By RODNEY S. YAP 

WAILUKU – The arrival of two of the Oahu Interscholastic Association’s top performers should boost this weekend’s Trojans’ Blue & Gold Invitational Track and Field Meet set for Friday and Saturday at the Yamamoto Track & Field Facility.

Mililani High School has entered three athletes in the boys division, including two – Kawika Ornellas and Cameron Daugherty – who are among the best in the state in their respective events. The other is quartermiler Brian Reeves.

Trials for the Trojans’ Blue & Gold Invitational is set for Friday at 4 p.m., while the Finals on Saturday will begin at 3:30 p.m., with the Runner’s Paradise 100-meter Challenge taking place at 7 p.m. Admission for both days are $3 adults, $2 students, children 12-and-under, senior citizens and military personnel are free.

Photo: Keith Tsjui                                St. Anthony's Billy Pacheco

Ornellas ranks in the Top 5 in Hawaii in the 100 (No. 4) and 200 (No. 5), while Daugherty was the silver medalist in the state pole vault last year and was the top vaulter this year, until St. Anthony’s Billy Pacheco cleared 14 feet, 4 inches last week at MIL Meet #4, surpassing Daugherty’s 14-3.

St. Anthony pole vault coach Allen Duarte, a two-time state champion and former state record-holder, said Pacheco’s goal this year is 15 feet, and 14-4 is one inch better than his previous best.

“He’s looking forward to this week’s competition,” Duarte said of his junior vaulter. “He’s coming off his best meet of the year and the fact that Cameron is coming to Maui is just and added bonus.”

The last time Daugherty jumped on Maui was last year’s state meet, where he established his personal best of 14-9, but finished second to St. Anthony’s Erik Rasmussen, who also cleared 14-9, but won because of fewer misses.

Duarte pointed out that Pacheco is planning to attend the Punahou Relays next week and that the state meet is being held at Mililani next month. “So the two of them will be facing each other three times over the next five weeks, and this is kind of like round one,” added Duarte.

As far as the sprint duel between Kamahele and Ornellas, Baldwin boys coach Gary Sanches said his sprinter is looking forward to chance to break 11 seconds.

“He’s run 11.04 (lynx timing) with some competition,” Sanches said. “So hopefully he can break the 11-second barrier. If he’s going to do it, now is the time to do it, and that is what we need him to do.”

Ornellas has run a hand-timed 10.9 in the 100 and a hand-timed 22.3 in the 200. Only Radford’s Christopher Rainey has run faster than Kamahele in the 100, clocking an automatic-timed 10.91 last week. Kamahele is the state’s leader in the 200 at 22.16.

“We’re very excited about the meet,” said the Trojans’ head coach Bill Pacheco. “We are hoping this meet will grow and get more popular, attracting track fans not just from Hawaii but also from the Mainland.”

Pacheco said there are a number of meet records that are in jeopardy, particularly the sprint marks in the girls division.

“The 100-, 200- and 400-meter races are all in danger of being broken,” Pacheco noted. “Fans may also see records in the boys 100 and shot put and discus.”

Baldwin sprinter Brittany Feiteira, the state’s defending champion in the 400 and silver-medal winner in the 100 and 200, is currently ranked No. 1 in the state in the 100 at 12.38. Meanwhile, Seabury Hall’s freshman sensation Kailea Tracy-Visintainer owns the state’s top marks in the 200 (25.02), 400 (57.31) and 800 (2:21.0).

Baldwin thrower Sean Tesoro, who has already signed to play football at UNLV next fall, has personal bests of 53-7 in the shot put (No. 2 in the state) and 159-3 in the discus (No. 4). The Blue & Gold meet records are 51-3 and 160-1, respectively.

NOTE: To send information on our MIL track and field athletes or other related items, email me at mrmaui@mac.com.