KEAAU – Kamehameha’s Saydee Aganus and Kealakehe’s Keili Dorn used to look at the competition with trepidation, but neither left Kamehameha’s Paiea Stadium feeling the same way.
While Dorn now owns hers – more on that in a bit – Aganus finally got a look at what she’s up against.
Aganus, a freshman, had won the first two 300-meter hurdling events of the season, but she noted, “That was before Emma came.”
Aganus could make the after-Emma era fun.
One of the biggest pieces of news at the third Big Island Interscholastic Federation track and field qualifier was that Emma Taylor was back. The Hawaii Prep junior swept the 100 and 300 hurdles Saturday in league-best times this season, which was no surprise since she’s the HHSAA champion in both events.
“I was intimidated, but she was really nice,” Aganus said, “and super fast. She pushed me to do better.”
She was almost up to the test in the 300, but Taylor whizzed by her near the second-to-last hurdle and Aganus slowed late in the race.
“I could hear her right behind me,” said Aganus, who ran a 46.60 compared to Taylor’s 45.81. “It was kind of scary.”
Kamehameha coach Manly Kanoa could use the same adjective to describe the potential of Aganus, who has busted onto the scene much like Taylor did two years ago.
Aganus started running track in the sixth grade.
“We knew she was fast and that she liked track,” Kanoa said. “That’s a big thing. We want to keep kids who like track, liking track.”
Aganus has won every 100 and 200 dash she’s entered this season, topping out at 12.7 second in the 100. Her heat in the 100 hurdles was her first try in the event, but her 16.49 was the second-best this season in the BIIF behind Taylor, who ran 15.8 in her heat.
Taylor’s times in the hurdles both rank No. 2 in Hawaii this season. Aganus ranks third in the 100 dash and 300 hurdles.
Kanoa figures if the two race in the same heat in the 100 hurdles – perhaps next Saturday at Hawaii Prep – as they did in the 300 hurdles, it will make for a more competitive race.
“We’re glad Emma is back. She makes us all better,” Kanoa said. “Saydee didn’t feel comfortable doing the 100 (hurdles) earlier, so we’ve been piecing things together. For her to put all 10 together, it’s really nice.”
Dorn untouched
While Aganus had competition, Dorn once again thrived without it.
The senior ran around and around the track, and when she was done she not only had pocketed three more victories in the 800, 1,500 and 3,000 in BIIF-best times this season, but she also owned Waveriders records in each event.
The first-time track runner called her 2:28.25 in the 800 her hardest event.
“It’s killer,” Dorn said. “You speed around the first lap and you realize you have another to go. You are out of gas.”
Her favorite event is the 1,500, she won in 5:09.95, while the 3,000 (11:20.28) most resembles the 3-miles in cross country. Dorn, who attends West Hawaii Exploratory Academy, took third in the BIIF cross country finals in the fall.
“I was thinking I would come out to track and have a fun time,” she said. “But I’m a very competitive person and I saw I could compete and I figured I’d would work hard.”
If Kealakehe coach Duke Hartfield is wondering where Dorn spent the the past three years, the answer is she spent last year in Germany as an exchange student after attending Makua Lani her first two years in high school.
“The Kealakehe blue was always scary to me, especially in soccer,” she said. “The blue to me now is great. I’ve made so many friends in cross country and track.”
Quick hitters
Keaau’s Maurice Smith pocketed victories in the high jump – his effort of 5 feet, 8 inches wasn’t as good as the 5-10 he reached March 14 – 110 hurdles (16.74) and 300 hurdles (44.03), and then he had just enough gas in the tank to run the second leg of the Cougars’ winning 1,600 relay team.
Instead of resting on his laurels afterward, he critiqued himself.
“In the high jump, I’ve got to work on keeping my head back,” he said. “I have to get my leg over quicker in the (110) and need to work on not stuttering on my turns on the 300.”
• Kamehameha junior Lucas DeRego reached a personal-best of 13-6 in the pole vault. That’s a foot higher than what Keaau’s Jacob Romero reached last season in winning BIIFs as a senior.
There is seemingly a lot that could wrong in the pole vault, but DeRego said he just “focuses on them everything one at a time and they add up together.”
His next goal is 14-0, which he twice missed Saturday.
• Hawaii Prep’s Kaui Taylor won the event she’s favored in with a 4-10 in the high jump, and she also claimed the the long jump and triple jump.
• Konawaena was set to try to duplicate it’s dominant run in the 1,600 relay from March 14, but Celena Molina went down with an apparent leg injury during the first leg.
• One week after blazing to a 10.98 in the 100, Konawaena sprinter Luca Vartic didnt’t run, and Baldwin’s Bailey Kaopuiki overtook him as the top dog in the state with a 10.93 on Friday in a Maui meet. Vartic is ranked third in Hawaii.
• Hawaii Prep’s Kaui Taylor won the event she’s favored in with a 4-10 in the high jump, and she also claimed the long jump (15-07.25) and triple jump (32-09.50), though many top contenders sat out the latter two events.