In the end, it took the grit of one small squad to outlast the heart of another small school.
Seabury Hall fended off Kaiser in the final event, the 4×400 relay, to pull of a surprise victory and title in the Island Movers/HHSAA Girls Track and Field State Championships on Saturday night at soggy Keaau High School stadium.
The title is Seabury Hall’s first since 2014, when then-freshman Ava Shipman was learning the ropes. Like many of her seven teammates on this year’s squad, she more than doubled up. She won the 3,000-, 1,500- and 800-meter runs, then came back and anchored the 4×400 crew.
Seabury Hall was ahead by just 2.5 points entering the 4×400, but fatigue was an undeniable factor for all athletes in the final stretch.
“She fended off Kristen O’Handley,” Spartans coach Bobby Grossman said of Kaiser’s elite sprinter.
Seabury Hall finished with 74 total points, ahead of Kaiser’s 69.5. Kamehameha-Hawaii finished third (53), followed by Punahou (33.5) and Campbell (33).
The Spartans got huge performances across the board. Claire Borthwick ran above her seeded spots and took second in the 400, fourth in the 200 — she had a PR in each event.
“She did a great job and had our fastest leg (in the 4×400),” Grossman said.
Grossman’s supremely talented daughter, Dakota, won the 1,500 and 3,000 in ’14, but was third in the 800 that year at states.
Veronica Winham ran the long distance events and scored points, then joined the 4×400 relay — not her usual duty.
“I thought we could come in second and we’d need a special day to win. Kaiser definitely was the favorite,” Grossman said.
Kaiser, the OIA champion, had stellar performances as well, but with just five performers, they didn’t quite match the MIL champions.
O’Handley, who ran a wind-aided (2.2 on the wind gauge) 12.01 in the 100 — which would’ve been a state record — and her teammates gave their best.
“We ran with our hearts,” senior Tommi Hintnaus said. “It’s mixed feelings. Sometimes it doesn’t all fall into your favor, but you win some and you lose some.”
“We’re definitely disappointed, but we’re happy we pushed through to the end,” said O’Handley, who won four golds on Saturday in the 100, 200, 400 and high jump. “Being able to challenge with five people scoring, we gave Seabury Hall a run for their money.”
Kaiser won the title in 2015, and Seabury Hall, despite a history of excellence, ran their hills and trained without a track — except for occasional workouts at War Memorial Stadium.
“We were definitely the underdogs. Nobody expects a small school to win,” said Erika Preseault, who ran in the 1,500 and 4×400.
Seabury Hall’s enrollment is roughly 300 students.
Borthwick was a leader among the team’s sprinters. Shipman was vocal all season with the distance runners. Preseault was ill all week with a 104-degree temperature on Wednesday. She vomited four times on Saturday.
“Ava said, ‘You don’t have to do the 4×400 if you feel sick.’ But there’s no way I was going to stop. We’ve worked too hard, since January,” Preseault said.
Saydee Aganus of Kamehameha-Hawaii broke the 100-meter hurdles record with a time of 14.11 seconds. The previous mark was set by Kahuku’s Zhane Santiago (14.55) in 2011.
The triple jump mark also went down, broken by another Kamehameha-Hawaii athlete, freshman Chenoa Frederick. She went 39 feet, 8 inches to break the mark set by Punahou’s Samantha Cabreros in ’06 (38-6.5).
“It might sound really weird, but my coaches told me if I broke 38 feet, they would buy me prime rib dinner,” said Frederick, who overcame a calf injury.
GIRLS RESULTS AT KEAAU
TEAM
1. Seabury Hall 74. 2. Kaiser 69.50. 3. Kamehameha-Hawaii 53. 4, Punahou 33.50. 5. Campbell 33. 6. Baldwin 32. 7 (tie), Kamehameha 28, ‘Iolani 28. 9. Mililani 18. 10. Hawaii Baptist 17. 11. Leilehua 13. 12. Kahuku 12. 13 (tie), Aiea 10, Kauai 10. 15, St Francis 8, Farrington 8, Kihei Charter 8. 18 (tie), Lahainaluna 6, St. Andrew’s 6. 20. Kealakehe 5. 21 (tie), Moanalua 4, Anuenue 4. 23 (tie), Honokaa 3, Kapaa 3, Hawaii Prep 3. 26 (tie), Pearl City 2, Radford 2. 28 (tie), Nanakuli 1, Hilo 1, Mid-Pacific 1.
INDIVIDUAL
>> Discus finals
1. Teagan Keep, Kauai, 135-07. 2. Brittany Kamau, Farrington, 132-08. 3. Taylor-James Sullivan, Kamehameha-Hawaii 124-07. 4, Bradina Anae, Kahuku, 120-10. 5. Rika Sarkar, Punahou, 120-01. 6. Molini Vaka, Hilo, 116-08. 7. Nata Suguturaga, Punahou, 113-06. 8. Averi Salvador, Punahou, 113-01.
>> Triple jump finals
1. Chenoa Frederick, Kamehameha-Hawaii, x-39-08.00 (previous record, 38-06.50, Samantha Cabreros, Punahou, 2006). 2. Nikki Shimao, ‘Iolani, 37-10.25. 3. Kaitlin Smith, Baldwin, 36-11.50. 4 (tie), Kayla Afoa, Kamehameha, 36-11.25, Mikiala Maio, Kamehameha, 36-11.25. 6. Nicole Cristobal, Kealakehe, 36-06.25. 7. Sela Panuve, Baldwin, 36-02.25. 8. Jory-Anne Cabalse, Waiakea, 35-03.50.
>> High jump finals
1. Kristen O’Handley, Kaiser, 5-02.00. 2 (tie), Jasianna AhNee-Green, Campbell, 5-00.00, Kellie Okamura, ‘Iolani, 5-00.00. 4 (tie), Heather Faretta, Kapaa, J5-00.00, Kayla Afoa, Kamehameha, J5-00.00. 6 (tie), Ginon Jones, Kaiser, 4-10.00, Kiki Megorden, Punahou, 4-10.00. 8 (tie), Mikiala Maio, Kamehameha, J4-10.00, Malie McClure, Kamehameha, J4-10.00, Asia Robinson, Campbell, J4-10.00.
>> 100-meter hurdles finals
1. Saydee Aganus, Kamehameha-Hawaii, x-14.11 (previous record 14.55, Zhane Santiago, Kahuku, 2011). 2. Kaitlin Smith, Baldwin, 14.52. 3. Madison Moku, Hawaii Baptist, 15.09. 4. Nikki Shimao, ‘Iolani, 15.14. 5. Tommi Hintnaus, Kaiser, 15.64. 6. Grace Blanchette, Punahou, 15.67. 7. Mya Fuller, ‘Iolani, 16.49. 8. Ginon Jones, Kaiser, 16.74.
>> 100-meter dash finals
1. Kristen O’Handley, Kaiser, 12.01. 2. Chenoa Frederick, Kamehameha-Hawaii, 12.38. 3. Kameron Smith, Campbell, 12.39. 4. Mackenzie Reed, Mililani, 12.52. 5. Saydee Aganus, Kamehameha-Hawaii, 12.55. 6. Madison Moku, Hawaii Baptist, 12.72. 7. Ani Nitta, Kamehameha-Maui, 12.73. 8. Samantha Pollard, Kalaheo, 12.75.
>> 1,500-meter run finals
1, Ava Shipman, Seabury Hall, 4:39.45. 2. Veronica Winham, Seabury Hall, 4:52.89. 3. Kayla Almeida, Punahou, 4:55.90. 4. Carly Dailey, Moanalua, 4:56.43. 5. Mia Schiel, Punahou, 4:58.50. 6. Sophia Cash, Honokaa, 5:00.88. 7. Erika Preseault, Seabury Hall, 5:06.92. 8. Catlin Kawaiaea, Nanakuli, 5:07.62.
>> 4×100-meter relay finals
1. Campbell 49.58. 2. Kaiser 49.78. 3. Baldwin 49.78. 4. Kamehameha-Hawaii 49.90. 5. Leilehua 50.18. 6. Radford 50.73. 7. Kalani 51.12.
>> 400-meter dash finals
1. Kristen O’Handley, Kaiser, 57.61. 2. Claire Borthwick, Seabury Hall, 58.71. 3. Chenoa Frederick, Kamehameha-Hawaii, 59.35. 4. Ryanne Navarro, Mililani, 59.50. 5. Kaila Ronquilio, Punahou, 59.52. 6. Jordan Schmidt, Leilehua, 59.58. 7. Amy Warrington, Mid-Pacific, 1:01.43. 8, Shanel Sakamoto, ‘Iolani, 1:01.45.
>> 300-meter hurdles finals
1. Madison Moku, Hawaii Baptist, 44.19. 2. Nikki Shimao, ‘Iolani, 45.17. 3. Saydee Aganus, Kamehameha-Hawaii, 45.53. 4. Kaitlin Smith, Baldwin, 45.79. 5. Leilani Leopard, Campbell, 46.14. 6. Tommi Hintnaus, Kaiser, 46.90. 7. Danielle Silva, Campbell, 47.30. 8. Shea Kauanui, Castle, 47.38.
>> 800-meter run finals
1. Ava Shipman, Seabury Hall, 2:16.88. 2. Maya Reynolds, Kihei Charter, 2:20.16. 3. Veronica Winham, Seabury Hall, 2:23.17. 4. Mia Schiel, Punahou, 2:24.28. 5. Maiya Fujiwara, Punahou, 2:24.48. 6. Karla Angulo, Radford, 2:26.79. 7. Alexis McKinney, Leilehua, 2:28.91. 8. Anna Fujisaki, Punahou, 2:31.75.
>> 200-meter dash finals
1. Kristen O’Handley, Kaiser, 25.69. 2. Kameron Smith, Campbell, 25.92. 3. Kealoha Scullion, Punahou, 26.14. 4. Claire Borthwick, Seabury Hall, 26.18. 5. Daelenn Tokunaga, Pearl City, 26.29. 6. Amy Warrington, Mid-Pacific, 26.50. 7. Rayna Santiago, Nanakuli, 26.74. 8. Leilani Leopard, Campbell, 27.18.
>> 3,000-meter run finals
1. Ava Shipman, Seabury Hall, 10:49.83. 2. Veronica Winham, Seabury Hall, 10:56.76. 3. Jordan Jones, St. Andrew’s, 10:59.88. 4. Darby Mulligan, Seabury Hall, 11:03.35. 5. Sophia Cash, Honokaa, 11:06.83. 6. Catlin Kawaiaea, Nanakuli, 11:09.10. 7. Gianna Sbarbaro, Le Jardin, 11:09.97. 8. Maya Ushijima, ‘Iolani, 11:22.16.
>> 4×400-meter relay finals
1. Mililani 4:03.91. 2. Punahou 4:05.55. 3. Seabury Hall 4:07.25. 4. Kaiser 4:10.36. 5. Leilehua 4:11.60. 6. ‘Iolani 4:14.07. 7. Kauai 4:16.27. 8. Roosevelt 4:18.02.
x-denotes meet record
