Hi running fans. Hot off the presses from a knowledgeable cross-country fan. This was NOT written by Coach Al, so you are welcome to make comments on the blog, but please don't inundate me with emails!
HAWAII BOYS CROSS COUNTRY RANKINGS
I’ve read so much about Hawaii girls cross-country that I felt it only fair to write about the boys who have been running some excellent times largely unnoticed by the running community.
The Big Island and Oahu boys are the class of Hawaii cross-country in 2007. Maui has one quality runner, Reid Hunter of King Kekaulike, but he has run so infrequently that it’s hard to judge him. I have not seen any Kauai boys who look like they can crack the top 20.
Mark Turner, Hilo, and Jake Shiraki, Honoka’a have both run 16:06. Two more Big Island boys have run in the 16:20s—Nick Ucker, Christian Liberty and Nick Hagemann, Kea’au. Bryce Jenkins, Leilehua, is the defending champ and won at Punahou last week in a fine time of 16:28. All in all 11 boys from the Big Island and Oahu have gone under 17 minutes.
I have a feeling that the course and conditions at Kapalua will favor the Big Island so my top 10 picks are as follows:
1. Mark Turner, Hilo
2. Bryce Jenkins, Leilehua
3. Jake Shiraki, Honoka’a
4. Nick Ucker, Christian Liberty
5. Chris Burniske, Punahou
6. Nick Hagemann, Kea’au
7. Nathan Nakatsuka, Kamehameha, Oahu
8. Preston Vierra, Honoka’a
9. Matthew Nakamoto, HBA
10. Paul Williams, Leilehua
Others:
Garrett Prinslow, Kealakehe
Reid Hunter, King Kekaulike
Scott Motobu, Mid Pac
Dawson Vorderbruegge, Kaiser
Juan Miguel Silva, Leilehua
Jordan Lerma, Kamehameha, Hawaii
Patrick Understellar, Kea’au
Craig Kandler, Kaiser
The team championship should be very close with the 4th and 5th runners deciding who brings home the hardware. Leilehua looks like a close group of guys who have the team concept dialed in, and they look to have the best 4th and 5th runners plus Bryce. Nevertheless, you can’t count out the boys from Kamehameha who always rise to the occasion. Finally there is Honoka’a from the Big Island with two guys in the 16s and 2 more in the 17s. Here’s my top 5 team picks:
1. Leilehua
2. Kamehameha, Oahu
3. Honoka’a
4. Punahou
5. Iolani
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3 comments:
It should be important to note that the defending state champion has run his races in training flats in meets that I can remember. That would include the Mililani Invitational, OIA Western Division Championship, and Punahou’s Invite. I am not to sure if he had done it for other races but I’m sure he might have done it there as well. So it might have been highly possible that he too might have run a lower 16 minute 3 mile race. It would be more important to see if the runner on the Big Island has more speed endurance then Bryce because the pace is going to be fast so its who can hang on to that speed.
The state course definitely favors someone who has speed endurance, especially after the long climb was cropped, but we all know too well that it's who wants it the most on championship day. (Remember the photo finish at Big Island).
in my opinion, i think that dude from Kealakehe, uhmm.. Prinslow if i'm not mistaken.. he could do pretty good because he comes from a pretty hot side of the island anyway
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