On November 2, the boys varsity cross country team won the Division 2 state title at the HHSAA State Championship race in Maui, with senior Xan Waialeale medaling in 16th place overall. The girls varsity team finished in second place, with sophomore Rylee Sato medaling in 13th place overall.
Heading into the championship, the boys team had finished in second place in the ILH championships, with senior Xan Waialeale (5th), junior Cody Chun (8th), and freshman Madan Abe (9th) medaling for the Eagles. The girls varsity team took the ILH championship title and had four Eagles medal—freshman Kaycie Hayashi (6th), sophomore Rylee Sato (7th), freshman Kelsie Takeuchi (8th), and junior Beth Ragain (10th). Girls head coach Shelby Tanaka wrote, “Honestly, it’s such an amazing feat! This is only the third time in HBA cross-country history that we have taken the ILH champs title, and I couldn’t be more proud of the girls for all of their hard work. On top of that, four of the seven girls were freshmen! It’s an exciting year filled with growth. Winning the ILH championship is a testament to the work that they have put in over these past several months, and the girls earned every bit of that celebration!”
During the season, the runners faced a variety of challenges, whether it was injury, sickness, or anxiety. In preparation for the state championship, the runners were also focused on their personal goals. Sato wrote, “My goal for States is to come in the top 20 and hit a personal record faster than a 20:24. Being able to place in the top 20 out of all the schools in Hawaii to get a medal will be the greatest accomplishment and reward to everything I put in this season to get to that point. Plus, recognition is always a little nice too sometimes,” In order to achieve her goals, Sato kept these things in mind: “I will continue to push myself harder each practice and to work on my mental strength to keep pushing even when everything hurts and I just feel like giving up.”
With her 13th place state finish, Sato not only achieved her personal goal, she also finished as HBA’s fastest girl. Senior Natali Nomura was proud of both her team’s accomplishment and cameraderie. Given that it was her final season as a high schooler, she made sure to enjoy her time with her teammates. “I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well every season, and I just want to enjoy the time I have left with the sport even if I don’t do well,” Nomura wrote.
In preparation for the Maui race, boys coach Aaron Kondo made sure that all runners stayed as healthy as possible by finishing practice on time, giving his runners time to rest, and walking them through their mental preparations like thinking through their workouts and visualizing what the course might look like. Kondo was proud of seeing the team come together at the end of the season. “It’s been a while since we’ve had all of them race together in one meet, so it’s been nice getting them healthy and getting them in shape, ready to compete against the rest of the league and the rest of the state,” he said.
Waialeale capped off his senior year with a medal at States, but he said the memories he made with his team were just as important. “My best memory this season was when nine of us and two coaches got bowls of Buldak 2x Spicy Ramen; it was the hottest thing I have eaten in my life. Everyone was dying, and it was so funny,” wrote Waialeale.
While coach Tanka was proud of the girl’s athletic achievements, she was even prouder of how much they have grown and matured. “The bonds they have formed, the way they all support each other and lift each other up on and off the course, and seeing the more experienced runners mentoring the new runners are a few of the achievements that come to mind,” wrote Tanaka.
As Nomura looks ahead to graduation, she wishes her team the best of luck, hoping they continue to work hard and not stress out coach Kondo. “Me and the rest of the seniors are really proud of you guys and we’re really gonna miss you,” she wrote. “Make sure to have fun and take care of each other, cheer each other on after hard workouts, and continue to laugh at Brent for me.”
