About three-quarters of the way through Chenoa Frederick’s 400-meter race, Kamehameha coach Manly Kanoa saw the expression on her face.
“It was pure determination,” Kanoa said.
And although Frederick would go on to finish fourth in that race, it also was the look of a champion.
The Warriors’ sensational sophomore added two more gold medals Saturday, giving her three in all at the HHSAA track and field championships at Kamehameha-Kapalama on Oahu.
“Relative to her expectations, she probably thinks she fell short,” Kanoa said. “She did great.
“Her expectations were just so high. We don’t have to raise the bar for her.”
Frederick – who went 6 for 6 at the BIIF championships – claimed the long jump, reaching 17 feet, 5.75 inches one day after she won the triple jump, and she also captured the 100, outracing Maui’s Alyssa Mae Antolin in a time of 12.52 seconds.
“To see the Maui girl run in the 100 (in Friday’s preliminaries), she was really impressive,” Kanoa said. “I was slightly surprised with Chenoa. It was good to see Chenoa race and not just run.”
Konawaena’s Josiah Vallez won the BIIF’s other gold medal, but there was a surprise early in the meet when Kamehameha senior Saydee Aganus hit a hurdle late in her race, costing her a chance to defend her 100 title, though she still collected silver and took fourth in the 300 hurdles.
“For her to hit that snag and still finish second shows what kind of lead she had,” Kanoa had.
Hawaii Baptist’s Madison Moku edged her by two-tenths of a second.
The depth-deprived Warriors finished third in the team race.
“They literally gave everything they had,” Kanoa said. “They collapsed on the track.”
Kanoa pulled Frederick out of the 200 late in the meet to preserve her body – after all, she still has two more years to go.
While Frederick foreshadowed what could be two special seasons ahead for her in high school, Vallez went out in style.
In the last individual race of his career, he pulled away to claim the 800 in 1:58.42.
“I went out knowing this was my last senior race and wanted to have fun,” Vallez said. “When I crossed the finish line and I knew I made it, I broke down in tears and hugged all the coaches.”
In the last race of the night, the 1,600 relay, Vallez, Austin Ewing, Noah Bredeson and Hauoli Akau blazed to a 3:20.85, which would have set a meet record – but Punahou ran 3:19.74 to relegate the Wildcats to second.
“Knowing the other teams were coming out with the same aggression, we ran our best time,” Vallez said. “This was by far the best race that we’ve run.”
Akau claimed bronze in the 400 as the Wildcats finished fourth overall.
The BIIF’s other silver medalist was Hawaii Prep’s Jevon Flippin, who leaped 46-02 in the triple jump, finishing 2 inches behind Waipahu’s Isaiah Harris.
In the 200, Hilo’s Riley Patterson earned bronze.