When you're just one leg of a relay event, whom do you thank when you're recognized as the best?

Showing that it takes a team to reach the finish line, Radford senior Christopher Rainey and Punahou freshman Lahaina Zoller shared the praise with everyone. The two were recognized as the most outstanding athletes at the end of yesterday's Punahou Relays, a two-day event that's part fun, part teamwork and brings together some of the state's top track and field athletes.

"It's a blessing," Rainey said of the honor. "It's surprises me, it blows me away. I'm so thankful of my coaches for making me work hard at practice."

He also thanked his mother, uncle and aunt, and his teammates for showing heart and trust.

"Thursday (in the trials), we ran really good," said Rainey, who ran on the winning 4x200, 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams. "Today, we ran better. That's all that counts. It's improvement and just doing better each time."

Zoller was on the winning 4x200 and 4x800 relay teams. She also ran the final leg of the runner-up 4x100 relay, right after running the 4x800.

"The support was great," Zoller said. "It was great watching people cheer for us and motivating you to do your best."

In the 4x100, Radford's Brittini Fuller caught up to Zoller to help the Rams finish first.

Fuller played basketball and ran track last spring, but when basketball season moved to the winter this year, Fuller said it was a relief.

"I felt I was not giving my teammates my all, balancing both, even though I was giving 100 percent," Fuller said. "It's a relief to focus and succeed in basketball and to succeed in track."

Andrea Hinkle said the team's cohesiveness has helped them in the 4x100 all season.

"Our bonding with each other, that has helped a lot," said Hinkle, who was also on Radford's winning 4x400 team. "We know each other's marks. Everybody did a good job."

Kapolei hurdlers Hansen Ho, Travis White-Soares, Tyler Kukahiko and Shenon Moore doubled up, winning the 4x100-meter and 4x180-yard shuttle hurdle relays.

"Not everybody on our team made it to states," Moore said. "It was a second opportunity to do the relays so we can combine all our skills."

A small contingent of athletes from the Maui Interscholastic League made a strong showing. Mia Minkler, Sophia Freeman, Alexa Foley and Bailey Massenburg of King Kekaulike won the 1,600 sprint medley. King Kekaulike was second in the boys sprint medley and girls 4x200. Baldwin's Sean Tesoro was third in the discus and teammate Mana Rosa was third in the shot put. St. Anthony's Billy Pacheco was second in the pole vault.

"It's a good bonding experience," Freeman said of the trip. "It's a lot of fun. Hopefully, we can get better."

Massenburg ran the 800-meter leg of the relay, passing four runners in the first 200 meters to take the lead for Na Ali'i.

"We know each of us have our own part and every person had to push hard," Massenburg said.

Kamehameha's Kanani Herring, a three-time Advertiser State Player of the Year in volleyball, has taken her athleticism to the high jump. The first-year jumper, who said she sometimes doesn't know what she's doing, cleared 5 feet 6 earlier this season. Herring cleared 5-4 yesterday to break the Punahou Relays record before missing attempts at 5-6 1/2. The state meet record is 5-5 1/2.

"I still have so much to improve on," said Herring, who turned out for the high jump at the suggestion of coach and Kamehameha teacher Gail Murakami.

Mililani sophomore Andrew Longboy won the high jump after clearing 6-4. Saint Louis' Taylor Spencer also cleared 6-4, but finished second based on made attempts.

"It's great to have competition, but my opponent is not the people here, it's the bar," Longboy said.

Kamehameha won the power relay, a 400-meter relay with six boys who weigh at least 200 pounds. The Warriors finished in 46.82 seconds while Damien was second in 47.89.

"It's a different opportunity to see football players compete on a different playing field," Kamehameha's Landon Aano said.

Abe Markowitz was on Punahou's fourth-place power relay team, wearing a white cape for his leg and joking later he was fast as a bullet. Fun aside, he won the shot put with a throw of 54-4 1/2.

"Throwing was fun because I PR (personal record)," Markowitz said. "Running was just as fun."

Joshua Villoria won the Hawai'i's Fastest Human 100 dash in 10.95 seconds. He was the state 100 champion for Farrington in 2005.