There is only one goal for Shane Brostek, and with three weeks to go before the state track and field championships, he hasn’t accomplished it just yet.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound senior earned top boys honors at the Punahou Relays on Saturday, placing first in the discus with a throw of 159 feet, 3 inches, and first in the shot put at 54- 1/4. Both were off his personal bests.
“I’m disappointed. It was kind of junk. I should’ve thrown better,” said Brostek, who put the shot 55-11 1/2 and threw the discus 173-4 at the state meet last year on Maui.
The University of Washington football recruit hit 56 feet in the shot put this spring.
“You want to progress and try and peak by states, I guess,” he added. “I didn’t progress today.”
Bern Brostek, his personal coach and bodyguard — and dad — was a shot put and discus state champion in his days at ‘Iolani before his NFLcareer.
“We had a little practice session at Kaiser. I guess it’s back to screaming and yelling,” Bern said, only half serious. “I think he’s going to hit it just right. He’s been consistent and hopefully he’ll be peaking for states.”
Baldwin’s defending state champion in the pole vault, Christine Felix, set a meet record with a height of 11 feet, 6 inches. She gave 12 feet a shot, but wasn’t able to match last year’s state-championship record (12-6).
“I’m kind of disappointed. I thought I would start off where I left off last year around the 12s. I’m doing 11-6 consistently. My main issue is getting comfortable with my (new) pole. It’s one pole bigger, heavier,” Felix said. “My technique sucks right now.”
Sammy Marumoto of Punahou had an 11-foot vault.
“I really want to work on my invert, getting upside down. Sammy has a really good invert, really upside down. I really want to learn that by states,” Felix said.
Dealing with obstacles — a 4:30 a.m. flight to Honolulu, lingering back pain, shin splints — is part of the sport she loves. Felix has tried using an even heavier pole, now that her once-broken leg is back to full strength.
The senior noted a difference between War Memorial Stadium on Maui and Punahou’s Alexander Field.
“At War Memorial, we have a huge tail wind. It’s really helpful. But here, the wind is swirly. As long as I run fast, I’ll make it,” she said.
On the track, Kamehameha’s string of six consecutive wins in the “power relay” — featuring six sprinters of at least 200 pounds each — came to an end when Punahou posted a time that was roughly one second off the meet record. The fun event is a 6-x-67 relay unique to the Punahou Relays.
The relay team of Javin Kawai, Tafe Fa‘atea, DeForest Buckner, Ryan Tuiasoa, Steven Lakalaka and Isaac Savaiinaea crossed the finish in 46.32 seconds.
Kamehameha was second in 47.38.
“It was actually pretty fun,” said Fa‘atea, a 5-9, 230-pound junior. “I don’t like running because I’m an offensive lineman. We dropped the baton three times at practice.”
Lakalaka ran the fifth leg, just before the anchor, Savaiinaea.
“Kamehameha had it for a long time, but we ended it,” the UH-bound running back said.
Leilehua set a new mark in the 4-x-180 shuttle hurdle with a time of 1:38.8. The crew includes three underclassmen: freshman Jasmine Perez, senior Ember Moralino, sophomore Brooklin Jensen and sophomore Kayla Mitchell.
“We weren’t even going for the record,” Moralino said.
The competition for Hawaii’s fastest man was taken by a first-year entrant, former Mililani student-athlete Jonovan Santos. He ran the 100-meter dash in 11.16, followed by Jansen Ho (11.29) and Chad Miyamoto (11.45). Santos is a long- and triple-jump coach with his alma mater, and has remained active in local soccer and semi-pro football leagues.
The fastest 100 sprinter among high schoolers, Devin Jenkins of Kapolei, watched from the bleachers with his family. Jenkins, who has a 10.34 this spring, rested a sore hamstring. The Oahu Interscholastic Association championships are next weekend. High school athletes are not permitted to race in the fastest man competition.
