MIL cross country: Balala leads 1-2 Maui High finish with new strategy, Grossman claims victory as lone Seabury runner
By MATTHEW CARROLL, Staff WriterArticle Photos
Fact Box
Saturday's Results
At Lahainaluna
Girls
Team scores---1. Maui High 21, Baldwin 30, Molokai 89.
Individual results---1. Hailey Grossman, Seabury Hall, 19:51.50; 2. Shannon Whener, Maui High, 20:12.22; 3. Rachel Yadao, Maui High, 21:44.94; 4. Danzen Llaneza, Maui High, 22:28.69; 5. Bree Yokouchi, Baldwin, 22:37.88; 6. Jennifer Alaka'i, Baldwin, 23:02.59; 7. Eunice Park, Baldwin, 23:05.88; 8. Sarah Yadao, Maui High, 23:26.09; 9. Briana Garalde, Maui High, 23:28.62; 10. Caitlyn Fisler, Maui Prep, 23:37.53; 11. Treya Smith, Hana, 23:44.34; 12. Christina Wine, Baldwin, 23:54.94; 13. Lindsey Miyamoto, Baldwin, 23:59.38; 14. Chloe Fukuda, Baldwin, 24:01.94; 15. Ana Gaspar-Agcaoili, Maui High, 24:10.50; 16. Taylor Wakayama, Maui High, 24:26.59; 17. Petrisha Alvarez, Molokai, 24:37.66; 18. Keisha Mateo, Baldwin, 24:47.59; 19. Kamalani Uehara, Kamehameha Maui, 25:03.00; 20. Charisse Manley, Molokai, 25:07.84; 21. Hillary Leano, Lanai, 25:14.94; 22. Kristina Egdamin, Baldwin, 25:22.78; 23. Lauren Ichimura, Baldwin, 25:27.75; 24. Jessica Malknecht, Baldwin, 25:33.56; 25. Naomi Holokai, Kamehameha Maui, 25:35.06; 26. Kelly Luis, Kamehameha Maui, 25:48.69; 27. Sharali Dudoit-Enos, Molokai, 26:46.15; 28. Marissa Sterner, Molokai, 26:46.62; 29. Lindsey Larson, St. Anthony, 27:06.73; 30. Bryana Bandalan, Lanai, 27:19.06; 31. Louisa Torres-Umi, Molokai, 27:25.78; 32. Annette Kinchiro, Baldwin, 27:26.52; 33. Tayler Duarte, Baldwin, 27:26.75; 34. Jenna Grimes, Baldwin, 27:31.28; 35. Royalene Mele Fernandez, Lanai, 27:39.18; 36. Kalani Wainright, Molokai, 27:46.91; 37. Victoria Alakai, Kamehameha Maui, 27:52.15; 38. Elise Bal, Kamehameha Maui, 28:16.88; 39. Kiara Kobayashi, Baldwin, 28:34.72; 40. Emma Smith, St. Anthony, 28:47.18; 41. Juliette Campbell, Hana, 28:57.09; 42. Eryn Pendergast, Lahainaluna, 29:18.62; 43. Chelsea Johnson, Maui Prep, 29:48.12; 44. Tatiana Eckhart, Baldwin, 30:40.62; 45. Jessica Garcia, Maui High, 30:41.34; 46. Gina-Bella Mataafa, Lahainaluna, 32:02.41; 47. Ashley Juan, Baldwin, 33:31.78; 48. Kristina Soliven, Baldwin, 33:37.59; 49. Dianne Dannug, Lanai, 33:51.34; 50. Daveyana San-Miguel, Maui Prep, 35:54.88.
_______________
Boys
Team scores---1. Maui High 33, 2. Baldwin 50, 3. Maui Preparatory Academy 63, 4. Molokai 78.
Individual results---1. Rocky Balala, Maui High, 17:13.91; 2. Nicola Perez-Garreaud, Maui High, 17:30.09; 3. Zach Ferguson, Maui Prep, 17:48.56; 4. Dino DeSalvio, Maui Prep, 17:51.69; 5. Taylor Hovious, Baldwin, 17:59.81; 6. James Pearson, Baldwin, 18:00.72; 7. Jestoni Ganotisi, Maui High, 18:01.46; 8. Lito Cuaresma, Maui High, 18:04.31; 9. Cory Fernandez, Baldwin, 18:09.84; 10. Jordan Ordonez-Ohashi, Lanai, 18:11.88; 11. Alvin Ringor, Molokai, 18:21.03; 12. July Barboza, Baldwin, 18:34.34; 13. Hunter Rosenquist, Maui Prep, 18:38.91; 14. Kevin Dudoit, Molokai, 18:48.97; 15. Caxious Florendo-Bourne, Maui High, 18:53.03; 16. Akona Adolpho, Molokai, 18:58.09; 17. Kevin Dudoit, Molokai, 18:59.84; 18. Jesse Irwin, Baldwin, 19:00.40; 19. Isreal Adolpho, Molokai, 19:05.97; 20. TJ Sayers, Maui High, 19:13.06; 21. Ryan Koss, Seabury Hall, 19:14.56; 22. Devon Bloss, Maui Prep, 19:33.47; 23. Xavier Damo, Maui Prep, 19:40.00; 24. Alan Amby, Lanai, 19:44.15; 25. Tyler Satoshige, Baldwin, 19:46.81; 26. Liam Ohashi-White, Baldwin, 19:49.69; 27. Ryne Yokouchi, Baldwin, 19:50.18; 28. Levi Almeida, Kamehameha Maui, 19:50.93; 29. Jordan Moracco, Maui High, 19:52.48; 30. Tyler Alfante, Maui High, 19:59.62; 31. Joey Rodrigues, Maui High, 20:03.12; 32. Miles Kiffman, Baldwin, 20:06.12; 33. Forrest Murdoch, King Kekaulike, 20:17.38; 34. Mathew Wallner, King Kekaulike, 20:20.84; 35. Jess Hinton, King Kekaulike, 20:21.56; 36. Alex Guerrero, Kamehameha Maui, 20:29.84; 37. Alden Simmer, Seabury Hall, 20:31.50; 38. Aldrin Calilao, Maui High, 20:37.28; 39. Jerald Mendoza, Maui High, 20:38.37; 40. Adam Lundblad, Seabury Hall, 20:51.28; 41. Jared Toba, Kamehameha Maui, 20:53.66; 42. Harold Sagario, Maui High, 21:04.88; 43. Taylor Fourie, Seabury Hall, 21:11.41; 44. Devin Vinoray, Seabury Hall, 21:15.72; 45. Von Etrata, Lanai, 21:25.53; 46. Tyler Feiteira, Baldwin, 21:28.62; 47. Kailen Inouye, Molokai, 21:30.22; 48. Sean O'Hanlon, Maui Prep, 21:30.56; 49. Preston Kim, Baldwin, 21:37.03; 50. Blake Kristofferson, Hana, 21:39.12; 51. Jordan Piano, Baldwin, 21:43.97; 52. Tyler Armijo, Lahainaluna, 21:44.90; 53. Endrew Sabas, Maui High, 21:51.28; 54. David Jackson, Lahainaluna, 21:51.93; 55. Aasin Torricer, Kamehameha Maui, 22:12.44; 56. Derek Cuevas, Maui Prep, 22:32.91; 57. Chris Kim, Kamehameha Maui, 22:45.34; 58. Max Garrison, Baldwin, 22:53.09; 59. Makai Mann, Kamehameha Maui, 22:54.31; 60. Jason Chou, Baldwin, 23:02.59; 61. Sam Fulton, Kihei Charter, 23:03.18; 62. Genisis Perez, Maui High, 23:10.03; 63. Kyle Mackie, Seabury Hall, 23:10.62; 64. Sage Trudeau, Seabury Hall, 23:19.25; 65. Reilly Pasion, Lahainaluna, 23:25.03; 66. Steven Cosma, Hana, 23:28.12; 67. Andrew Raikes, Hana, 24:02.28; 68. Dylan Vidad, Lanai, 24:02.56; 69. Casey Kaya, Baldwin, 24:33.84; 70. Kyle Mackie, Seabury Hall, 24:46.41; 71. Jared Shimada, Seabury Hall, 24:50.91; 72. Gerald Maeda, St. Anthony, 24:56.91; 73. Matthew Matasci, St. Anthony, 25:13.75; 74. Jimmy Wicklund, Kamehameha Maui, 25:32.47; 75. Kamaka Pocock, Kamehameha Maui, 25:32.84; 76. Devyn Torres, Maui Prep, 25:39.22; 77. Kevin Amby, Lanai, 25:59.88; 78. Von Etrata, Lanai, 26:00.15; 79. Tyler Digiulio, Maui High, 27:40.41; 80. Jordan Gines, Maui High, 27:46.66; 81. William Schusser, Lahainaluna, 33:05.91; 82. Mehran Karimabadi, Maui Prep, 33:22.47.
LAHAINA --- Don't be fooled.
Rocky Balala wasn't being outclassed when he finished the first mile of Maui Interscholastic League meet No. 3 behind a pack of leaders Saturday morning at Lahainaluna High School.
That was his plan all along.
Testing a new strategy with teammate Nicola Perez-Garreaud, Balala relaxed and paced himself through the first lap before pulling away for an easy victory, his third of the year, in 17 minutes, 13.91 seconds on the hilly 3-mile course.
''They went off pretty fast,'' Balala said of the leaders, including Maui Preparatory Academy's Zach Ferguson, who was in front after one mile before finishing third. ''I just kind of let them go and I knew they were going to die because you can't keep that kind of pace for three miles.
''Then the second mile I just made my surge and went to the front and tried to improve. I didn't want to stay in the back forever because that's not my pace. I kind of have to get in front and then set my pace.''
Balala and Perez-Garreaud had planned on Friday to stick together. After the first lap, though, Balala led his teammate by six seconds and eventually won by 16 as Perez-Garreaud crossed second in 17:30.09, while Ferguson finished in 17:48.56.
Maui High won the boys team title with 32 points, and Baldwin was second with 50.
''I know that Rocky's one of the faster guys at states. He's going to do really well. I'm hoping I can do just as good,'' Perez-Garreaud said. ''On the second mile we were pushing each other, pacing off each other. He just breaks away. He's good.
''That's the key mile for this three-mile race, the second mile,'' he added. ''If you can push the second mile, the third mile should be a breeze to the finish right there, you want to get it done.''
Seabury Hall's Hailey Grossman had no such blueprint in the girls race, leading after each mile in cruising to her third MIL win this season in 19:51.50. Maui High's Shannon Whener finished second in 20:12.22 and teammate Rachel Yadao took third in 21:44.94, helping the Sabers claim the team championship with 21 points. Baldwin (30) placed second.
While winning isn't new to Grossman, the junior did experience something different on Saturday, as the rest of her team was not in attendance.
Warming up solo, she finished the same way.
''It's a little weird not to have a bunch of people around. I'm team captain this year so I was just ordering myself around basically,'' Grossman said, adding it was her slowest time of the season. ''I guess having a team around has a little bit of camaraderie and anticipation for the race and that was a little hard.
''It just changes the atmosphere. So it's not harder necessarily, it's just different.''
Catching Grossman is difficult, though.
Leading Whener by 20 seconds after the opening mile, Grossman extended her lead by four seconds on the second before running down the home stretch all alone.
''If she's here I know she's going to win. But when she's not here it makes me more nervous because then I'm like, 'Oh no, I'm by myself,''' said Whener, who set a personal best. ''I picked it up faster than I normally do, or farther back. I started to make it up a lot on the last half-mile.
''Normally I just wait to do a sprint like the last 100. But I wanted to close the gap a little.''
Yadao was just trying to play catch-up.
''She's really far for me,'' Yadao said of Grossman. ''She's too fast.''
Ferguson, who said he couldn't properly breathe due to a cold, finished the first mile of the boys race in 5:38, with Perez-Garreaud and Balala trailing between seventh and 10th place.
That was enough pacing for the duo from Maui High, as Balala finished the second mile eight seconds ahead of Ferguson and Perez-Garreaud seven ahead of him, before Balala beat Ferguson by more than 34 seconds.
''This course, I came into it saying, 'I'm going to beat my record,'' said Ferguson, who set a school mark. ''Whether it beats Rocky or Nicola or not, I'm just going to go out there and run the best race I can.''
While the newfound slower strategy worked for Balala, don't expect to see him repeat it anytime soon.
''My first mile I'm going to go out fast,'' he said, ''gain my lead and try to feel my comfortable pace from there.''
Matthew Carroll is at mcarroll@mauinews.com
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