Island School sophomore Pierce Murphy seems a lock to smash at least two Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation track and field records at next week’s KIF Championship. His best times in three events so far this year would be KIF records if
Island School sophomore Pierce Murphy seems a lock to smash at least two Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation track and field records at next week’s KIF Championship.
His best times in three events so far this year would be KIF records if he replicates them in the KIF meet, which has trials on Thursday, April 30, and finals Friday, May 1, both beginning at 4 p.m. at Vidinha Stadium.
He is ranked second in the state in both the 1500-meter and 3000 runs, at 4:11.65 and 9:17.07, respectively, and is ranked 16th in the state in the 800, with a time of 2:06.09.
All of those times would be KIF records if he can match those times next week. The current KIF record in the 800 is 2:06.1h (hand-held timing), set by Clay Glover of Waimea High School in 1995.
The 1500 record in the KIF is held by Mario Rosa of Island School, 4:28.7h, in 2004, and the record in the 3000 is 10:01.07 (FAT, fully automated timing), set in 2006 by Scott Martin of Waimea.
Returning to Kaua‘i as a dual medalist for his efforts at the Blue and Gold Invitational at Kahului, Maui last weekend, Murphy won the 3000, in 9:17.07, and was second in the 1500, in 4:11.65, at that meet.
With those two finishes, he scored 18 points for Island School, placing them sixth in the team competition. That finish was better than the entire boys teams of Moloka‘i, Lahainaluna, Kihei and Seabury Hall, at that event.
Other Kaua‘i athletes are listed in the top 20 of top times and distances by state prep athletes this year, as gathered at www.kautech.com/results, including Kaua‘i High senior Kathleen Cadiente, and Sherry Singson, Caralyn Broyles and Jayme Jacinto of Waimea High School.
Cadiente has the fifth-best long jump in the state this year, 16-05.25, and Liam Gregorio, a sophomore at Kaua‘i High, made that list at 19th, in 15-07.25. Cadiente is also ninth in the 100, in 12.95 (fellow Raider senior Jessica Iwata is 20th, in 13.16), and 13th in the high jump, 4-10.
Jacinto is fifth in the 100 hurdles, 16.37, and seventh in the 300 hurdles, 49.43. Singson is fourth in the triple jump, 35-02.75, and Broyles is seventh in the 800, in 2:28.42, and 19th in the 1500, in 5:14.88.
Sophomore Uila Ahosivi of Kaua‘i High has the 16th best shot put distance in the state, 34-03.00, and Raider senior Kayla Werner is 18th on the list, 33-09.50.
Only Broyles in the 800 approaches a KIF record, now held by Chelsea Wishard-Smith, of Kaua‘i High, 2:28.02, set in 2006.
Cadiente is already in the KIF record book, along with Tiffany Ikeda-Simao, Kelsey Cadiente and Jamilee Jimenez, in the 4×100 relay, in 2008, in 50.16.
The Kapa‘a High 4×100 relay team has stopped the clock at 51.37, fifth best in the state this year, and Kaua‘i High is right behind, 51.57, sixth best. Waimea has the 10th best 4×400 relay time, 4:23.2, and Kapa‘a is in 15th, in 4:25.7.
For the boys, Canaan Bernard, a Kaua‘i High senior, has the 10th best time in the state in the 100, at 11.0, and Moses Fierro of Waimea is 20th on that list, 11.39. Torrey Santiago of Waimea is 17th on the 200 list, in 22.9, and Fierro is 19th, in 23.0.
Malcolm Carter of Waimea is 14th on the triple jump list, 41-10.25, and Darren Acoba, a Kaua‘i High sophomore, is 19th on the 110 hurdles list, 15.98. Waimea’s 44.5 clocking in the 4×100 relay is 10th best in the state this year, and Kapa‘a is 19th on the 4×400 list, 3:42.3.
Paul C. Curtis, sports writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 237) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com
