Top girl runner at Iolani Invitational

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

California's top high school girls cross country runner, Amber Trotter, will be the feature attraction at Saturday's Iolani Invitational at Kualoa Ranch.

Ten boys teams and nine girls teams are expected to compete, including Ukiah High School of California and Lanier of San Antonio.

Ukiah's Trotter, who finished second in last year's California Interscholastic Federation Division II meet, is the state's top returning runner. She finished the CIF's 3-mile course in 17 minutes, 21 seconds.

That time was second only to the one posted by Montgomery-Santa Rosa's Sara Bei, a national champion. Bei finished in 17:13.

Iolani girls coach Greg Char said that at the Great Bay Invitational in San Francisco two weeks ago, a meet that included teams from across the nation, Trotter ran a 5-kilometer course in 17:20.

"She's already run in a couple of meets, so she's in pretty good shape," Char said. "Nobody is going to touch her."

Char invited Ukiah with the hope that exposure to runners like Trotter and talented teammate Shelby Leland will help the Hawai'i runners. Last year's meet featured Bei and a strong girls team from Antioch, Calif.

Other girls teams competing Saturday are Castle, Hanalani, Iolani, Kamehameha, Pac-Five, Punahou and St. Andrew's Priory. The boys meet will feature Castle, Hanalani, Iolani, Kamehameha, Lanier, McKinley, Pac-Five, Punahou, St. Louis and Ukiah.