KEAAU – Patrick Bradley figured it was only a matter of time until Konawaena’s Luca Vartic broke 11 seconds, but his coach didn’t think that time would come so soon.
Vartic sat out the Big Island Interscholastic Federation’s first track and field qualifier with a sore hamstring, and he hadn’t run the 100 meters since last May.
As fast as Vartic was Saturday, Bradley thinks word of his 10.98 will spread even faster. It’s the best time in the state this season and the first sub-11.00 in the BIIF since Konawaena’s Casey Flores in the mid-1990s.
“For his first time out, a 10.98 is phenomenal,” Bradley said. “Luca is going to raise a few eyebrows this week on Oahu.
“You get under 11 seconds, that’s getting up there. That will raise eyebrows across the country.”
Flores holds the the BIIF championship record with a 10.84 in 1996, while the Boston Red Sox’s Shane Victorino, the “Flyin’ Hawaiian” posted a 10.80 for St. Anthony’s on Maui in 1999 and holds the HHSAA championship mark.
Vartic, a junior, took silver at states last season behind Kamehameha-Oahu’s Dylan Kane, who ran 11.14.
“Luca has absolutely improved because he’s gotten bigger and stronger,” said Bradley, who’s ultimate goal for Vartic is a 10.7. “He got a late start to the season because he focused on the (football) combine.”
Vartic left the combine with a sore hamstring and it’s hampered his training, but Bradley said his work in the 40 has made his starts better than ever.
He was untouchable Saturday, with Kamehameha’s Tre Evans-Dumaran clocking on at 11.23, which is a top-10 time in the state this season.
“He won that race by more than any race last year,” Bradley said.
The real competition comes off the island. Kane’s best time this season entering Saturday was an 11.37, while Baldwin’s Bailey Kaopuiki clocked in at 11.11 during a Maui Interscholastic League meet in February.
Vartic also took BIIF gold in the 200 and a 400 relay last year. The Wildcats were cruising to victory in the 400 relay Saturday, but Vartic pulled up on the anchor leg.
“It was cramps, and it’s smart that he didn’t push it,” Bradley said. “BIIFs is where we want to win that relay.
“We haven’t even started training hard on the 200 so we’ll have to build that up. The big months are April and May.”
Bradley thinks the Wildcats have enough depth to compete for the boys team title, pointing to Frisco Vallez, who grabbed a pair of top-three finishes in the hurdles.
In the girls long jump, Kamehameha senior Meagan Kualii easily set a personal-best with a leap of 17 feet, 6.5 inches. That’s the second-best effort in the state this season and only a half-inch behind Baldwin’s Kaitlin Smith.
Kualii is the only returning member of the Warriors two-time BIIF champion 400 relay team after Mikela Cabel, Casey Poe and Harper Hottendorf graduated. Kamehameha was third Saturday.
“I miss them a lot and it’s hard not to compete with them, but my new team is training hard and I’m really confident in them,” Kualii said.
She faces stiff competition in the jumps.
Kealakehe sophomore Nicole Cristobal held the best triple jump in the state this season until Hilo’s Mehana Sabado-Halpern surpassed her by reaching 35-10.25
Kualii took third at states last year in the triple, behind runner-up Sabado-Halpern, and she was fourth in the long jump.
“I’m glad I get to compete with them because they push me and make me want it more,” Kualii said.
In the high jump, Hawaii Prep’s Kaui Taylor reached 5-3, putting her one inch behind the state pace-setter, Leilehua’s Temyiah White.
