The Buffanblu sloshed, splattered and splashed their way past two-time defending champion Iolani to capture the 2004 Island Movers State Track and Field Championships last night at War Memorial Stadium.

Punahou, which won despite not winning a single event, amassed 59 points. Iolani, with just one gold medallist in long jumper Catherine Greenlee, scored 53 points.

The Buffanblu did not secure the victory until the final event of the meet, when their second-place finish in the 4x400 relay enabled them to overtake the Raiders. Iolani, which led Punahou 53-51 entering the relay, did not score.

Baldwin finished third with 49 points, followed by Kamehameha-O'ahu with 35 points.

No meet records were set in miserable conditions on a night that experienced a steady downpour throughout. The rain started to fall just past the opening event and paused just in time for the start of the awards ceremony.

Punahou won its 27th Hawai'i High School Athletic Association track and field championship, dating to 1959. Radford has the second-most championships with five.

"We have a very good, very deep team," said Punahou girls track coach Duncan Macdonald. "They performed beautifully today."

Macdonald conceded that the new scoring system helped. Under the system, the top six finishers score points. The winner earns 10 points, and each finisher thereafter earns 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 — for individual as well as relay events.

"I was feeling pretty good about our chances going into it. But the kids deserve the credit. We have a lot of people going out doing a tough job, doing what's necessary when they have to," Macdonald said.

As for individual stars, Ferguson was the brightest of the evening. The senior distance runner won the 800, 1500 and 3000 meters in impressive fashion.

"I was just out to have fun," she said. "I love doing long runs in the rain, but I could do without the distraction of rain in my eyes."

TIA FERGUSON

Thursday's trials were the first time she tried all three long-distance events in a single meet.

"I always wanted to do it but it never worked out," said Ferguson, who will attend Duke University on a track scholarship. "This is all icing."

Remarkably, Seabury's two-girl team of Ferguson and Brittany Young scored 34 points to finish in fifth place.

Sophomore Careena Onosai of Word of Life walloped the discus competition with a throw of 151 feet, 9 inches — just 8 feet short of the state meet record set in 1982 by Joan Gago of Campbell. The girls' discus was the afternoon's first event, finishing just before the rain started to fall.

Onosai knew she had the winning distance — 137 feet — on her second throw, and her dad urged her to "just go for it." Her winning mark was her best throw of the season by more than 20 feet.

"I'm really happy. I peaked at the right time," she said.

Onosai also finished second in the girls shot put, behind Krystal Moore of Hilo.

Other meet highlights included:

• Lorin Milotta of Waialua, who won the 100 hurdles in 15.64 seconds.

• Mei Li Nickles of Mililani, who won the triple jump (36-8.5) and finished second in the 100 hurdles.

Reach Timothy Hurley at thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.