Back on track

MIL season gets underway two years since last league meet

WAILUKU-- Exactly two years and a day after the last Maui Interscholastic League meet was contested, runners, throwers and jumpers were finally back at the Yamamoto Track & Field Facility on Friday to compete in MIL meet No. 1.

"It's been very exciting because the past couple years we couldn't do anything because of COVID, so just being back here with everyone and all my friends is really cool," Baldwin High School sophomore Arjei Paet said.

Paet's first high school track and field experience was nothing short of high energy -- he just snagged first place in the third heat of the 400-meter dash (he tied for third overall) off a lean with a time of 57.0 seconds.

Coming down the homestretch, it was Paet on the outside, Kamehameha Maui's Kale Spencer and Seabury's Daniel Birkholz in the middle lanes, and Lahainaluna's Timothy Heile on the inside lane.

It was anybody's race with about 30 meters left.

"I knew once I hit the 200 I had to go," Paet said. "I could feel them catching up so I knew I had to have the last kick."

King Kekaulike sophomore Kalena Akinaka had her first taste of track, too. Crossing the line in 54.21 seconds to win the girls 300 hurdles was better than she expected.

"It felt really, really good. I didn't think I was going to do that well," Akinaka said with a smile. "I just kept telling myself 'keep going and jump over the hurdles.' "

Trying a more technical event was fun, she added, and her coaches "were really supportive."

Earlier in the meet, Kamehameha Maui junior Kirra Spalding cleared 4 feet, 8 inches to win the girls high jump.

"At practice I've been doing pretty good ... just trying to do my personal best," said Spalding, adding that she is hopeful to clear 4-10 next time. "I'm really excited to see how I do, and like if I make it to states."

After winning the boys 100 meters in 10.92, Baldwin's Joseph Randolph said the energy was much higher than that of the Valley Isle Track Club season, which drew a much smaller pool of competitors and had no fans due to COVID-19. The club was created to give youths the opportunity to compete after pandemic restrictions wiped out prep sports.

Randolph's Bears teammates Kelvyn Saito and Ryan Padron followed in second and third, respectively.

"It feels good, a lot more people are out here," said Randolph, who later also won the boys 200. "A lot more people cheering, so it feels good to have everyone back, for everybody."

In an exciting 400 relay, Randolph came from behind on the anchor leg to win the race for the Bears with a time of 45.81.

"I think we're looking pretty good," the junior said.

In the distance events, Seabury senior Kaylee Volner won the girls 1,500 and 3,000 under the Friday night lights.

Kihei Charter's Tanya Kari -- who like many Friday was participating in her first-ever track meet -- is coming off the cross country season.

It was "fun getting to see everyone" and race shorter distances, Kari said after finishing second in the 1,500.

Officials and coaches shared their enthusiasm throughout the meet, too. Tiger Sharks coach Cassie Kepler said "it feels like a privilege" to be back with the team.

"I think before I didn't recognize it as a privilege, but now I'm like 'hey we're out here' and it's so nice to see people and spectators, and so many of our kids are new and know nothing about track and are so excited," Kepler said while keeping times. "So it's a new energy and it feels really good."

* Dakota Grossman is at dgrossman@mauinews.com.