more endurance this year,” he said. “I grew up, I guess.”
Girls 200 Run
Champion: O’Handley
O’Handley’s fourth gold of the day came with a time of 25.69, breaking the site record of 25.74 recorded by HPA’s Emma Taylor in ’16. Kameron Smith of Campbell took second place (25.92).
Boys 200 Run
Champion: Padron
The Damien senior cracked the 22-second mark at 21.97, breaking the site record (22.09) previously held by Kanakalele Silva of KS-Hawaii since ’10.
Girls 3,000 Run
Champion: Shipman
With Shipman winning (10:49), Winham placing second (10:56) and Darby Mulligan finishing fourth (11:03), Seabury Hall racked up huge points in the team standings.
Boys 3,000 Run
Champion: Lehl
The senior from Punahou won his second gold in as many races after coming close for his first three seasons. Lehl (9:13) edged junior Jason Wang of ‘Iolani (9:14). Kalaheo took the next two spots with Colby Otero (9:15) and Avery Torres (9:18).
Girls 4×400 Relay
Champion: Mililani
The Lady Trojans won in 4:03, followed by Punahou (4:05). Entering this event, O’Handley said Kaiser trailed Seabury Hall by 2.5 points in the team standings.
Unofficially, this was the moment the Spartans won the team title. They huddled a few moments later and let out a cheer on the infield.
Boys 4×400 Relay
Champion: Konawaena (Josiah Vallez, Kala‘i Santiago, Hauoli Akau, Kamakana Ching)
The Wildcats’ disappointment from the 4×100 relay was tempered by gold here. Their time of 3:23 was just three seconds off the state mark held since 1985 by Radford.
“We were kind of surprised. It’s our first time running together. Kamakana never ran 4×400 with us,” Akau said.
“Coach said to let it go,” Ching said of the 4×100 disappointment. “We had to focus on our future events.”
The final official team standings (top five):
Girls
1. Seabury Hall 74
2. Kaiser 69.5
3. Kamehameha-Hawaii 53
4. Punahou 33.5
5. Campbell 33
Boys
1. Punahou 120
2. Konawaena 40
3. Damien 38
4. (tie) ‘Iolani, Kamehameha 29
In the exhibition Mixed 4×100 Relays, Hilo won with a time of 55.15, just off the record set last year by Farrington (T Mosi Afc, B Diaz, K Flores, J Uahinui). Kaimuki placed second, followed by Hilo B, Maui, Farrington, Hilo C and Maui B.
In the exhibition Mixed 4×400 Relays, Hilo won again in 4:43, followed by Kaimuki, Maui, Farrington, Hilo B and Maui B.
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