LIHU‘E — Laysa Turner of the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School finished the first-ever Run Club Kaua‘i Middle School Invitational Race in third place overall. But that finish was good enough to lead the CKMS Girls team to a top finish in the 1.5-mile race that was held at the Puakea Golf Course Friday afternoon.
“We had a great turnout with 18 girls and 26 boys participating,” said Emma Burgess, a co-founder of Run Club Kaua‘i, and a Kaua‘i High School 11th grade cross country runner. “There were more registered who couldn’t make it, but the kids who did come out had fun participating in healthy competition. I believe there were some runners who surprised their parents at how well they performed.”
Racing to beat the setting sun, Avani Keahialalo of Island School topped the girls field on a run stopping the clocks at 11 minutes, 36 seconds. She was dogged by Shay Clark of the Hawai‘i Tech Academy who tripped the clocks at 11:58, just 26 seconds back of Keahialalo.
Turner followed at 12:38 to lead the CKMS girls’ scoring with Aleah Polansky coming in fourth at 12:53, just 15 seconds back of Turner. Sasha Cooney, finishing sixth overall at 13:38 completed the CKMS girls’ team scoring.
“The team scoring was reduced to the Top 3 runners instead of the Top 5 so we could allow more teams to compete,” Burgess said. “We have been in contact with Kapa‘a Middle School, the Olelo Christian Academy, and Kahili Adventist schools who are trying to get some kids out for the championship race, Friday.”
Runner up team honors belonged to Island School after Keahiolalo’s finish was followed by Janavi Srikanth (13:41) who finished seventh, and Jaitha Srikanth (14:10) who finished eighth, overall.
Maela Pinky Stewart of the Kanuikapono Public Charter School stopped the clocks at 13:02 in fifth place, overall to lead the Anahola school to a third-place team finish. Following Stewart, Jasmine Winston (15:16) finished ninth overall, and Isabella Dalessi (16:39) rounded out the Kanuikapono scoring with a 12th overall finish.
On the boys’ course, Island School Voyagers used the same strategy as their high school team, clustering their top finishers at the top, led by Luka Perozo finishing first overall on a 9:12 run. Zachary Edwards (9:43) and Sawyer Munroe (9:43), a step back of Edwards, rounded out the boys’ team scoring that put the Voyagers at the top.
Island School fielded 13 runners for this race geared to provide middle school students experience in cross country running at the high school level.
Cedric Crampton-Nabaa of the Hawai‘i tech Academy was 30 seconds behind Perozo for the boys’ second place overall finish at 9:42. He led the Hawai‘i Tech Academy team scoring that finished in second place for the boys race after getting help from Caleb Stebbins (10:56) who finished the boys race 12th overall, and Nathan Schmaeling who stopped the clocks on a 12:45 run.
Kanuikapono, fielding just two runners, took the third-place team scoring with Kaiehu Ahuna (11:32) and Kailinemo Blake (20:31).
Results
• Girls Middle School: Avani Keahiolalo (IS) 11:36, Shay Clark (HTA) 11:58, Laysa Turner (CKMS) 12:38, Aleah Polansky (CKMS) 12:53, Maela Pinky Stewart (Kanu) 13:02, Sasha Cooney (CKMS) 13:38, Janavi Srikanth (IS) 13:41, Jaitha Srikanth (IS) 14:10, Jasmine Winston (Kanu) 15:18, Alayna Shigematsu (CKMS) 15:36, Koi Pope (HTA) 16:02, Isabella Dalessi (Kanu) 16:39, Leila Caoagas (CKMS) 18:04, Shanyn-Isabella Naka‘ahiki (CKMS) 18:04, Lillian Malandruccoio (Kanu) 18:30, Annexous Muha (Kanu) 23:00, Gabrielle Basilio-Valdez (WCMS) 23:56, Lilion Rouner (Kanu) 27:05.
• Boys Middle School: Luka Perozo (IS) 9:12, Cedric Crampton-Nabaa (HTA) 9:42, Zachary Edwards (IS) 9:43, Sawyer Munroe (IS) 9:59, Hunter Kerry (IS) 10:10, Finn Beebe (IS) 10:11, Elijah Enoka (CKMS) 10:11, Jonathan Primeaux (IS) 10:19, Zachary White Tzeng (IS) 10:31, Raphael Esquivel (Other) 10:41, Graydon Rosenthal (IS) 10:53, Caleb Stebbins (HTA) 10:56, Jack Hadley (IS) 11:23, Samuel Stebbins (Other) 11:24, Kameaola Taniguchi Butler (Other) 11:30, Kaiehu Ahuna (Kanu) 11:32, Laiku Carvalho (IS) 11:32, Piko Vaughn (IS) 11:32, Kainoa Love (IS) 11:51, Matuanui Kitashima (CKMS) 12:41, Nathan Schmaeling (HTA) 12:45, Sean Lottermoser (IS) 13:46, Ryan So (IS) 13:47, Javis Moises (WCMS) 14:52, Andrew Miranda (Other) 18:32, Kailinemo Blake (Kanu) 20:31.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
