Harder, Kwan stay ahead of the pack in ILH cross country championships

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JAY METZGER / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER

Runners headed onto the course to start the boys varsity race at the ILH cross country championships on Saturday at Punahou. Hanalani’s Adam Harder finished first in 17 minutes, 6.40 seconds.

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Hanalani junior Adam Harder continued to push the pace and finished with a championship.

Harder won Saturday’s ILH cross country championship at Punahou, finishing the boys 5-kilometer race in 17 minutes, 6.40 seconds. Harder is Hanalani’s first runner to win the ILH title. It was his sixth victory of the season and 15 seconds faster than his Oct. 13 win on the same course.

‘Iolani’s Wolfgang Sakamaki was second in 17:21.99 and Joshua Lerner was third in 17:26.84.

Punahou placed five runners in the top 15 to win the boys team title with 48 points. ‘Iolani was second with 69 and Hawaii Baptist had 79.

The Buffanblu were led by Parker Mooney’s fourth-place finish in 17:42.02. Scoring for Punahou were Cameron Coffelt (seventh, 18:01.18), Caden Lombard (11th, 18:25.24), Cooper Baines (12th, 18:30.71) and Aaron Chang (14th, 18:40.37). Also on the winning team were Jordan Furuta (18th) and Cade Lehl (20th).

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>> OIA/ILH Cross Country Championships

Hawaii Baptist’s Kacie Kwan held off the field to win the girls 5K in 20:19.68. Punahou’s Maiya Fujiwara was second in 20:21.90 and Le Jardin’s Gianna Sbarbaro was third in 20:26.93. Kwan’s winning time was 19 seconds faster than her fifth-place showing on the same course a week earlier. She was runner-up at last year’s ILH championship.

Punahou placed five girls in the top 12 to score 32 points and win its fourth straight team title and 12th in 14th years. Hawaii Baptist had 43 and ‘Iolani had 76.

Malia Dickhens finished fifth for Punahou in 20:38.11, Maya Mastick seventh (20:47.11), Kayla Almeida eighth (20:49.71), Georgi Brady 10th (20:55.81) and Mel Lum 12th (21:16.27). Also on the winning team was Anna Fujisaki (38th).

Note

Honokaa’s Sophia Cash won Friday’s BIIF championship and became the league’s first four-time champion. Cash finished 42 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Kealakehe’s Alec Ankrum won the boys race. The Hilo girls and Waiakea boys claimed the team titles.