LIHU‘E — Pierce Murphy blasted into the state track and field events with a blistering 8:52.41 run in the Mixed 3000 Run, Thursday. Murphy, a long distance runner from Island School, shattered the state auto time standard of 9:39.44, crossing
LIHU‘E — Pierce Murphy blasted into the state track and field events with a blistering 8:52.41 run in the Mixed 3000 Run, Thursday.
Murphy, a long distance runner from Island School, shattered the state auto time standard of 9:39.44, crossing the finish line almost two minutes ahead of fellow Voyager runner Ryan Perez who crossed at 10:42.83, short of the state consideration standard of 10:08.24.
“Island School had a pretty nice team out there,” said Kaua‘i coach Peter Riopta. “It’s good to see that program growing.”
But Murphy was not alone in getting state times at the first Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation qualifying track and field meet held at Vidinha Stadium.
Kaua‘i High School boys and girls finished first in both girls and boys competition, the Red Raiders garnering 105 and 108 points, respectively.
Waimea High School girls followed with 86 points with Kapa‘a (56) and Island School (28) rounding out the field.
Kapa‘a High School boys finished with 71 points followed by Waimea (53) and Island School at 27 points.
Leading the Kaua‘i girls, Kawehi Louis-Diamond, coming off a strong KIF soccer and girls basketball season, finished with at least two auto state times in the hurdles en route to four first-place finishes.
Louis-Diamond, who had an impressive 2010 track season as a freshman, lost little time getting off the blocks and secured auto state times in the Girls 100 Hurdles (16:03) and in the Girls 100 Meter Dash (12.90). She posted a consideration time with her first-place finish in the Girls 300 Meter Hurdles (50.11).
Darren Acoba led the Kaua‘i boys with four first finishes, two being auto state times.
Acoba, returning from a strong 2010 season in the hurdles, pocketed auto times in the 110 Meter Hurdles (15.51) and the 300 Meter Hurdles (44.02).
He also finished first in the Boys 100 Meter Dash (11.83), and the Boys 200 Meter Dash (24.44).
The Kaua‘i Girls 4×100 Meter Relay also posted an auto state time with its 51.94 run, which coincided with the state auto standard.
Kapa‘a freshman Cassie Wilson, rebounding from a 13th finish in the Girls 100 Meter Dash, and ninth in the Girls 200 Meter Dash, topped the Girls 400 Meter Dash on a 1:08.11 run, just edging out Waimea’s Jayme Knapp (1:08.40) and Island School’s Lauren Spears (1:08.85).
Spears went on to top the Girls 800 Meter Run on a 2:42.57 run over school mate Joy Claypoole (2:43.53).
Heidi Herr of Kaua‘i topped the Girls 1500 Meter Run on a 5:36.36 performance, edging out Waimea’s Casey San Augustine-Nordmeier (2:41.94).
Waimea’s Jayme Jacinto was on the heels of Louis-Diamond in both hurdles events, earning a state consideration in her second-place finish (17.10) in the Girls 100 Meter Hurdles and in the Girls 300 Meter Hurdles (50.12).
Kapa‘a’s Rachael Hinkel (50.79) finished third in the Girls 300 Meter Hurdles for a state consideration time. Hinkel was a strong performer for Kapa‘a, pocketing a consideration time with second in the Girls 100 Meter Dash (13.40).
She also finished third in the Girls 200 Meter Dash (29.14).
Island School’s Logan Domingo, just having completed the soccer season as a defender for the Voyagers, topped the Boys 400 Meter Dash (55.90) over Waimea’s Keone Mattos (56.54).
Kaua‘i’s Joshua Herr topped the Boys 800 Meter Run (2:22.41) over Perez (2:24.24) of Island School and Kapa‘a’s Johnny Joel (2:25.97).
Herr also topped the Boys 1500 Run (4:45.48) over Perez (4:58.49).
The KIF hosts its second qualifying track meet Thursday at Vidinha Stadium starting at 4:30 p.m.
