The last in the current line of Moku ohana athletes is officially on the map.
It is a map of the solar system, and she is the brightest star. Tatum Moku of Kamehameha rocked the show on Friday and Saturday, winning three events at the Island Movers/HHSAA Track and Field State Championships. The junior posted the best long jump (18 feet), led the 100-meter hurdles, and in her favorite event, set a state record in the pole vault of 13 feet, 1 inch.
The previous pole vault mark of 13-0 was set by Baldwin’s Amber Kozaki in 2013.
Moku, younger sister of former standouts Madison Moku (Hawaii Baptist) and Tanner Moku (Kamehameha), also placed third in the 300-meter hurdles. That was her fourth and final event of the night.
Punahou won the girls team title with 105 points. The Buffanblu dynasty is now at 38 state crowns, including the past three (2018, ’19). Eleven of those state championships are under the leadership of coach Duncan Macdonald. Punahou’s seniors praised their longtime coach, but he was thrilled about their teamwork all season long.
“The girls did it. I knew we had a good chance coming into this thing, but they really stepped up way beyond my expectations this evening. Very, very gratifying,” he said.
Mililani (57 points), ‘Iolani (40), Kamehameha (37) and Radford (26) followed the Buffanblu.
Moku’s herculean performances were not enough for Kamehameha to win the girls team title but her versatility certainly gives her some humble bragging rights in her family household.
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The emotions began to pour out after Moku set a PR at 12-10 in the pole vault. Her previous best was 12-07.
“I was so overwhelmed. That’s when all the tears started coming and I was completely shocked,” she said.
Then came the next new threshold, Kozaki’s state record.
“I got in a state where I step on the runway, it’s like everything is quiet and you got to go for it,” Moku said.
Rather than push the new mark higher, Moku opted to get ready for the 100 hurdles.
Training every day for different events is a challenge enough, but darting from one to another to another is a different dimension of existence.
“Yesterday, I had a lot more time to stretch and get run-throughs, but today I had to do the pole vault and then right to 100 hurdles, so I didn’t get any warmups,” Moku said.
Sunny, breezy conditions awaited competitors at Kamehameha’s Kunuiakea Stadium. On Friday, Moku was an alternate for the 300 hurdles. A bunch of scratches opened the door for Moku, who had raced in the event just once during the ILH season. In Friday’s heat, she recorded the fastest time in prelims, 47.56 seconds.
Her leap of 18 feet in the long jump was a significant bump further than her season-best 17-5. She edged Olivia Reed of St. Andrew’s Priory, who had the previous best long jump distance statewide in 2022.
Then came a dash to the pole vault pit, where she began at 10 feet, cleared 11 and 11-6. From there, Moku already had first place in hand. She lined up for 12-10 and cleared it with room to spare.
After a moment to celebrate with with teammates, the next try was at 13-1.
That was at 5:30 p.m. Moku was in joyful tears as the Warriors and a full house at Kunuiakea Stadium cheered on the record-breaking feat.
Fifteen minutes later, Moku won the 100-meter hurdles in a personal-record 15.18 seconds, ahead of Punahou’s Nala Stojadinovic (15.78, PR) and Alexyz Nakamoto of Leilehua (15.93, PR).
Lexi King of ‘Iolani was one of the competitors eyeing a potential state record. She got a push from another junior, Vanessa Steenhuis of Kaiser, in the high jump.
King breezed through the lower heights.
Both cleared 5 feet, 2 inches. King cleared it on her next attempt, while Steenhuis got over on her third and final try.
At 5-4, King failed to clear for the first time, but cleared the height on her second try, tying her personal record. Steenhuis did not advance. The mark of 5-5.5 was set by Natasha Kai of Kahuku in 1999. King gave it three tries at 5-5.75, but was unable to break the mark.
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GIRLS
Team standings—1. Punahou 105; 2. Mililani 57; 3. ‘Iolani 40; 4. Kamehameha 37; 5. Radford 26; 6. St Andrews 24; t7. King Kekaulike 22; t7. Kaiser 22; 9. Konawaena 20; t10. Seabury Hall 18; t10. Roosevelt 18; t12. Kalani 12; t12. Maui 12; t14. Waiakea 11; t14. Leilehua 11; t16. Hawaii Baptist 10; t16. Maryknoll 10; t18. Kahuku 8; t18. Hawaii Prep 8; 20. Baldwin 6; 21. Kealakehe 5; 22. Waianae 4; t23. Kauai 2; t23. Island School 2; t25. Castle 1; t25. Kea’au 1; t25. Sacred Hearts 1; t25. Kapa’a 1; t25. Kalaheo 1; t25. Kamehameha-Maui 1.
Friday
Triple jump—1. Elle Rimando, Mililani, 38-00.00; 2. Tiana Burgess, Roosevelt, 36-05.00; 3. Julia Carmona, Mililani, 35-00.25; 4. Kiani Panoke, Maryknoll, 34-10.50; 5. Xevani, Salanoa, Punahou, 34-06.00; 6. Mia Young, Punahou, 33-09.75.
Discus throw—1. Taina Tanuvasa, Kalani, 127-02; 2. Heahter Pease, King Kekaulike, 120-02; 3. Amber Donnelly, Maui, 115-10; 4. Angeludi Asaah, Radford, 110-08; 5. Tate Garcia, ‘Iolani, 109-09; 6. Kamaile Paikuli, Keaau, 107-06.
High jump—1. Alexis King, ‘Iolani, 5-04.00; 2. Vanessa Steenhuis, Kaiser, 5-02.00; t3. Talia Threlkeld, Hawaii Prep, 4-10.00; t3. Anika Wida, Punahou, 4-10.00; t3. Elaina Head, Hawaii Prep, 4-10.00; 6. Cami Okamura, ‘Iolani, 4-10.00.
Saturday
Long Jump—1. Tatum Moku, Kamehameha, 18-00.00; 2. Elle Rimando, Mililani, 17-10.75; 3. Olivia Reed, St Andrews, 17-06.25; 4. Tiana Burgess, Roosevelt, 17-01.50; 5. Kiani Panoke, Maryknoll, 15-11.25; 6. Taysia Rocha, Waiakea, 15-09.75.
Shot Put—1. Angeludi Asaah, Radford, 38-07.00; 2. Faith Naeata, Kahuku, 34- 01.00; 3. Amber Donnelly, Maui, 32-11.00; 4. Elena Belen, Waianae, 32-01.00; 5. Alyssa Miyachi, Punahou, 31-11.00; 6. Shamya Beatty, Leilehua, 31-10.00.
Pole Vault—1. Tatum Moku, Kamehameha, 13-01.00 (Meet Record); 2. Chloe Kinlaw, Kaiser, 11-00.00; 3. Rylee Au, Waiakea, 10-06.00; 4. Tessa Onaga, ‘Iolani; 10- 00.00; 5. Isabelle Au, Waiakea, 10-00.00; 6. Kacy Katsuda, Castle; 10-00.00.
100m Hurdles—1. Tatum Moku, Kamehameha, 15.18; 2. Nala Stojadinovic, Punahou, 15.78; 3. Alexyz Nakamoto, Leilehua, 15.93; 4. Tessa Onaga, ‘Iolani, 16.29; 5. Kalena Akinaka, King Kekaulike, 16.89; 6. Kanoe Haneberg, Kapa’a, 17.21.
100m—1. Olivia Reed, St Andrews, 12.63; 2. Caiya Hanks, Konawaena, 12.64; 3. Elle Rimando, Mililani, 12.72; 4. Ja’lyn Deichert, King Kekaulike, 12.91; 5. Malia Rose Harvey, Maryknoll, 12.93; 6. Deiona Carter, Mililani, 13.03.
1500m—1. Isabella Ford, Punahou, 4:44.90; 2. Kaylee Volner, Seabury Hall, 4:46.01; 3. Mai Pham, Roosevelt, 4:52.27; 4. Malia Dickhens, Punahou, 4:52.38; 5. Emma Burgess, Kauai, 4:59.00; 6. Cozette Wood, Kealakehe, 4:59.64.
4x100m Relay—1. Punahou (Gabby Smith, Kelsey Ann Sato, Xevani Salanoa, Hannah Miura) 49.46; 2. Mililani 50.35; 3. King Kekaulike 51.11; 4. Leilehua 51.12; 5. Konawaena 51.36; 6. Kamehameha-Maui 51.63.
400m—1. Jordy Davenport, Hawaii Baptist, 58.45; 2. Amelia Stebe, Radford, 58.95; 3. Selena Castro, Baldwin, 59.20; 4. Mia Shepard, ‘Iolani 1:00.55; 5. Malia Rose Harvey, Maryknoll, 1:00.83; 6. Saraya Burghardt, Kamehameha; 1:01.01.
300m Hurdles—1. Kylie Moniz, Punahou, 47.57; 2. Nala Stojadinovic, Punahou, 47.86; 3. Chloe Kinlaw, Kaiser, 48.21; 4. Tatum Moku, Kamehameha, 48.69; 5. Maya Pacarro, Kamehameha, 49.62; 6. Jasmine Ramos, Kalaheo, 50.10.
800m—1. Sasha Iizuka-Sheeley, Punahou, 2:21.85; 2. Maila Healing, ‘Iolani, 2:22.15; 3. Malia Dickhens, Punahou, 2:23.19; 4. Zola O’Donnell, Mililani, 2:23.82; 5. Kaylie Hashizaki, Waiakea, 2:25.15; 6. Anna Pinkerton, Sacred Hearts, 2:25.18.
200m—1. Caiya Hanks, Konawaena, 25.44; 2. Olivia Reed, St Andrews, 25.73; 3. Hannah Miura, Punahou, 25.86; 4. Deiona Carter, Mililani, 26.13; 5. Ja’lyn Deichert, King Kekaulike, 26.24; 6. Mia Shepard, ‘Iolani, 26.76.
3000m—1. Kaylee Volner, Seabury Hall,10:17.93; 2. Lauren Saunders, Punahou, 10:49.45; 3. Isabella Ford, Punahou, 10:53.24; 4. Cozette Wood, Kealakehe, 11:00.25; 5. Zola O’Donnell, Mililani, 11:02.08; 6. Kacey Miura, Kalani, 11:04.19.
4x400m—1. Punahou (Hannah Miura, Natalie Kaku, Kylie Moniz, Xevani Salanoa) 4:04.22; 2. Mililani 4:08.51; 3. ‘Iolani 4:08.95; 4. Radford 4:09.13; 5. Island School 4:09.84; 6. Kalani 4:16.88.
>> COMING MONDAY: Quotes and head shots of Friday’s and Saturday’s state champions in track and field.
