So much to do, so little time.

When the trials of the Island Movers/HHSAA Track and Field Championships begin Friday morning, there will be choices to be made by Tatum Moku and her coaches at Kamehameha.

The versatile junior can help the Warriors in three events for sure, possibly four and, time permitting, as many as five. With each event, the fuel tank empties significantly, however, and Moku’s investment this spring has funneled into the pole vault. The laser focus opened a new world of possibilities for Moku, who posted a vault of 12 feet, 7 inches a month ago during an ILH meet at Punahou’s Alexander Field.

Last Friday, Moku was just a bit short of the ILH championship meet record of 12-05, set in 2014 by Punahou’s Sammy Marumoto. This weekend, she has a shot at the state championship mark of 13-0 set by Baldwin’s Amber Kozaki in 2013.

She has not neglected her long jump (17-05.5 personal record), 100-meter hurdles (15.32) or the 4×400. In the latter, her best split is a 1:04. Then there’s the 300 hurdles, which she did in middle school.

“But all the events come at the same time, so it’s hard to be at all the events,” Moku said.

Older sister Madison Moku was a hurdler and sprinter for Hawaii Baptist (and Pac-Five), now competing for Cal State Fullerton. Older brother Tanner Moku did likewise at Kamehameha and plays football at Washington State.

Tatum Moku created a new tradition in the Moku household. Twice. She was already in summer track with the Running Renegades club.

“The change happened when she wanted to do gymnastics,” said Sam Moku, her father.

A track and field/football lifer, he was perplexed. Slightly confused. But after years of training Madison and Tanner, he eased up on the gas pedal.

“For me, it was learning that I don’t want to push them that hard,” said Moku, a Damien graduate who played football at the University of Hawaii and later coached football, then track and field at Kamehameha.

Tatum Moku’s mother, Pohai (Wallwork) Moku, was a track standout at Hilo High, running the 800 and 4×400, before continuing at UH. The lineage was no guarantee that Tatum Moku would stay involved in track, until one day dad made a suggestion.

“My dad thought it would be a good idea for me to just try pole vault,” she recalled. “I tried it and I was, wow, this is really fun because I was good. A lot of it is gymnastics, and a lot of people can’t go into that event. You need speed and I had it.”

Kamehameha assistant coach Pili Kitashima knew the Moku ohana well. Sam Moku was his head coach in high school, and Kitashima later coached pole vaulters as young as middle-school age.

“Tatum was a sixth grader just hanging around the track. She came to me, ‘Coach, I’ve got to wait for my brother. Can I try?’ I said, grab a pole, hold her, hold there, run fast and jump high. We’ve watched her grow,” Kitashima said.

The technical aspects of pole vaulting do not outweigh the natural fight-or-flight signals that come from a normal human brain. Who really wants to propel herself more than 10, 11 or 12 feet above perfectly safe Mother Earth, facing the sky and relying on a stick to keep momentum thrusting higher toward the heavens?

Defying gravitational pull. Athleticism is one thing, but mastering the art and science of the event requires a different mindset and a whole lot of guts.

“Pole vault is a difficult discipline. Some colleges don’t even have pole vault coaches, but she’s just like her brother and sister, just a little more intense when it’s time to perform,” Kamehameha head coach Dave Friedman said. “Pole vault is her priority this season. She’s pretty healthy, got no nagging injuries, which happen this time of year, so it’s possible to get that record. It’s in her range.”

The intensity isn’t always a given for elite athletes. Moku has plenty to spare, always.

“I never had the privilege of coaching Maddie, the older sister. Tanner is a fun-loving, athletic guy, a typical boy I guess you could say,” Kitashima said. “Tatum has been at this for some time. She definitely has motivation, desire. She’ll dig deep if she has to. I would say it’s pure, internal desire to be the best that she can, really. That’s kind of the big piece that we’re working on for ILH and now states. It’s that light switch internally, now it’s time to go, time to turn it on.

“She has that. When she’s locked in and focused and turns on that internal fire, that’s when she’s scary dangerous. She’s so athletic, that’s when great things will happen for her.”

Those six years in gymnastics are a big benefit. Kitashima communicates regularly with Linden Wada, who coached Kozaki and Christine Felix at Baldwin during that spectacular run of vaulters. Wada now coaches at Kamehameha-Maui.

“He’s one of the best, if not the best coach, in the state. He sees the comparisons between Tatum and Amber. Amber was a little better as far as the take-off part, getting off the ground,” Kitashima said. “Tatum has a little more body control in the air.”

That body control, Moku said, comes from those years on the mat.

“That’s one of the reasons I’m good at pole vault. I took gymnastics at Kokokahi for seven years,” she said.

Between her foundation in a track-oriented family, pole vaulting camp on the mainland and Kitashima’s coaching, Moku is in a sweet spot.

“The great thing about Tatum’s jump is, one, she’s fast. Speed wins in all events, in all sports, so she has that going for her. She has great running technique and form. She gets into a good gymnastics position, so she uses that. She’s able to control where her body is,” he said. “She understands what a good vault is about. She has great awareness of her body.”

Video of one of her vaults at the ILH championships in slow-motion reveals Moku’s highly disciplined body control. The state championships will be on her turf at Kunuiakea Stadium. There may be some rain. There may be some wind.

“She understands the sport so well at this age, the weather and circumstances,” Kitashima said. “She can understand what it’s going to take to compete.”

Moku’s background in hurdles — the family business, so to speak — also helps.

“Hurdles play a role. It’s not always going to be a clean race,” she said. “If you clip a hurdle, you’re going to have to readjust yourself in a split-second or you won’t make that next hurdle. It’s similar to when the wind affects your pole vault.”

At Kunuiakea Stadium last Friday, early-day rain diminished and winds of 18 mph calmed down. Gauging all elements, arriving early on the track to stretch and warm up before the rest of her team, the process is huge. Focus is mandatory.

“I don’t have any rituals, but for meets, I try to go early and warm up myself. I can’t focus when we’re warming up so fast. I like to take my time with things. I put on my sweats, and a lot of visualization helps,” Moku said.

After practice, workouts and meets, it’s ice time.

“Icing and Hypervolt. It’s a massage gun. I go to our trainers (for ice wraps) or at home we literally get a recycler bin or a clean garbage can, fill it up with ice and water,” she said. “Then I jump inside full body for 20 minutes.”

The sacrifice, she adds, has been rewarding.

“Since sixth grade, this was fun, working on technique, taking it lightly, but last year and especially this year has still been fun, but I have to do this. No fooling around. I can’t be distracted,” Moku said. “It takes a lot out of you, but it’s something I love, so I have no problem locking down and staying focused. Growing up in track, my parents coached us. It’s something I really love.”

She also has a gratefulness for the culture of her team. This will be the first track and field state meet since 2019. The ride has been so exuberant.

“Oh yeah, it’s definitely back to normal. My teammates, they’re my everything, my biggest supporters, and my coaches, too. I’ve known them for almost half my life and they’re very important to me,” she said. “My team, I love them so much and they’re my favorite people, always cheering and supporting me. It’s a really cool environment.”

Graduation is more than a year away, but Moku, who has a 3.5 grade-point average, is looking forward to the future.

“I kind of want to be a heptathlete in college. We’ll see what happens. I’m excited for college,” said Moku, who recently received a gift from Renegades coach Walter Thompson. “It’s a brand new javelin.”