KAMUELA, Hawai‘i — Kaua‘i High School senior Josh Herr is the No. 2 boys cross country runner in the state.
Herr, a consistent top finisher during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation series, crossed the line on a 17:38.15 run Friday, nearly a minute behind his KIF pace of 16:50.00.
The run was just 31 seconds back of Davis Kaahanui of Kamehameha Schools, Kapalama campus, who crossed first overall at 17:07.90, just two seconds faster than the third overall finisher, Nikolai Scharer of Punahou who stopped the clock at 17:40.30.
“This was a horse trail,” said Kaua‘i coach Fred Sasan who accompanied the three Kaua‘i runners to the state meet at the Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy on the Big Island. “There was loose dirt, hard rock and it was a real horse trail. We took the runners over Thursday and we walked the trail so there would be no surprises Friday.”
Coach Richard Matsumoto said the runners had to do two laps on that trail.
An HPA release states 325 runners representing 48 schools from across the state heralded the 2012 Honolulu Marathon HHSAA Cross Country Championship races.
Kamehameha-Kapalama, with Kaahanui in the lead, captured the overall team championship with 83 points.
Punahou captured the girls team championship with 42 points followed by the HPA girls team with 72 points.
Kapa‘a boys, the KIF team champions, fielded its first runner, Joshua Cram, in the No. 101 slot. Cram stopped the clock at 20:19.35 followed by Waimea’s Mickey Rita coming in No. 124 on a 20:48.35 run.
Kapa‘a’s second runner, Micah-Kamuela Nobriga-Ferris, stopped the clock at 21:03.95 in No. 134 followed by Ronnie Perono (No. 151 – 21:54.65), Kellan Wortmann of Island School (No. 152 – 21:57.00), Tanner Henry (No. 156 – 22:21.55) and Elijah Lleullen (No. 157 – 22:32.25).
On the girls’ course, Kaua‘i’s Krista Schnackenberg topped the KIF individualists with a 17th overall finish at 22:12.7 run, ahead of Island School’s Joy Claypoole who finished No. 22 with a 22:27.2 run.
“This is the first time in the season Krista finished ahead of Joy,” Sasan said. “But something must have happened to Joy because she was heavily taped going into the race. That is a shame.”
Following the two KIF girls, Kapa‘a’s Cassie Wilson, a consistent top five KIF finisher, filled in the No. 53 spot on a 23:48.7 run before Waimea’s Kaycee San Agustin-Nordmeier crossed in the 69th position on a 24:25.7 run, the first runner of the Menehune team, the KIF champions.
Kaycee was followed by sister Bailey San Agustin-Nordmeier (No. 93 – 24:58.8), Talia Young (No. 96 – 25:02.0), Sienna Santiago (No. 153 – 26:58.5) and Bethany Tangalin (No. 159 – 29:03.5).
Heidi Herr, Josh’s sister running as a KIF individualist, filled in the No. 101 spot on a 25:05.1. Matsumoto and Sasan both agreed this was not her best race.
Dakota Grossman, a junior at Seabury Hall, took her third state individualist title, stopping the clock at 20:21.8 followed 11 seconds later by junior Elli Brady of Punahou (20:30.8) and freshman Teri Brady, also of Punahou (20:37.6).
“I really like the HPA course,” Matsumoto said. “I would like to see the state cross country race at HPA every year. It’s got a little bit of everything — a significant hill, nice down hills, some flat, level running. It has grass, dirt and asphalt surfaces. Like I said, a little bit of everything.”
Matsumoto, coaching three individualist runners instead of a team, said the state meet was “a roller coaster of emotional highs and low, and back to high.”
“We’ve had to compromise Krista’s training since July because of an injury, and for her to finish 17th — wow!” Matsumoto said. “At the same time, Heidi was having one of her worst runs. For Josh, vindication, sweet revenge and the unexpected surprise.”
Matsumoto was pondering how the three Red Raider runners would have done had it not been for the mixed bag of situations.
“I’m happy, proud, with the help of John Mullineaux, a track sprint coach, we did the training and rehabilitation for Krista right, but now we had to do ‘damage control’ with Heidi,” the cross country and track coach said. “How do you turn a negative into a positive? How you respond to disappointment and setbacks is the true test of who you are. You will learn more from your setbacks and failures than from your success.”
Matsumoto said during the summer of 2011, Josh’s training was going great and a Top 5 finish at the state race was feeling and looking realistic. But the dream disappeared in August when a stress fracture sidelined the state hopeful.
“Again, ‘damage control,’” the coach said. “Summer 2012, training is going okay, not as great as 2011. Top 10 finish — yes; Top 5 was possible, but it’s going to be tough; Top 3 — only if luck is on our side. And he comes in second — a nice, pleasant and unexpected surprise.”
Matsumoto said 2013 cross country practice starts today.
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