KAILUA-KONA — Heading into the Central Pacific Bank/Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) Track and Field championships over the weekend, Waiakea pole vaulters Shelbey Cabais-Fernandez and Analissa Paresa approached their competition just like any other meet.
After all, the senior pair has been lighting up BIIF competition all season. Paresa had won all seven girls pole vault competitions on the island in 2024 going into Saturday’s finals at Kealakehe High School, while Cabais-Fernandez clinched six victories in the boys field. The duo even won ‘Most Oustanding’ male and female athletes after placing first in their respective events at the Maui Interscholastic Association (MIL) Ken Kamakea Invite in March.
But the stars’ consistency in their preparation each week paid off, as both individuals broke BIIF and stadium records in their respective competitions at the championship meet. Cabais-Fernandez vaulted 14’7, breaking his older brother Eric Cabais-Fernandez’s 2019 record of 14’6.
Needless to say, Shelbey Cabais-Fernandez was excited to one-up his sibling.
“It kind of just happened,” he said of his new record. “It was exciting, because I’ve worked so hard to get to this point.”
Paresa, the state’s No. 1-ranked girls vaulter, broke her own record of 11’6 that she set at the 2023 BIIF championships. This time, she notched 12’6.
“I think it was the perfect way to end (the season)… I was extra amped up for this meet.” Paresa said of her victory. “We all worked very hard all season.”
Sherman Viernes, the Warriors’ vault coach, was not surprised at all with his vaulters’ performances.
“I’m so proud of everything they’ve done,” he said. “They go through a lot with me (as a coach), but they’ve grown so much.”
Growing would be a severe understatement in Cabais-Fernandez and Paresa’s development. The pair has gone from being intriguing young prospects in their early high school field days being to two of the top vaulters in the state by the end of their senior seasons.
The Warriors’ stars will also vault at the Island Movers/HHSAA Track and Field Championships on Friday and Saturday at Mililani High School on Oahu. With Cabais-Fernandez placing fifth and Paresa second at states last year, the two will aim to conclude their high school careers in the best fashion possible — winning their entire competitions.
“I just tell myself that I can do it, and I’ll go out there and believe that it can happen,” Cabais-Fernandez said.
“I’ll be eating and sleeping right, and I will definitely be working harder in my workouts this week,” Paresa said.
Cabais-Fernandez and Paresa weren’t the only Waiakea vaulters who put on a show last weekend. Tallen Soi placed second in the boys event with a 13’6 leap, while three other Warriors placed in the top five in the girls competition — Ausity Urubio (third), Aurora Bockrath (fourth) and Joenica Sy-Rondaris (fifth).
Other notable finishers
Hilo won the girls team competition at BIIFs with 114 total points, edging out second-place Hawaii Prep by just two points.
One of the highlights from the Vikings’ performance was in the 4×800-meter relay, when Hilo’s dominant group of Kekaihulali and Kekaimalino Halpern, Aneala Sibayan and Maya Schneider won comfortably with a 10:02.29 time. The Vikings beat out second-place finisher HPA by over 30 seconds.
The Halpern twins also notched personal records in the 1500-meter run, as both siblings finished in the top two. Kekaikulali Halpern won the race in 4:46.87, beating Kekaimalino Halpern by over 15 seconds (5:02.96). The Vikings’ Maya Schneider also placed fourth in the same race with a personal-record time of 5:16.49. Kekaikulali Halpern additionally won the 800-meter run in 2:17.25 and the 3000-meter race in 10:50.60 (BIIF record), while Kekaimalino Halpern finished third in the 800-meter for a personal record of 2:27.09.
Leading HPA was junior field star Elaina Head, who won her eighth triple jump (33-0.50) and high jump (5-2) competition of the season to claim BIIF individual titles.
Head also placed third in the long jump (15-3.25) and fourth in discus throw (91-0).
Highlighting the girls sprinting events was Konawaena sophomore speedster Violet Schaut, who won the 100-meter dash (12.69s), 200-meter dash (25.58s) and 400-meter dash (57.99s). The Wildcats’ girls relay team of Jazmin Fillmore, Dasha Kala, Rusetee Meyers and Schaut broke a meet record in the 4×400-meter relay — beating HPA’s 2013 record with a 4:04.34 time.
Kona won the boys team competition with 136 total points, beating out second-place finisher KS-Hawai‘i by an impressive 32 points. One of the Wildcats’ top performers was sophomore Laanui Meyers, who won his seventh 110-meter hurdles race of the season in 16.28s and his fourth 300-meter hurdles race of 2024 with a personal best of 41.50s.
The green and white also won the 4×100-meter relay (43.69s) and and 4×400-meter relay in 3:29.34.
Kona’s Hiwa Satta-Ellis won the boys shot put contest with a personal-record throw of 48-5.75. Teammate Elias Malapit placed second, also notching a personal best of 46-9.75. Malapit also won the discus throw with a 144-6 distance.
In the running events, KS-Hawai‘i’s Kahiau Poe once again won the 100-meter dash (11.25s) and 200-meter dash (23.39s). Poe also turned heads in the long jump, winning the event with a 20-4.75 mark.
HPA’s Drake Fricke broke Louis Ondo of Waiakea’s 2015 BIIF record in the 3000-meter run, racing in 9:13.12.
Kea‘au’s Sean Randall won the high jump (5-10) and triple jump (41-5.75, personal record), while also placing second in triple jump (20-4).
For more results on last weekend’s BIIF championships, please see Wednesday’s paper. Please also stay tuned for results from BIIF competitors at states.
