LIHUE — Kauai High School senior Taegan Keep broke a Kauai Interscholastic Federation record and qualified for two events for the Island Movers Hawaii High School Athletic Association state track and field meet to lead the Red Raider track and field teams to the KIF championships Friday night at Vidinha Stadium.
“It’s official,” said Kauai coach Jamilee Jimenez. “You can break the record during the KIF championship meet.”
Keep threw the discus for 130 feet, one-quarter inch, qualifying for the state meet where she is the defending champion in the girls discus. The throw also bested the KIF record set in 1998 by Trisha Naumu of 124-2.75.
Keep also qualified in the girls shot put which was held on Thursday evening during the qualifying meet. She placed the shot at 34-11.75 for a first finish in the event and qualify for the state meet. The throw was about two feet off the KIF record set by Erica Iwai at 36.6.50.
“After looking over the figures, my placement is ranked No. 13 in the state,” Keep said. “I guess I’ll try and compete in the event, too.”
Gheymee Perreira of Waimea High School also made the state mark with a placement of 34-02.00 for second place during the KIF championship meet.
Keep’s performance helped fuel the Kauai High School girls to its championship with 196 points, followed by Kapaa High School girls tallying 101 points behind the strong showing of Brianna Binder who qualified for two hurdle events.
Monique Joy Lorenzo, a Waimea senior, was a strong challenger to Binder in the hurdle events. Lorenzo was relegated to second place in the 100-meter event despite breaking 17 seconds. She came back to claim top honors in the 300-meter event with a state mark of 48.89, while Binder ended in third place with a state mark 49.86.
That performance led the Menehune girls to a 91-point showing with the Voyager women finishing with 74 points.
On the boys’ course, Kauai High School men finished with 150 points followed by the Menehune who ended with 110 points.
Garret Smith from Kapaa qualified for the 1,500-meter run with a 4:19.35 showing and helped lead Kapaa boys to 98 points, just a point ahead of Island School boys whose Joshua Graves finished .14 second behind Smith in the 1,500-meter run. His runner-up performance also qualified for the state meet.
The Voyagers took top honors in the Boys 4×400 meter relay, but Kapaa’s Zion Williams topped the triple jump on a 41-00.50 leap for the state standard.
The Island Movers HHSAA track and field championships will contest May 11 and 12 at the Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama on Oahu.
State qualifiers Girls: 100-meter hurdles – Brianna Binder (Kap 16.43), Monique Joy Lorenzo (Wai 16.47); 300-meter hurdles – Monique Joy Lorenzo (Wai 48/89), Taelyn Nunes (Kap 48.96), Brianna Binder (Kap 49.86); Girls 4×100 meter relay – Kauai 51.72, Waimea 52.21, Kapaa 52.43; Girls 4×400 meter relay – Kauai 4:15.29; Girls high jump – Jaliyah Casem (Kap – 4-08.00); Girls shot put – Taegan Keep (Kau 34-11.75), Gheuymee Perreira (Wai 34-02.00); Girls discus – Taegan Keep (Kau 130-00.25), Lilia Unutoa (Kap 104-11.75).
State qualifiers Boys: 1,500-meter run – Garret Smith (Kap 4:19.35), Joshua Graves (IS 4:20.49); Boys 4×100 meter relay – Kapaa (44.94), Kauai 45.24); Boys 4×400 meter relay – Island School (3:37.55), Kauai (3:40.77); Boys triple jump – Zion Williams (Kap 41-00.50), Junah Corpuz (Kau 40-06.00).
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
