It wasn’t 41 feet and it wasn’t easy, but Chenoa Frederick is golden again.
The Kamehameha sophomore repeated as champion in the triple jump Friday, claiming one of six event finals on the first day of the HHSAA track and field championships at Kamehameha-Kapalama on Oahu.
Frederick battled some discomfort in the trials portion of the jump, Warriors coach Manly Kanoa said, but she reached 39 feet, 10 inches in the finals, beating the rest of the field by 31 inches.
Frederick is the top-ranked sophomore triple jumper in the nation and after clearing 41 feet last week at the BIIF championships, and she’s only just beginning.
“I’m excited to see what she can do (Saturday) in the the long jump and her four running events,” Kanoa said.
Frederick, one-half of Kamehameha’s dynamic duo, is the top seed in the long jump, and she qualified first in the 400 meter preliminary Friday, running 58.56, as well as third in the 100, fourth in the 200, and the 400 relay team that she’s on also reached the finals, qualifying fourth.
Saydee Aganus, the other half of that dynamic duo, won the prelims in the 100 hurdles in 14.45 and she also made it through in the 300 in third for the Warriors, who enter Saturday as contender for the team title despite their lack of depth.
“We’re looking to get the highest point that our girls team has had,” Nakoa said. “It will take some other schools to take down our competition (to win).
“They want to compete, and that’s all we can ask for.”
In the girls discus final Friday, Hilo senior Mele Vaka claimed silver with a throw of 126-00. The Vikings’ Leona Toledo was fourth and Kamehameha’s Taylor Sullivan was eighth.
Another medal winner was Justyce Kahunahana-Simms, who captured bronze in the long jump for BIIF boys champion Kealakehe.
Notable prelims
• Hilo’s Riley Patterson was one of three runners to post a 10.89 in the 100;
• Kealakehe’s LeAnn Hamilton qualified first in the 1,500 (4:57.91) and third in the 800;
• For Konawaena, Josiah Vallez was first in the 800 (2:01.25), Hauoli Akau was second in the 400, Austin Ewing was third in the 200 and the Wildcats’ 1,600 relay squad was second.