Tiffany Ikeda-Simao tied the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation meet record in the triple jump yesterday at the league’s third qualifying meet at Vidinha Stadium. Prior to yesterday, the Kaua‘i High School senior had never competed in the event at a meet.
Tiffany Ikeda-Simao tied the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation meet record in the triple jump yesterday at the league’s third qualifying meet at Vidinha Stadium.
Prior to yesterday, the Kaua‘i High School senior had never competed in the event at a meet. On her first attempt, Ikeda-Simao automatically qualified for the state championship meet with a jump of 36 feet, 3.25 inches — the automatic standard for the girls is 32 feet, 11 inches. Her second attempt was slightly lower than her first, but her final jump turned out to be the best of the day. Hitting her mark, Ikeda-Simao improved to the record of 36 feet, 6 inches.
This record was set by Marlo Luis of Waimea High School in the mid-1980s.
According to preliminary figures, Ikeda-Simao posted the best jump so far in the KIF and may have just posted the best jump recorded in the state so far. Her teammate Jamilee Jimenez is the defending KIF champion in the triple (35 feet) and the long jumps (17 feet 10 inches), but did not compete yesterday.
Ikeda-Simao had already automatically qualified for state in the long jump (17 feet, 7.25 inches), the 100 meters (12.71) and as a member of the 400-meter relay (51.13).
That relay team currently holds the KIF record — set last year at the KIF championship meet — and finished second in the state last year.
Also trying an event for the first time was Waimea’s Natasha Abadilla. Abadilla, who usually runs the distance races, ran the 400 meter dash and clocked in at 1:06.05. Although her time was three seconds off the automatic qualification, it makes the cut for consideration times.
Cayla Kitabayashi posted a time of 17.24 in the 100 meter hurdles qualifying her for another appearance at states. Kaua‘i freshman Kelsey Cadiente won the 100 meter dash with a time of 13.35. After the race, Cadiente thought she ran a slow time, but it was good enough for her first win.
Kapa‘a High School’s Tyler Cram was trying to qualify for the state meet in the high jump event. The junior thought he had qualified with a jump of 5 foot, 10 inches when he competed in an O‘ahu invitational earlier this season. But a week after posting that height, the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association rose the bar to 6 feet as the qualifying height.
Cram started at 5 feet, 4 inches and easily cleared it on his first attempt, automatically moving him to the next round. Cram jumped only a few more times and finished at 5 feet, 6 inches.
Kaua‘i’s Bryson Honjo won the 800 meter run with a time of 2:15.98, beating defending KIF champ Jared Coleman-Stark out of Waimea (2:18.60).
Waimea’s Kalani Apilado beat out Kapa‘a’s Joseph Velasco in the 110 meter hurdles event. The two have been battling out all season, each previous time with Velasco finishing first. But yesterday, Apilado edged Velasco with a time of 16.75.
Velasco, however, took the 300 meter hurdles with a time of 44.07. Apilado, who ran in the second heat, finished with a time of 45.94. His time might have been different had Apilado been wearing his track spikes.
Apilado showed up to the starting line wearing another pair of shoes and had his spikes off to the side. He was also still wearing his warm-up pants. When he was reminded of it, he quickly took off his pants, but didn’t not have time to switch his shoes before the starter called for him to take his mark. So, he ran without them.
There are two KIF qualifying meets left in the season before the championships.
The next meet is scheduled to start at 4 p.m., Friday, at Vidinha Stadium.