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Tatum Moku is a known quantity in the sense that she has been very successful in scholastic track and field for (despite the pandemic) quite a long time.
And so when meets come up, you can expect the Kamehameha junior to finish at the top of the heap in at least some of the multiple events she competes in.
Winning is one thing, but improving on your performances is another. Somehow, this kid continues to get much better.
Saturday was a perfect example. Moku, who earlier this year set a personal record in the pole vault, absolutely obliterated that mark by vaulting 13 feet, 1 inch in the Island Movers/HHSAA Track and Field Championships at Kamehameha’s Kunuiakea Stadium.
Kamehameha’s Tatum Moku cleared the bar at 13 feet, 1 inch — a state meet pole vault record — on Saturday.
Yes, it now stands as a state meet record. Minutes before that milestone jump, though, she cleared 12-10, which is 3 inches more than her previous best.
“I was balling my eyes out,” Moku said. “I was just overwhelmed. It was a totally shocking experience. Right after my 12-10, I was like, ‘There’s no way I just did that’ and all my teammates were hugging me and it was like a crazy, cool experience. And then I did the 13-1 and I was crying even more and hugging all my coaches. I honestly had the feeling I could do it, but I wasn’t totally sure. I put it all together and said, ‘Just do it’ and I did it and I’m very proud of myself.”
It was quite a night for Moku. Right before the pole vault, she won the long jump (18-00), and right after the pole vault, she finished first in the 100 hurdles (15.18 seconds) — both personal records.
Punahou’s John-Keawe Sagapolutele Leaves Football Clinic To Become Double State Champ
On Saturday morning, Punahou junior John-Keawe Sagapolutele participated in a football quarterback clinic at Leilehua High School.
In the afternoon, Sagapoutele was due at the state track and field meet, but he was running late. In the end, it worked out. He won the discus (153-02) to go along with his victory in the shot put (51-11.50) on Friday.
“I was a little bit nervous because I was running late and I almost wasn’t able to compete,” he said. “My name was almost scratched. That’s how late I was so I wasn’t in the right (mental) place. I thank God and definitely my coaches for being able to accomplish what I did and so I dedicate it to them.
Sagaolutele, a quarterback for the Buffanblu football team who has a scholarship offer from the University of Hawaii, is looking forward to his senior year of football in the fall.
Hawaii Baptist Academy’s Jordy Davenport Goes Low, Low, Low In The 400 Meters
When Hawaii Baptist Academy junior Jordy Davenport won the ILH championship last month, she was thrilled to finish in less than 60 seconds.
On Saturday at the state meet, Davenport took it even lower, under 59 with her finishing time of 58.45.
Hawaii Baptist Academy’s Jordy Davenport came on strong to win the 400. (All action photos by Parish808 Photography. Go to Parish808Photography.com to purchase).
“Honestly, I just wanted to stay with the top people,” Davenport said. “If they started passing me, I would start running with them and pacing with them, and then at the end, I sprinted in and I passed them. I trusted in God and his plan and his work, so what I did was possible through him.”
Saint Louis’ William Reed Isn’t Done After Winning 6-Feet, 4-Inch High Jump
Saint Louis junior William Reed is a sprinter by trade, but he dabbles in the high jump.
Well, he does more than dabble. He won the high jump at 6-4 and he wants to go way higher.
Going into the meet, his personal high jump record was 6-1.
Saint Louis junior William Reed.
“I knew I had to perform,” Reed said. “I knew there was going to be a lot of competition, so I had to come out ready for everything. The 6-4 is good, but I want to hold the state meet record. I want to do 6 feet, 9 and a half (the record is 6-9).
It was a big night for the Reed family. William’s sister Olivia Reed, a St. Andrew’s Priory student, won the 100-meter dash (12.63.
Mililani’s Elle Rimando Improves Her Triple Jump By 10 Inches
Mililani senior Elle Rimando had quite a performance in the triple jump Friday.
Sure, Rimando came into the meet as the OIA champion and one of the favorites.
But, how many people can gain 10 inches on their personal best? Rimando did that to win the state triple jump title.
She covered 38 feet even to win it. Her previous personal best — set at the OIA Championships — was 37-2.
Mililani senior Elle Rimando.
“I knew I was ranked less than Tiana Burgess (of Roosevelt), so I was a little worried,” Rimando said. “But I knew from the OIAs that I could do it. I wanted to carry over that performance to tonight. In my head, I was thinking, “I can get 38 on my last jump.”
Rimando will be going to Mt. Holyoke College, an NCAA Division III school, to run track, play volleyball and study architecture.
Baldwin’s Joseph Randolph Is Victorious In The 100-Meter Dash
Baldwin junior Joseph Randolph is one of the fastest high school runners the state of Hawaii has produced. Actually, he can probably lay claim to the fastest.
Earlier in the year, he ran a 10.61, which is two-hundredths of a second faster than the state meet record of 10.63.
On Saturday, he blazed to a win in the 100-meter dash with a 10.97. Who knows what he’s capable of next year as a senior?
Joseph Randall, third from right, became the 100-meter dash champion with this finish.
Randolph tweaked his hip during Friday’s preliminaries and so he did not run the 200 final.
“We weren’t going for the championship, so we decided not to chance it,” said Gary Sanches, a Bears coach.
Baldwin junior Joseph Randolph.
Asked what makes him fast, Randolph said, “Sleep. Eight hours of sleep. Get that.”
And coaching helps, too.
“I owe it to the coaches,” he said. “They brought me here and I have tremendous support from all the schools on Maui and just the group that stuck with me. This is for them.”
Konawaeana’s Caiya Hanks Missed In The 100, But Nailed It In the 200
Opponents of Konawaena senior Caiya Hanks beware: Be ready for her to have guns blazing if you exceed what she can do.
As she stated so plainly Saturday after her victory in the 200: “I’m just a super competitive person.”
After losing to Reed in the 100 by one-hundredth of a second (12.63 to 12.64), Hanks came back and beat Reed to the finish line in the 200 (25.44 to 25.73).
“It’s part of my personality,” Hanks added. “I want to be the best even though I may not be the best. It’s like, ‘They’re doing this. I can do that, too.’ I’m always trying my hardest.”
Konawaena senior Caiya Hanks.
Another case in point, a handful of girls around the state took turns notching the top marks (on Athletic.net rankings) in the 100 throughout the season, including Hanks and Reed and King Kekaulike’s Ja’lyn Deichert. One would be up there for about a week until one of the others took over for the next week, and so on.
“I would say, ‘Oh man, she just made that,’ ” Hanks said. “Every week, it was a new time. I was tweaking the smallest things and trying my best to implement it into my race.”
Hanks made sure to give a tip of her cap to Reed:
“Congratulations to Olivia. She did amazing today.”
Konawaena’s Caiya Hanks finished just ahead of St. Andrew’s Priory’s Olivia Reed in the 200.
In college, Hanks will be playing soccer for Wake Forest and she is thinking about running track.
Finally a state champion: Seabury Hall’s Kaylee Volner
Kaylee Volner was so relaxed and happy to be leaving Oahu with a state championship.
“It’s been a long time coming,” the Seabury Hall senior said as the state meet was wrapping up. “Sophomore year at cross country states, I got second place at my home course. Ever since then, I’ve been working really hard to become a state champion. One of my coaches, Dakota Grossman (former Seabury Hall and University of Utah standout, now a reporter for the Maui News), is an amazing person with so many gold medals even here at this (Kamehameha) campus at states. She’s been my inspiration and I just wanted to go out with a bang and hopefully take one (state title) home.”
Volner left her competition way back in the 3,000, finishing in 10:17.93. Second-place finisher Lauren Sanders of Punahou completed the race 31.52 seconds behind in 10:49.45.
Seabury Hall senior Kaylee Volner.
Volner had a shot in the 1,500, but lost (4:44.90 to 4:46.01) to Punahou’s Isabella Ford — the same 1-2 finish as the state cross country championships in the fall.
“I always knew that the 3,000 was one of my strongest races,” Volner said. “I like it better than the 1,500 and a lot people think that it’s very weird, but I feel more confident in that race. It was nice to get all my nerves out in the 1,500.”
Relay Teams Help Punahou Keep Boys and Girls Dynasties Intact
The Punahou dynasty under coach Duncan Macdonald is going strong, with the Buffanblu winning the boys and girls team championships.
On the boys side, Punahou outpaced second-place Saint Louis (73-49). In girls competition, the Buffanblu finished way ahead of second-place Mililani (105-57)
Two Punahou girls, junior Vani Salanoa and senior Hannah Miura, were part of two winning relay teams. They ran to victory with senior Gabby Smith and sophomore Kelsey Ann Sato in the 4×100 relay (49.46), and senior Natalie Kaku and junior Kylie Moniz in the 4×400 (4:04.22).
In addition, Moniz took the state title in the 300 hurdles (47.57).
Along with Sagapolutele (shot put and discus), Buffanblu juniors Kainoa Ronquliio (50.00 in the 400) and Sasha Iizuka-Sheeley (47.57 in the 300 hurdles) also took home individual state championships.
Since the state championships started in 1959 (boys) and girls (1967), Punahou has won 36 boys and 38 girls team championships.
Punahou’s winning girls team hoisted the koa trophy.
Final boys team standings (top 10)
>> 1. Punahou, 73 points
>> 2. Saint Louis, 49
>> 3. Kapolei, 38.5
>> 4. Baldwin, 35
>> 5. Hawaii Baptist Academy, 28
>> 6. (tie) Kamehameha, 26
>> 6. (tie) ‘Iolani, 26
>> 8. Mililani, 22
>> 9. Moanalua, 21
>> 10. Mid-Pacific, 18
Final girls team standings (top 10)
>> 1. Punahou, 105 points
>> 2. Mililani, 57
>> 3. ‘Iolani, 40
>> 4. Kamehameha, 37
>> 5. Radford, 26
>> 6. St. Andrews Schools, 24
>> 7. (tie) Kaiser, 22
>> 7. (tie) King Kekaulike, 22
>> 9. Konawaena, 20
>> 10. (tie) Seabury Hall, 18
>> 10. (tie) Roosevelt, 18
Kapolei’s McQueen Is A Triple Winner
It was a great state meet for Kapolei senior Jordan McQueen, who won the long jump (21-08.50) and triple jump (44-09.75) and was part of the winning 4×400 relay team (3:24.73) with seniors Josiah Del Prado and Kunique Yandall-Parker and junior Jason Kealoha.
The Other State Champions
Here’s a quick glance at the other athletes who won state championships Saturday:
Boys
>> Waianae senior Emanuel Carter in the 200 (22.51)
>> Maui senior Jared Cantere in the 800 (1:59.92)
>> Mid-Pacific senior Parker Wagnild in the 1,500 (4:08.29)
>> Hawaii Baptist Academy senior Connor Malinger in the 3,000 (9:06.24)
>> Baldwin senior Justin Kahalewai in the 110 hurdles (15.59)
>> Kalani senior Reece Kosaki in the 300 hurdles (39.97)
>> Saint Louis juniors Yosei Takahashi, Kanoa Monteilh and Trech Kekahuna and senior Vu Nguyen in the 4×100 relay (42.91)
>> Mililani senior Stephen Chezik in the pole vault (14-00)
Saint Louis’ Trech Kekahuna crosses the finish line to finish off the Crusaders’ victory in the 4×100 relay.
Girls
>> Radford senior Angeludi Asaah in the shot put (38-07)
>> Kalani senior Taina Tanuvasa in the discus (127-02)
>> ‘Iolani junior Alexis King in the high jump (5-4)
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