LIHU‘E — Two photo finishes provided track and field enthusiasts with excitement during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation Qualifying Meet No. 5 on Thursday at Vidinha Stadium. Kawehi Louis-Diamond of Kaua‘i, consistently recording state auto qualifying times in the girls 100-meter
LIHU‘E — Two photo finishes provided track and field enthusiasts with excitement during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation Qualifying Meet No. 5 on Thursday at Vidinha Stadium.
Kawehi Louis-Diamond of Kaua‘i, consistently recording state auto qualifying times in the girls 100-meter hurdles event, pulled out of the blocks in the manner she’s done through the other meets previously.
But toward the top end, Kapa‘a senior Rachael Hinkel closed the gap, with both runners clearing the final two hurdles in a dead heat and pushing hard to the finish line.
The photo finish afforded both girls a tie for first at 16.31, the time ahead of the state qualifying standard of 16.42.
Hinkel went on to top the girls 300-meter hurdles event on a 49.85 run, securing a consideration (48.94) berth and coming close to the state standard of 51.94, while Louis-Diamond went on to the girls high jump before retiring for the day, her shins wrapped in ice.
The second photo finish of the event came in the girls 1,500-meter run, where Krista Schnackenberg, a freshman at Kaua‘i High School, set the pace through the first leg and most of the second leg before Joy Claypoole of Island School turned on the jets, both runners again crossing the line in a photo finish.
Scorekeepers offered up another tie for first, the two girls getting a 5:31.53, below but close to the state consideration standard of 5:26.24.
Krista Schnackenberg, who along with her sister Ashley are strong distance runners, also topped the girls 800 -meter run at 2:36.31, falling .07 short of the consideration standard of 2:36.24.
Kaua‘i’s Chelsie Domingo secured consideration standards in her top finishes in the girls 100 -meter dash and the girls 200-meter dash events, crossing on a 13.08 (13.24 consideration) in the 100-meter and 27.45 (27.64 consideration) in the 200-meter.
The Kaua‘i team in the girls 4×100 relay event also marked a consideration run at 52.75, surpassing the 54.44 consideration standard.
Reanna Javinar rounded out the Kaua‘i marks, topping the girls triple jump at 32-11.00, surpassing the consideration standard of 32-04.00 and claiming the girls shot put on a 30-10.75 placement, falling just short of the consideration mark of 31-02.75.
Waimea’s Cameron Twiggs topped both the boys 100 -meter dash and the boys 200-meter dash, falling .05 second short of a state auto qualifying (11.14) at 11.19 in the 100-meter and securing a consideration spot with his 23.26 run in the 200-meter, getting past the 23.44 consideration standard.
Kaua‘i distance runner Josh Herr set his goal on the boys 1,500-meter run, topping the field on a 4:25.29 to better the consideration standard of 4:29.94.
He ran in the boys 800-meter run, but relinquished to Ryan Perez of Island School who crossed on a 2:09.49, edging past the state consideration standard of 2:09.64.
Cullen Gutierrez of Waimea topped the boys 300-meter hurdles event on a 43.44 run to earn a consideration, bettering the 44.04 standard and the Menehune boys 4×100 relay team also secured a consideration with its first finish at 45.53, surpassing the 45.94 consideration standard.
Tumua Masaniai of Kapa‘a edged out Kaua‘i’s McKenna Estacio in the boys shot put, with Masaniai placing at 42-09.50 and Estacio placing at 42-02.25. Both finishers got past the 41-08.25 consideration standard.
Estacio also topped the boys discus with a throw of 139-00, getting past the state consideration standard of 136-01.
KIF track and field athletes continue to try and attain state qualifying times on Thursday, when the Rotary Track Meet takes place at Vidinha Stadium starting at 4:30 p.m.
