LIHU‘E — Today marks the start of the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation track and field championships at 5 p.m. at Vidinha Stadium.
Thursday is the trials, where the pre-qualifying finalists work their magic to be in the finals that are scheduled for Friday starting at 5 p.m. Running events start at 5 p.m. on both days.
Kapa‘a High School girls and boys topped the KIF qualifying meet No. 4 held last week at Vidinha Stadium when the Lady Warrior athletes pulled in 172 points over the efforts of the Island School girls, whose Ella Offley continued to shine strong in the sprint events, taking the girls 100-meter dash on a sprint of 13.30 seconds, and as part of the girls 4×100 relay team that finished first on a 53.84 run.
Kapa‘a’s Kanoe Haneberg topped the girls 100 hurdles, but had to settle for fourth place in the girls 100 dash, and the girls 300 high hurdles. She also finished second in the girls triple jump to fellow Warrior Elisha Sanchez, who leaped for 31 feet, 5 inches — three inches better than Haneberg. Haneberg also tied with Noemie Sanchez of Island School in the girls high jump, both athletes reaching 4 feet, 4 inches.
Island School girls finished with 130.5 points followed by the Kaua‘i High School girls with 82 points, and Waimea High School girls collecting 45.50 points.
The Warrior boys topped the competition with 159 points, followed by Kaua‘i High School boys collecting 110 points. Waimea High School finished with 93 points over Island School’s 79 points.
Warrior Kala Velasco set the tone early, topping the boys 110 hurdles with a first finish of 16.79 seconds over Waimea’s Joey Sams, who settled for the reserve position on a 16.99 run. Joey’s brother Jaiden came back in the boys 300 hurdles to stop the clock at 44.51, relegating Velasco to third place on a 45.50 run.
Bruno Likio set the tone in the field events by topping the boys discus throw on a 112 feet, 1 inch toss, only to be outdone in the boys shot put by Menehune Jeremiah Harper, who was 10 inches better on a put of 39 feet to Likio’s 38 feet, 2 inches.
