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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, May 17, 2009

Buffanblu claim two golds, but place in 10 of 16 events to dethrone Kamehameha


by Stanley Lee
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Hawai‘i Prep's Ku'uipo Nakoa won the long jump at 17 feet, 11 1/2 inches.

TIM WRIGHT | Special to The Advertiser

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KEA'AU, Hawai'i — Scoring points here, there and everywhere, the Punahou girls won last night's Island Movers/HHSAA State Track & Field Championships.

Behind a deep squad that won just two events, but placed in 10 of 16, the Buffanblu totaled 71 points to beat defending champion Kamehameha, which had 52.

"We have a deep team," said Punahou's Mari Carmichael, who was second in the 800-meter run. "You don't have to win first place in every event. All our athletes' goals today were to score points. It was a team effort."

Punahou won just two events, the 100 by Ashley Satterwhite and 300 hurdles by Julia Brand.

"Everyone fulfilled their role and we had people step up and it was really great," said Brand, who is in her first year of track. "We had a lot of support from everyone."

Satterwhite collapsed in the 4x100 with about 35 meters left in the race as she was about to close in on runners from Radford and Kamehameha.

"I was going all out, 120 percent, probably too much," Satterwhite said. "I just went too hard, too fast and it (left hamstring) pulled."

Her injury rallied the team.

"It brought us all together, even more after that," Carmichael said. "We had to work harder to make up those points."

Senior Hailey Kauhane of Kamehameha, who was second in the 200 and fifth in the 100, was proud of her team's finish.

"We all did our best and that's all you can ask for," said Kauhane, who ran on the second-place 4x400 and 4x100 relay teams. "We're all really happy and glad we did it as a team and stayed together all the way through."

Kahuku sophomore Zhane Santiago repeated in the 100 hurdles and triple jump.

"I was nervous," Santiago said of the 100 hurdles. "I thought I was going to jump the gun. I felt Cece (Durocher of Castle) behind me. I just had to run."

After winning the 100 hurdles, she got a hug from sister and teammate Tajana, who placed fourth.

"My main goal was to run for my sister," Zhane said. "It's her last year."

Senior Bailey Massenburg of King Kekaulike repeated in both the 1,500 and 800 runs, leading in both races and pulling away on the final lap in both races. She was also a member of King Kekaulike's winning 4x400 relay team.

"It was amazing, especially the end," Massenburg said. "I've never done a 4x400 at states.

"Winning is ridiculous. There's a picture in our training room of the last time Kekaulike won the 4x400 at states and that was years ago. I look at it every time and I want to be part of that."

Vaioleti Mikaele of Kaimuki defended her discus title with a winning toss of 147 feet from Friday's trials. Trials marks carry over to the finals, which worked in Mikaele's favor. She scratched in all her attempts yesterday.

"I'm relieved because my whole season, I've been scratching," Mikaele said. "I was never consistent. ... It was good, could've done better."

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