Long jump mark rescinded after faulty measurements

By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer

For about 18 hours, Natasha Kai of Kahuku was the fourth-ranking girls high school long jumper in the United States and the best ever in Hawai'i.

Then officials discovered a 12-inch error in all the girls long jump results from the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Eastern Division championships Saturday at Kaiser High. The person holding one end of the measuring tape had been holding it at the wrong edge of the board, adding about a foot to each jump, OIA track and field coordinator Rodney Iwasaki said yesterday.

Measurements are supposed to be made from the front of the board.

Kai's leap, measured at 19 feet, 8 inches Saturday, was recalculated yesterday to be 18-8, an Eastern Division meet record but neither a state best nor of national quality.

"Oh, no," Kai exclaimed when informed of the mistake yesterday, but later added, "it's OK" in a very soft voice.

The long jump turnaround notwithstanding, Kai had a remarkable meet Saturday, setting an Eastern Division meet record in the triple jump at 36-2, Iwasaki said; tying the high jump record at 5-feet, 4 inches, and helping Kahuku break the 4x100 relay record in 51.4 seconds.

She also won the 300-meter low hurdles in 47.5 seconds, the 100 high hurdles in 15.20, but did not threaten either meet record, which she already holds.

She did all of this after playing in Kahuku basketball games the previous four nights.

Iwasaki became suspicious of the girls long jump records late Saturday night and noticed that every jumper had far exceeded her lifetime best (Kai's was 18-6). "There were some 12 foot jumpers who jumped almost 15 feet," he said.

Iwasaki interviewed officials and confirmed his suspicions. Yesterday morning he returned to Kaiser and measured the takeoff board at 12 1/2 inches, he said.

Kai held the meet long jump record of 17-9 1/2, set last year.