Honolulu Advertiser Article on OIA Championships

Campbell girls, 'Aiea boys win OIA

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

WAIALUA — After being overlooked for much of the season, the Campbell girls broke through yesterday with a statement-making victory in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association cross country championships at Waialua High School.

Led by OIA individual champion Annzen Salvador, the Sabers claimed their first girls title under second-year coach Arturo Morales.

'Aiea won its first boys title under coach Bryan Terauchi, who had previously won three OIA girls titles in his 18 years of coaching. Mililani senior Anthony Kaleikini Barreras won the boys individual title.

"I'm proud of my girls," Campbell's Morales said. "They felt they had something to prove. I gave them all the newspaper articles, the Internet printouts and I said, 'You guys don't get any respect.' They wanted everyone to recognize Campbell's cross country program."

The Campbell girls had the best low team score with 89 points followed by Kaiser (96), Mililani (96), Pearl City (102) and Radford (139).

Campbell's winning team included Salvador, Michelle Mendes (6th), Crystal Woodward (11th), Samantha Gingras (36th), Tiani Sojot (42nd) and Crystal Robello (103rd).

"It feels like such a great accomplishment," Mendes said. "No one noticed us all season and now we got somebody to notice us."

As for the boys, 'Aiea's Terauchi credited his team for grinding out the victory.

"There was a lot of good competition out there today," Terauchi said. "My boys, they did the best they could. They showed a lot of heart. All season long, it had been very easy for us. Today, I just think the pressure, and the other teams wanting it, put a lot of pressure on us."

The 'Aiea boys scored 107 points followed by Kaiser (114), Pearl City (125), Moanalua (143) and Mililani (144).

"When I turned around after I finished, I was kind of surprised to see there was a lot of runners that weren't 'Aiea runners," said Aiea's Lance Agena, who finished second overall. "During the season, we're one of the top teams. But it came out good at the end."

'Aiea's winning team included Agena, Roy Hawkins (13th), Terrence Kawano (22nd), Michael Pagdilao (27th), Dale Angelo Bacani (46th), Eric Morrison (72nd) and Scott Shigeoka (74th).

As for the individual girls title, Salvador passed Mililani's Sara Mitman — the OIA Western Division champion — in the final 200 meters. Salvador finished the two-mile course in 12:52.31 to win her first OIA title. Mitman clocked in at 13:00.70. Both Salvador and Mitman are seniors.

"We were really pushing it at the end," said Salvador, who has never beaten Mitman before. "She was pretty much in the lead for more than half the race."

Barreras, who is in his first year at Mililani after transferring from Seattle's Ballard High School, took control of the boys' race near the two-mile mark and won by more than 20 seconds. He finished the three-mile course in 16:29.54.

'Aiea's Agena finished second at 16:49.75.

"The race was pretty tough," said Barreras, whose father, Ricardo Solis, works in the Navy and was transferred to Hawai'i. "There's a good bunch of athletes over here."

NOTES

Officials restarted the girls race three times. The first restart occurred after runners fell in the beginning of the race. The second was because of issues with the timer's clock, and the third resulted from a malfunction with the starter's pistol.

Honolulu Star Bulletin Article on OIA Championships

Salvador kicks Sabers
to OIA title

Annzen Salvador used a late surge to claim the Oahu Interscholastic Association girls cross country title, and led her Campbell Sabers to the team championship at Waialua High School yesterday.

Aiea won the boys crown, and Kaleikini Barrares of Mililani took home the individual title.

Salvador entered the final lap around the track of the 2-mile course a couple of seconds behind Mililani's Sara Mitman, who beat out Salvador in the OIA West championships two weeks before. But a final push by Salvador on the back half of the track pushed her ahead of Mitman. She then extended her lead to finish in 12:52.31, more than 8 seconds ahead of Mitman.

"Coach (Arturo Morales) told me before the race don't be afraid to push myself and do my best. I kept that in mind," Salvador said.

Salvador said she didn't expect to win because she was feeling rusty before the warmups. But her coach and teammates knew that she could break through to become OIA champion.

"She didn't come out of nowhere. She's been working hard for three years," Morales said. "At the end of this year, her senior year, she felt like she got no respect. ... She's been running great all three years."

Three Saber runners finished in the top 11, with all five whose times counted in the final placing completing the course in the top 42 out of 109 participants. Campbell sophomores Michelle Mendes and Crystal Woodward finished in sixth and 11th place overall, contributing to the 89 points posted by the Sabers.

"This year is like a new year for us," said Morales, who is in his second season as head coach. "We're like a family. In years past, just by how the atmosphere surrounding the program was, it wasn't like that."

Mitman finished in a time of 13:00.70, with Kaiser's Lei-Aloha Bratton coming in third (13:03.38). Mililani coach Chad Miyamoto said Mitman's season-long back injury affected her performance.

"I knew if the race came down to a kick, which it did, I knew she didn't have it," Miyamoto said. "She's a trooper."

The Trojans finished third overall with 96 points, while Kaiser took second, also with 96.

Na Alii varsity boys team was led by senior Lance Agena, who came in a distant second to Barrares, finishing 20 seconds behind the Mililani senior in a time of 16:49.75. Aiea bested Kaiser by seven points, posting 107 to Kaiser's 114. Pearl City finished third with 125 points.

"It's because of their hard work and discipline that they've reached this point," Aiea coach Bryan Terauchi said. "Today was a battle."

With the help of three underclassmen who ran in the junior varsity level at the OIA West championships, Na Alii earned their first boys OIA title in Terauchi's 18-year tenure.

"If I could keep this group with me for the next 10 years, I'd love that," Terauchi said.

Barrares led throughout the race, posting a time of 16:29.54. Moanalua's Kalen Darling came in third in 16:54.05.

"I'm really happy about (winning the OIA). That was my goal for this year," Barrares said.