PUHI — The Island School girls cross-country team and the Kaua‘i High School boys cross-country team were crowned the Central Pacific Bank Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation (KIF) champions following the championship meet at the campus of Island School on Saturday, Oct. 21.
At the final race of the KIF cross-country season, the course was broken in on Friday, Oct. 20 with a one-lap run hosted by Run Kaua‘i of the middle school invitational that was open to all middle school students.
Led by Ashlyn Worley, who finished the 3-mile course in 22 minutes, 10.68 seconds and third overall in the girls race, the Voyagers soared to the crown by placing its five scoring runners in the top 10 finish spots to earn 34 points.
The placement also determined the qualifiers for the state meet, which includes Island School’s Worley, McKenna Kerry, Sadie Stiglmeier, Avani Keahiolalo, Kolohaiaheahe Kuhaulua, Sydney Manibog and Meuldijk.
This was just seven points ahead of the Kapa‘a High School, which finished with 41 points after being led by Gwyneth Adams, who was fourth overall in 23:10.68. The Lady Warrior runners placed three of its leaders in the top 10 finishes of the 38-runner field.
Aileah Villatora of Kaua‘i High School was disrupted from her run, having to retrace part of a turn in the closing distance to the finish line. That disruption did not prevent her from being the first overall finisher with a 22:08.39, about 8 seconds over second place finisher Esjhale Chung Ching Man (22:16.19), also of Kaua‘i High School girls who finished with 52 points for third place. Her performance earned her top individualist honors.
Jayna Sams, a multi-sport athlete from Waimea High School whose grandparents were obvious spectators of the race, ran in clear and rapidly-warming conditions. She was the top finisher at 16th overall to lead the Menehune wahine to fourth place and 107 points.
The girls individual runners earning eligibility for the state run include Villatora, Chung Ching Man, Adams, Wainohia Kitamura of Kapa‘a and Shaira Sanchez, also of Kapa‘a.
On the other side of the course, the Waimea cross-country team was celebrating having three of its boys runners earn eligibility for the 2023 Honolulu Marathon Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Cross-Country Championships, which will run on Nov. 4 at Central O‘ahu Regional Park.
Kaleb Parraga led the Menehune trio in 19:23.62. as Waimea placed Cedric Crampton-Nabaa (19:41.51) and Kelani Lewis (19:49.13) were in the top 10 of 40 runners. The team finished in second place with 58 points.
Kaua‘i High School flew to the CPB crown with 21 points, after placing its top five scoring runners in the top 10, including Kobe Claussen in 18:59.80.
The Red Raiders team, including Claussen, Cassius Olson, Elias Casillas, Kaidyn Yago, Zion Akana, Liam Juvan and Ty Clark, also earned eligibility for the state meet.
Saxon Kimball, of the Kapa‘a High School boys team, trailing Claussen in the first half of the race, turned on the turbos in the second half to cross the line in 18:33.71 to lead the Warriors to 71 points and third place. Kimball was also named top individualist for the boys.
Javin Hennessy of the Voyagers finished 10th in a run that broke the 20-minute mark to lead Island School boys to 88 points and fourth place.
The boys heading for the state run include Kimball, Parraga, Crampton-Nabaa, Lewis, Hennessy, Louis Reale of Kapa‘a and Spencer Cook of Island School.
