WAIMEA — The top runners in the girls and boys fields were gone from the leaderboard, but step-up runs from the remainder of the field saw the Kauai High School girls and the Island School boys claim the first Kauai Interscholastic Federation cross country meet Saturday at the Waimea High School campus.
Kapaa’s Juliana Tampus was absent from the leaderboard, and Kauai freshman Molly Middlebrook stepped up to finish first in the girls’ race, stopping the clocks at 20.11.00 ahead of second-finisher Ella Beck of Island School crossing the line on a 20:35.00 run.
Middlebrook got help from fellow Raider runners who filled in the third, fourth (Mia Takekuma in 21:02.00 and Summer Navarrete in 22:11.00), sixth (Malia Splittstoesser, 22:34.62) and 11th (Nicole Matsushige, 23:46.30) places to claim top team honors with 25 points over the Voyagers, who finished at 53 points.
The Kapaa girls ended the day in third place with 66 points, led when Jessica Drent (22.18.90), fifth overall, followed by Waimea, led by Samantha Bostick (22:38.46) in seventh, at 87 points. Laura Arbo of KCA was first to finish for the Kilauea school, in 41st, at 29:37.59.
“Kane (Casillas of Kauai High School) did not finish,” said Joyce Evens, one of the Waimea volunteer officials for the meet. “That meant Garret Smith (of Kapaa High School) won the boys’ race. The excitement came in the race for third and fourth places, where Kapaa took third place by just one point over Waimea, 79 to 80 points.”
Casillas, who roared back onto the course after sitting out most of the 2017 KIF cross country season, topped the field during the Waimea Cross Country Invitational last week. But he became a victim of the three-mile course Saturday, pushing Smith into the lead slot and stopping the clocks on a run of 17 minutes, 6.76 seconds.
He was dogged by Matthew Vickers of Island School. Island filled in second-through-fourth places (Matthew Vickers, 17.21.59, Joshua Graves, 18:17.35 and Elijah Ibbs, 18:40.27, respectively), sixth (James Pratt, 18:59.79), and 14th (Caleb Brown, 19:52.31), to claim team honors with 29 points.
The Kauai High boys — Jeremy Herr claiming pacing the Raiders in fifth place (18:49.92) — took second place at 42 points.
Following Smith was the second Warrior runner, Alakai Gonsalves (19:39.87), in 11th place, followed by Brody Smith (no time available) in 16th place.
Those leaders pushed the Warriors into third place over host Waimea, whose Levi Snowden (19:22.50) picked up first-to-finish for the Menehune, in 10th place, followed by Ky Niccole (19:43.42) in 12th.
Kauai Christian Academy fielded its sole male runner in the top 20 when Kevin Cabreira, the only returnee in its four-runner field, filled in 16th, overall on a 20:26.22 run in the race that started with the cool Kokee air blanketing the course.
Kapaa’s Juliana Tampus was absent from the leaderboard, and Kauai freshman Molly Middlebrook stepped up to finish first in the girls’ race, stopping the clocks at 20.11.00 ahead of second-finisher Ella Beck of Island School crossing the line on a 20:35.00 run.
Middlebrook got help from fellow Raider runners who filled in the third, fourth, sixth and 11th places to claim top team honors at 25 points over the Voyagers who finished at 53 points. The Kapaa girls ended the day in third place at 66 points, led when Jessica Drent (22.18.90) crossed first-to-finish in fifth place followed by host Waimea, led by Samantha Bostick (22:38.46) in seventh, at 87 points. Laura Arbo of KCA was first to finish for the Kilauea school in 41st, overall at 29:37.59.
Kapaa High School will host Saturday’s cross country meet starting at 7:30 a.m.
Results
Top 20 boys: Garret Smith (Kap 17:06.76), Matthew Vickers (IS 17.21.59), Joshua Graves (IS 18:17.35), Elijah Ibbs (IS 18:40.27), Jeremy Herr (Kau 18:49.92), James Pratt (IS 18:59.79), Samuel Isaraelsen (Kau 19:03.43), Damon Johnson (Kau 19:06.16), Jaheim Schoburgh (Kau 19:21.79), Levi Snowden (Wai 19:22.50), Alakai Gonsalves (Kap 19:39.87), Ky Niccole (Wai 19:43.42), Jacob Borerro (Kau 19:43.77), Caleb Brown (IS 19:52.31), Kai Pappas (Kau 19:55.78), Kevin Cabreira (KCA 20:26.22), Brody Smith (Kap), Zach Costales (Wai 20:42.92), Spencer Summerhays (IS 20:42.92), Michael Perales (IS 20:58.30)
Top 20 girls: Molly Middlebrook (Kau 20:11.00), Ella Beck (IS 20:35.00), Mia Takekuma (Kau 21:02.00), Summer Navarrete (Kau 22:11.00), Jessica Drent (Kap 22:18.90), Malia Splittstoesser (Kau 22:34.62), Samantha Bostick (Wai 22:38.46), Olivia Lutkevich (IS 22:52.25), Emma Thain (IS 23:28.26), Kinohi Naihe (Kap 23:42.73), Nicole Matsushige (Kau 23:46.30), Noe Kaya (Kau 23:49.24), Amy Khoang (Kau 23:56.53), Mia Matsunaga (Kau 24:09.42), Aurora Ramseth (Kau 24:34.20), Isabella Parson (Kau 24:35.02), Tiani Kaui (Kap 24:40.60), Kirra Carvalho (Kau 24:49.54), Starlyn Soares (Kau 24:49.81), Hokulani Iseri (Kau 24:56.97)
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
