KAHUKU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University women's and men's cross country teams made their way to the Kahuku Golf Course on Saturday for the traditional season-opening race at the University of Hawai'i Big Wave Invitational.
It was a rather successful start for the Silversword women's team, finishing third of five teams overall with their 73 points being 22 better than Hawai'i Pacific University. According to available records which date back to the mid-2000s, it marked the first time that the 'Swords finished ahead of their crosstown rivals in a race.
Hawai'i and Pacific, both Division I programs, were 1-2 in the team results.
Transfer
Maria Steinke (Columbus, Ohio/University of Dayton/Bexley HS) was the first non-Division I runner to finishing, placing 12
th overall in the 5-kilometer race in 21 minutes and 9.30 seconds.
Another CUH newcomer, freshman
Nikiji Dayse (Memphis, Tenn./Bartlett), was 14th at 21:19.20.
Zoe Lucas (Fremont, Calif./Washington), the 'Swords' top runner a year ago, crossed the tape in 22:58.60, followed by
Cassie Chong (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) at 23:07.60.
The rest of Chaminade's team were
Caitlin Bocobo (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) at 24:18.80,
Jordyn Koki (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama) at 24:48.80 and
Leila-Jayne Casison (Waipahu, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waipahu) at 25:13.90.
In the men's 5-k,
Owen Daugherty (Cedar Park, Texas/Cedar Park) enjoyed a fourth-place overall finish at 17:53.40.
Peter Jan Ramos (Waipahu, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waipahu) completed the course in 18:54.90 followed by
Ben Salinas (Highland, Ind./Western Colorado Univ./Highland HS) at 19:30.80 and
Conor McMahon (Pacific, Calif./Archbishop Riordan) at 24:25.80.
The men's team did not have enough runners to qualify for a team score. Soka University, a NAIA school from Southern California, won the team title over HPU.
Both Silverswords teams return to action on Sept. 16 when they host their own Chaminade Invitational at Kapiolani Park, starting at 8 a.m.
