Punahou track coach Link resigns

Advertiser Staff

After 11 years and eight state championships, Steve Link announced yesterday that he is resigning as head girls track and field coach at Punahou School.

Steve Link coached the Punahou girls track and field team to eight state championships in 11 years.

Link is the eighth coach of a high profile sport at Punahou, representing a combined 33 state championships, to resign since last May. Most have cited the desire for more personal and family time.

Link, 42, said, "I've lived in Hawai'i 14 years. My wife (the former Phaedra Gushikuma of Kaua'i) and I never had a spring break here. I want to be a better husband, to be a better teacher, to get more involved in my church, and there is a softball team that wants me there on a more regular basis."

Link is a fourth grade teacher. "I love teaching," he said. "I was hired as a teacher first, then asked to coach. Coaching has been the icing I've enjoyed so much. The kids are great, the assistants are the best, and support from the administration is wonderful."

Punahou has by far the largest track and field program in the state. There were 168 10th through 12th-grade girls and 178 boys on this year's rosters.

Last Saturday's championship, Link said, was one of the most satisfying because it was won by a no-star team of overachievers.

"Anybody who knows track and field could look at the numbers (qualifying marks), and would know Punahou should not have won," Link said. "It's that unknown factor that continues to amaze me — something about the Punahou track program . . . the girls come through when the pressure is greatest."

"There was a lot more coaching going on at the meet than usual," Link said. "We had to make a lot of decisions — to put people in races, pull people out of certain races to assure fresh legs for other races."

Nat Fujimoto had two puts over 41 feet and won her second state championship. She improved 3 1/2 feet over last year.

Punahou's only other individual winner was Pippa Macdonald. "It's been a disappointing season for Pippa," Link said. "She's been bothered by a soccer injury and until states, she had totally run out of gas in some races. But last weekend she ran very strong in both trials and finals and beat out nine girls with faster qualifying times."

Link, who was a 7-2¥ high jumper at the University of California-Davis, said he may return in a few years to help coach high jumpers.

His recommendation for a replacement is Dan Tuttle III, whom Link replaced as head coach in 1992. Tuttle won 11 straight state championships between 1981 and '91, and continues to teach at Punahou.

GETTING IT STRAIGHT: Results of the boys 4x100 relay were changed by state meet officials. They first announced a tie between Punahou and Kamehameha and later awarded Punahou the victory though both teams had the same time, 44.33 seconds. . . . Troy Nakamatsu ran the anchor leg for Punahou's winning boys 4x400 relay team. Another name was submitted to meet officials and listed in results.