Maui’s Jared Cantere battles through injury to win boys 800 run at state track and field meet

Maui High’s Jared Cantere didn’t look like someone who had just won a state track and field event when he climbed the podium Saturday.

The senior could barely climb up to the top spot to get a gold medal placed around his neck while favoring a right Achilles tendon injury.

Cantere simply blocked out the pain to win the 800-meter run in 1:59.92 at the Island Movers/HHSAA Track and Field Championships at Kamehameha.

“Before the 800 I was having a little pain in my Achilles,” said Cantere, who had an ice pack around his lower leg. “But I told myself this is my last year and don’t want to walk off the field without a medal.”

He said he fought through pain during the race.

“Throughout the first 400 I was feeling it. In the final 300 meters that’s when the pain started getting worse,” Cantere said. “When I started kicking and everything, it was mind over matter. I just went with it and kept pushing through the pain. I told myself, ‘You can rest after that. Right now is the time to go.’ ”

Waiakea’s Kiyoshi Todd placed second in 2:00.57 and Kamehameha’s Brady Akau finished third in 2:00.86.

Cantere became a two-time state champion this year, having claimed the cross country title by less than one second in early December.

“I proved myself in cross country and I also proved myself now in the 800,” he said. “I’m proud of myself and I’m glad I did it.”

>> PHOTOS: State track and field championships

>> RELATED: Tatum Moku is the state meet’s rock star

Behind two-event winner John-Keawe Sagapolutele, Punahou claimed the boys team title with 73 points. Saint Louis was second with 49 and Kapolei placed third with 38.5. The Buffanblu have won 36 team titles, including the past four with no state meets being held the past two years because of COVID-19.

“We had such a wide array of interesting and tenacious and really, really special young people,” said Punahou coach Todd Iacovelli. “The whole community, the parents and the kids, all year kept the faith going and they worked hard.”

Sagapolutele had quite an adventure Saturday, from showing up late and nearly being scratched from the discus to winning the event.

The Buffanblu’s starting quarterback, Sagapolutele attended a football camp at Leilehua earlier in the day and left at 11 a.m., thinking the boys discus was starting at 1 p.m. It started at noon and the call-time was 11:45 a.m.

“I came here late. They almost scratched my name off,” Sagapolutele said. “The coaches tried to stall time and stuff.”

The first-year track athlete went on to win the discus with a distance of 153 feet, 2 inches on his final throw. Baldwin’s Ezra Laga finished second with a 150-5.

“I did a quick prayer and tried to clear my mind,” Sagapolutele said of his winning throw.

The previous day, he won the shot put with a mark of 51-11.5.

“I’m just really thankful to my coaches for helping me accomplish this goal,” Sagapolutele said. “I know that it’s pretty rare that it happens and I’m just really happy and blessed I’m a state champ for shot put and discus.”

Kapolei’s Jordan McQueen was the only three-event winner on the boys side.

The senior won the triple jump with a distance of 44-9.75 and was a member of the winning 4×400 relay team Saturday. The previous day, he won the long jump with a mark of 21-8.50.

“It’s great. It overall shocks me I even had the opportunity to get over here because I got into the triple jump game late. I started like two weeks ago,” McQueen said. “Ever since I was 10, I was able to quickly adapt and perform.”

Saint Louis’ William Reed won the high jump with a height of 6-4.

“At the height of 6-4, I had the confidence where if I jump, I just believed I would get over,” said Reed, who is in his first year competing in the event. “I guess that and the confidence my teammates gave me pushed me over the bar.”

Reed failed in his one attempt at clearing 6-9.25, which would have set the state record.

—

BOYS

Team standings—1. Punahou 73; 2. Saint Louis 49; 3. Kapolei 38.5; 4. Baldwin 35; 5. Hawaii Baptist 28; 6. ‘Iolani 26; 6. Kamehameha 26; 8. Mililani 22; 9. Moanalua 21; 10. Mid Pacific 18; 11. Kalani 17; 12. Maui 16; 12. Waianae 16; 14. Waiakea 14; 15. Leilehua 12; 16. Kalaheo 10; t17. Konawaena 8; t17. Kaiser 8; t17. Nanakuli 8; t17. Kamehameha-Maui 8; t17. Campbell 8; 22. Pearl City 7; t23. Maryknoll 6; t23. Castle 6; t25. Kamehameha-Hawaii 4; t25. Kahuku 4; t25. Kauai 4; 28. Radford 2; 29. St Anthony 1; 30. Roosevelt 0.5.

Friday

Shot put—1. John-Keawe Sagapolutele, Punahou, 51-11.50; 2. Micah Mahi‘ai, Kamehameha, 48-02.50; 3. Gabriel Araki, Leilehua, 47-06.50; 4. Ala‘i Williams, Punahou, 44-02.50; 5. Kealiikupono Dikilato, Kamehameha, 44-02.00; 6. Christopher Love, Radford, 44-01.00.

Long jump—1. Jordan McQueen, Kapolei, 21-085.50; 2. Kanoa Mahiko, Kaiser, 21-03.00; 3. Jymien Lipscomb, Kalaheo, 21- 00.25; 4. Kahiau Poe, Kamehameha-Hawaii, 20-11.50; 5. Torrance Satta Ellis, Konawaena, 20-11.00; 6. Jaymison Kaohi, Kamehameha, 20-10.50.

Pole vault—1. Stephen Chezik, Mililani, 14-00.00; 2. Keegan Gantala, Kamehameha-Maui, 13-06.00; 3. Lev Van Delden, Punahou, 13-00.00; 4. Kana‘i Gibson, 13-00.00; 5. Hudson Nguyen, ‘Iolani, 12-06.00; 6. Trevor Tanaka, St. Anthony, 12-06.00.

Saturday

Discus throw—1. John-Keawe Sagapolutele, Punahou, 153-02; 2. Ezra Laga, Baldwin, 150-05; 3. Gabriel Araki, Leilehua, 145-03; 4. Kealiikupono Dikilato, Kamehameha, 139-01; 5. Shyson Cachuela, Kapolei, 136-10; 6. Isaiah Pa’ahao, Pearl City, 134-09.

Triple jump—1. Jordan McQueen, Kapolei, 44-09.75; 2. Asher Matsui, ‘Iolani, 42-07.75; 3. Bailey Abrazado, Mililani, 42-06.00; 4. Torrance Satta-Ell, Konawaena, 41-10.00; 5. Brock Fonoimoana, Kahuku, 41-00.75; 6. Antone Sanches, Baldwin, 40-10.75.

High Jump—1. William Reed, Saint Louis, 6-04.00; 2. Balen Rigg, Punahou, 6-02.00; 3. Kainoa May, Punahou, 6-02.00; 4. Ethan Smith, Kauai, 6-00.00; 5. Cal’ Von Baker, Campbell, 6-00.00; t6. Jordan McQueen, Kapolei, 5-10.00; t6. Matis Aguilar, Roosevelt, 5-10.00.

110m Hurdles—1. Justin Kahalewai, Baldwin, 15.59; 2, Joshua Sanders, Moanalua, 15.65; 3. Jadaiah Taugasolo, Campbell, 15.69; 4. Timothy Wallace, Mililani, 15.72; 5, Tristan Lewandowsky, Moanalua, 15.80; 6. Tai Demura-Devore, Punahou, 15.99.

100m—1. Joseph Randolph, Baldwin, 10.97; 2. Trech Kekahuna, Saint Louis, 11.19; 3. Emanuel Carter, Waianae,11.35; 4. Shane Kawakami-Williams, Hawaii Baptist, 11.41; 5. Jaylan Johnson, Mililani, 11.45; 6. Gabriel Maramag-Ganigan, Moanalua, 11.47.

1500m—1. Parker Wagnild, Mid-Pacific, 4:08.29; 2. Connor Malinger, Hawaii Baptist, 4:10.13; 3. Jared Cantere, Maui, 4:13.59; 4. Ngirakederang Ueda, Waiakea, 4:14.35; 5. Joshua Dutton, Punahou, 4:14.38; 6. Michael (Gray) Brady, Kalaheo, 4:14.93.

4x100m Relay—1. Saint Louis (Yosei Takahashi, Kanoa Monteilh, Vu Nguyen, Trech Kekahuna) 42.91; 2. Punahou 43.46; 3. Baldwin 43.55; 4. Castle 43.62; 5. Kahuku 43.91; 6. Kalaheo 44.01.

400m—1. Kainoa Ronquilio, Punahou; 50.00; 2. Casey Connel, Saint Louis, 51.03; 3. Josiah del Prado, Kapolei; 51.64; Marcus Rodriguez, Pearl City, 51.86; 5. Jacob Gaudi, ‘Iolani 51.98; 6. Kayin Maloian, Kalani, 52.20.

300m Hurdles—1. Reece Kosaki, Kalani, 39.97; 2. Skye Roman, Nanakuli, 40.16; 3. Joshua Sanders, Moanalua, 40.36; 4. Theolease Priester, ‘Iolani, 41.18; 5. Malakai Fillmore, Konawaena, 41.27; 6. Raiden Morris, Kamehameha, 41.46.

800m—1. Jared Cantere, Maui, 1:59.92; 2. Kiyoshi Todd, Waiakea, 2:00.57; 3. Brady Akau, Kamehameha, 2:00.86; 4. Michael Joshua Price, Saint Louis, 2:01.28; 5. Yuta Cole, Kalani, 2:01.96; 6. Jay Robledo, Radford, 2:02.22.

200m—1. Emanuel Carter, Waianae, 22.51; 2. Vu Nguyen, Saint Louis, 22.57; 3. Shane Kawakami-Williams, Hawaii Baptist, 22.65; 4. Gabriel Maramag-Ganigan, Moanalua, 22.74; 5. Coby Tanioka, Castle, 22.86; 6. Jalen Keller, Kalaheo, 23.05.

3000m—1. Connor Malinger, Hawaii Baptist, 9:06.24; 2. Parker Wagnild, Mid-Pacific 9:18.80; 3. Peter Lowell, Maryknoll, 9:27.12; 4. Ethan Chock, ‘Iolani, 9:28.33; 5. Ngirakederang Ueda, Waiakea, 9:28.38; 6. Michael (Gray) Brad, Kalaheo, 9:28.79.

4x400m—1. Kapolei (Josiah del Prado, Jordan McQueen, Kunique Yandall-Parker, Jason Kealoha) 3:24.73; 2. Punahou 3:25.76; 3. ‘Iolani 3:29.64; 4. Kalani 3:31.65; 5. Pearl City 3:32.42; 6. Saint Louis 3:33.53.

>> COMING MONDAY: Quotes and head shots of Friday’s and Saturday’s state champions in track and field.