KEAAU – His work done, Waiakea’s Kederang Ueda stood on the edge of the infield, cheering on his teammates as the remainder of the field ran around the track.
A little later, Kealakehe’s Cozette Wood, her work almost done, ran the final half lap around Paiea Stadium by her lonesome. As she did, Waveriders coach Patrick Bradley, flanked by a handful of his boys runners, said, “Look at this, guys. I need about five guys who have the heart that she’s got.”
On a clear, warm Saturday morning at Kamehameha, there was nothing new under the sun in BIIF cross-country.
Coming off of a “hell week” of training that precedes tapering for the league championships, Ueda won his fourth consecutive 5K, this one in 17 minutes, 32 seconds.
“They’ve all kind of been the same,” Ueda said. “Kealakehe (runners) stick with me, and at about 2 miles in I pull away.
“To be honest, I just felt really good. Coming off a hard week of training like this, running fatigued, but I still felt good.”
Wood made it 5 for 5, finishing in 20:41 in what she called an “experimental race” before the one that counts.
“Basically, all of my other races I’ve been going out with everyone and feeling like I’m being slow and hesitant to make sure I have enough speed at the end. This one, I started picking it up, like on the first mile, instead, and I just ran hard.”
It’s on to BIIFs this Saturday, and if ever there was a course that was going to thrust some surprises into a season’s worth of conformity, it would figure to come on the hills at Hawaii Prep.
After finishing second at the first meet, Ueda started his win streak Oct. 23 at Waimea.
“I love that course,” Ueda said. “It’s a real cross-country course. There is a big hill in the middle and lots of rolling hills. It’s hot, windy, a nice country breeze.”
Wood utilized her new strategy at Kamehameha in part to prepare for HPA. She was leading Oct. 23 when Hilo High’s Kekai Halpern caught her on the second hill and could have won if not for a wrong turn.
“(Halpern) beat me at HPA, but then there was a weird (disqualification),” she said.
Said Bradley: “(Cozette) is going to have to move way earlier, like she did (Saturday).”
Halpern (21:15) finished second Saturday for the second time this season, and Hawaii Prep’s Carolina Betlach was third. Ka Makani’s girls posted the top team score for the fourth time.
Konawaena’s Shaian Garana, the defending BIIF champion from 2019, was 12th in 23:52, her highest finish of the season.
Bradley is all but conceding the BIIF title to Ueda – “he’s too strong, he’s going to have to have a bad day (to lose),” Bradley said – but then he hopes to see ‘Riders cross in waves like they did at Kamehameha: Levi Childers (18:06), Cameron Cornforth (18:09) and Aiden Ankrum (18:14) took spots 2-4. With the top five runners scoring points, Kealakehe had the highest total for the third time, though Waiakea is a contender as well, having snagged two top finishes, including at HPA.
If form holds, Ueda’s work will be done and he can cheer on his teammates as they race Kealakehe for the BIIF team title.
“At the end of the day, cross-country is a team sport, and I really value that, just the camaraderie,” he said. “I just have to give it to my teammates and coaches. They got me this far.”
5Ks Saturday at Kamehameha
Girls
1 Wood, Cozette Kealakehe 20:41.60
2 Halpern, Kekaihulali Hilo 21:15.82
3 Betlach, Caroline Hawaii Prep 22:07.20
4 Radey-Morgan, Wynter Hawaii Prep 22:43.01
5 Tominaga, Akemi Waiakea 22:57.34
6 Ho, Lia Waiakea 22:57.93
7 Godbole, Taarini Waiakea 23:28.58
8 Perry, Jordan Hawaii Prep 23:36.85
9 De Rego, Logynn Honokaa 23:41.31
10 Kassis, Lily Hawaii Prep 23:42.31
11 Sejati, Johna Hawaii Prep 23:48.61
12 Garana, Shaian Konawaena 23:52.14
13 Gervias, Xochi Hilo 23:54.08
14 Lockwood, Anita Hawaii Prep 24:04.74
15 Wawner, Ali Hawaii Prep 24:09.98
16 Wyatt, Phoebe Hawaii Prep 24:23.87
17 Thompson, Alya Hawaii Prep 24:24.70
18 Puckett, Mahea Hawaii Prep 24:36.13
19 Dadzie, Bella Hawaii Prep 24:59.36
20 Keen, Jada Kealakehe 25:29.78
21 Uemoto, Alyssa Waiakea 25:30.65
22 Botelho, Peyton KS Hawaii 25:45.38
23 Russo, Isabella Parker 25:57.70
24 Halpern, Kekaimalino Hilo 26:00.85
25 DeCerjat, Hayd’e Parker 26:04.34
26 Scanlan, Kendall Hawaii Prep 26:20.20
27 Cootey, Jane-Grace KS Hawaii 26:35.15
28 Akamu, Alexis KS Hawaii 26:46.75
29 Moynahan, Catie Hawaii Prep 26:52.86
30 Wolin, Megan Hawaii Prep 27:01.06
31 Ching, Lei Lin KS Hawaii 27:03.68
32 Soller, Kayla Lei Hilo 27:04.66
33 Threlkeld, Talia Hawaii Prep 27:25.44
34 Pratt, Taylor Kea’au 27:25.96
35 Clark, Acadia Kealakehe 27:37.12
36 Elliott, Anuhea Hawaii Prep 27:47.41
37 Montizor, Cheizyn KS Hawaii 27:58.27
38 Berger, Ryan Hawaii Prep 27:58.33
39 Quintana, Sanoe KS Hawaii 28:15.60
40 Makely, Murphy Hawaii Prep 28:20.33
41 Miura, Sunday Hilo 28:46.10
42 Wawner, Fischer Hawaii Prep 29:01.17
43 Gacayan, Zoe KS Hawaii 29:11.18
44 Varricatt, Leyla Waiakea 29:19.38
45 Aurelio, Maria Ka’u 29:54.63
46 Chinen, Gianna KS Hawaii 30:19.28
47 Palfy, Laila Konawaena 30:40.91
48 Soares, Liliynn Kealakehe 30:57.59
49 Blankenship, Nalani Waiakea 31:00.53
50 Igloria, Daphne Kea’au 31:10.50
51 Shibuya, Elena Waiakea 32:06.21
52 Denault, Makena Waiakea 32:30.62
53 Nishida, Catherine Kea’au 33:37.10
54 Jiao, Yuqi Konawaena 35:52.66
55 Enenoria, Lindsey KS Hawaii 36:15.96
Boys
1 Ueda, Kederang Waiakea 17:32.95
2 Childers, Levi Kealakehe 18:06.14
3 Cornforth, Cameron Kealakehe 18:09.35
4 Ankrum, Aiden Kealakehe 18:14.35
5 Mohica, Austin Waiakea 18:23.41
6 Todd, Kiyoshi Waiakea 18:41.02
7 Ankrum, Archer Kealakehe 18:52.81
8 Kasumovich, Luca Hawaii Prep 18:55.14
9 Smith, Parker Hawaii Prep 18:57.04
10 Wawner, Bear Hawaii Prep 19:01.76
11 Cariveau, Daniel Makua Lani 19:03.31
12 Vannatta, Zane Hawaii Prep 19:03.52
13 Vanderpool, Spencer Kealakehe 19:38.25
14 Johnson, Toby Waiakea 19:43.14
15 Provo, William Kea’au 19:43.86
16 Haines, Kekai Hawaii Prep 19:57.74
17 Vento, Noah Waiakea 20:05.72
18 Labasan, Matthew Waiakea 20:14.04
19 Tang, Alex Hawaii Prep 20:20.96
20 Selley, Mason Waiakea 20:23.93
21 Smith, Cody Makua Lani 20:28.82
22 Colbert, Rylan Waiakea 20:30.90
23 Keana’Aina, Isaac Konawaena 20:39.97
24 Andrade, Shaydon Hilo 20:41.95
25 Caverly, Mikael Honokaa 20:44.88
26 Wells, Alden Ka’u 20:45.16
27 Andrist, Caiden Hawaii Prep 20:47.65
28 Barrilleaux, Gage Hilo 20:50.62
29 Wilson, Lono KS Hawaii 20:52.66
30 Ignacio, Kyle Waiakea 20:53.91
31 Hart, Zachary Kealakehe 20:55.49
32 Johnson, Raoul Kea’au 20:55.93
33 Manoukis, Demos St. Joseph’s 21:11.78
34 Okumura, Ryder KS Hawaii 21:16.32
35 Petras, Mickey Hawaii Prep 21:16.67
36 Letawsky, Kiran Waiakea 21:40.97
37 Cabatbat, Landon Kealakehe 21:43.95
38 Nakamoto, Samuel Konawaena 21:46.70
39 Gleason, Reece Honokaa 21:52.77
40 Norem, Victor Waiakea 21:53.71
41 Buckley Francisco, Kalam KS Hawaii 22:03.51
42 Hock, Henry Hilo 22:07.13
43 Hock, Nathan Hilo 22:07.40
44 Chilson, Sean Waiakea 22:09.71
45 Rivera, Kyler Hilo 22:23.42
46 Tran, Khoi Hawaii Prep 22:26.68
47 Pai, Kala Konawaena 22:26.80
48 Hakoda, Scott Waiakea 22:30.82
49 Castaneda-Petrowski, Dan Honokaa 22:39.22
50 Kekuewa, Azariah KS Hawaii 22:40.81
51 Thornton, Lance Konawaena 22:48.60
52 Vanderpool, Kenta Kealakehe 22:51.72
53 Ebuseno Tahara, Scott Waiakea 22:56.69
54 Blankenship, Ethan Waiakea 22:58.81
55 Rodrigues, Jason Honokaa 22:58.91