Kamehameha’s all-around effort led to a three-peat as state champions.
The Warriors won their third consecutive state title at Saturday’s Island Movers/HHSAA State Track and Field Championships. Host Kamehameha scored points in 11 of the meet’s 16 events and got valuable points late in the windy meet behind Kaeo Kruse, its Harvard-bound distance specialist.
Kruse won his third title in the 3,000-meter run to help the Warriors finish with 78.33 points. Punahou was second with 71.67 and Baldwin was third with 66.
Kamehameha led the field with 68.33 points going into the 3,000, the second to last event. Baldwin had 66 and Punahou had 63.66. Kruse won his third consecutive title in the 3,000 in 9:05.85 to score 10 points for the Warriors and seal the team title.
“It’s kind of surreal because it’s coming to an end right now,” Kruse said. “To do it on our home track again, make it a three-peat and get the titles for my team, to secure it for them in the 3,000 is all I can ask for.”
Much like Kamehameha’s last two team titles, the Warriors relied on everybody to score points for the team. Justin Desaki, who set the record in the 100 during Friday’s trials, finished second in the 100 and fourth in the 200. He was also a member of the 4×100 relay team that finished third. Desaki, who ran a time of 10.75 during Friday’s trials, was credited with the meet record according to race officials.
“We’ve been fortunate the last few years to really have things covered,” said Kamehameha coach Steve Jenness.
Earlier in the meet, Kruse won the 1,500 in 4:01.53, missing the meet record by 0.3 seconds. The senior holds the state meet record in the 3,000 with a time of 8:43.12 set in 2014 on his home track.
“I was looking to get points for my team,” Kruse said. “Given the wind, I thought it was out of the question. If I got it, it would be a bonus. Turns out I was pretty close in the 1,500. I was pretty happy.”
Kamehameha’s throwers set the tone for the team early in the meet, with Alema Kapoi winning the shot put and Wesley Faagau winning the discus.
“As throwers we feel like we have to score points every meet,” Kapoi said. “We have great coaches and great facilities here. We’re responsible for scoring points and everyone did awesome, too.”
Baldwin’s Anthony Kahoohanohano-Davis set his second meet record in as many days. He repeated as the long jump champion, setting a meet record after jumping a wind-aided mark of 24 feet, 10 inches. He set the record in the boys triple jump at 49-10 3/4 on Friday and that mark held up on Saturday to win the event.
Kahoohanohano-Davis also won the high jump after clearing 6-8. Bailey Kaopuiki anchored Baldwin’s winning 4×100 relay team, but an injury kept him out of the 200, where he was the defending champion. His record-setting efforts weren’t enough to lead Baldwin to its first team title since 2013. The Bears had no entrants in the meet’s last four events.
University’s Grey Ihu won the 100 and 200. Other champions were Castle’s William Ewaliko (pole vault), Waiakea’s Louie Ondo (800), Radford’s Thomas Reid III (400), Campbell’s Jonah Jessop (300 hurdles) and Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Tre Evans-Dumaran (110 hurdles). Radford won the 4×400.
Farrington won the unified races for the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. The events feature two students from a school’s track team and two special education students. On Farrington’s winning squads were Tanielu Mosi Afe, Justin Uahinui, Kenneth Flores and Bronson Diaz.
