Hurricanes' senior outside hitter Shekinah Clarke and Warriors' junior harrier Kaeo Kruse led their respective teams to big victories over the weekend. ScoringLive photo illustration

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Male Athlete of the Week: Kaeo Kruse, Kamehameha cross country
For much of the three-mile boys' race at Saturday's Honolulu Marathon/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Cross Country State Championships, Kaeo Kruse's view was the back of Makai Clemons.

The Kamehameha junior bided his time behind Clemons — a senior from Kalaheo and the Oahu Interscholastic Association champion — and waited patiently until it was his time to attack. It wasn't until the final half mile or so that Kruse turned on the afterburners and left Clemons in his dust en route to the individual title. His time of 15 minutes, 38.2 seconds was nearly 12 seconds better than Clemons, who finished second.

"Makai really pushed the pace and did what he had to do and ran really well, but Kaeo just hung in there," Warriors' coach Steve Jenness said. "(Kruse) wasn't put under much distress even though he trailed (Clemons) by a few seconds through the first half. He was able to run hard in the spots that we wanted him to run hard and he was very strong in the last half mile to three-quarters of a mile."

Kruse trailed Clemons by about 15 yards going into the final downhill portion of the course, but ended up winning by over 100 yards.

"On that course, it's basically a loop twice and that downhill section is one where you should really let loose both times, especially the second time," Jenness said. "That's where you're going to beat people — is that downhill — and we talk about those key downhill sections on a lot of courses. He did it just the way we talked about doing it. He's a smart racer and we don't need to tell him too much when it comes to that because he kind of already gets it, but we did emphasize that."

At last year's race, Kruse finished second to teammate Davis Kaahanui, who claimed his second straight individual crown before graduating in the Spring, leaving Kruse as the undisputed leader of the team.

"I know a lot of people thought he had been in (Kaahanui's) shadow for a while, but people close to the program knew all along how good Kaeo was," Jenness said. "They finished neck-and-neck at the ILH championships last year and I wouldn't have been surprised if Kaeo won. (Kaahanui) was an outstanding runner and it was good for Kaeo in a lot of ways because they both grew up in the sport helping each other a lot."

At the state track and field meet last May, Kruse bested Kaahanui and won gold in the 3,000-meter run, setting a new met record in the process.

"I'm very proud of him, he's a really good kid," Jenness said of Kruse. "He's a smart kid, he's very focused, he's very stoic in his demeanor and he's become a good leader this year. It's all been thrust at him and it doesn't seem to bother him or anything."

At Saturday's race Kruse opted to wear spikes, a decision that Jenness said he came to on his own.

"He wanted to wear spikes and it's a good course to wear spikes on because it's pretty much 100 percent grass and it's not real hard there because it's kind of thick grass," Jenness said. "He's used to it with a good track background. The only time I would tell someone not to wear spikes is if they don't do it a lot, but he's used them in practice so it wasn't a big deal. I let them do what's comfortable for them."

It was Kruse's first race at Patsy T. Mink/Central Oahu Regional Park in nearly four years.

"We haven't run there for a while for some reason," Jenness said. "In the (Interscholastic League of Honolulu), we had some years where we ran there four times a year, but the last couple of years we haven't run there. It seems like we've been going back to school campuses more, like the OIA does. It just seems more and more difficult to secure parks on those days because of permits and stuff."

Despite that, the Warriors claimed their third consecutive team championship and the fifth in six years.

"I remember coming in third about seven times in a row before we won the first one," said Jenness, who now has 13 state championships to his name. "I still remember saying that I'd love to win this thing just once."

Among the other contributors for the Warriors were Kainalu Asam, who finished fourth, and Race Oshiro and Grant Kam, who placed 14th and 15th, respectively.

"I like watching the kids and seeing how happy they are when they win, but it takes a lot of hard work and it's really hard to win," Jenness said. "It's a very hard meet to win. You just have to have everything go right for you, so even though it's lucky No. 13 for me, it certainly doesn't get old."

It was the 15th overall team championship in school history, while Kruse's victory marked the seventh individual crown claimed by a Kamehameha runner.

Female Athlete of the Week: Shekinah Clarke, Kapolei volleyball
Things are coming together at just the right time for Shekinah Clarke.

After tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee last year, the Kapolei senior worked her way back through rehabilitation and physical therapy only to suffer another setback prior to the start of the 2014 season.

"She got injured three weeks before the season started, so she sat out all of the regular season," Hurricanes' coach Naidah Gamurot said of Clarke, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter.

It wasn't until the start of the postseason that Clarke got on the court, but Gamurot admits she was far from fully healed.

"She really provided an emotional boost for the girls and that was the deciding factor on when I would put her in or not, because I knew physically she wasn't full on ready, but the girls just love her to death and the crowd just loves her to death, so I knew as soon as she stepped on the court that they would go nuts," Gamurot said. "The girl shave so much love for her and what she had gone through the past two years."

Clarke still plays with a large brace on her left knee, which has limited her mobility, but Gamurot said she is making it work nonetheless.

"We're a short team so we try to run a fast offense, but with her injury she can't run it fast, so we've started to throw it a little higher to her on the outside," Gamurot said. "She's a big, powerful hitters, whereas the rest of the team is more finesse, but she was actually starting to run our offense before she got hurt, but it takes a while to get comfortable because it requires so much timing. She's still adjusting to it and everyone else is adjusting to her, but they're getting comfortable now."

Kapolei started the season 1-2 after its first three matches, but reeled off 10 straight victories en route to the championship game of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I tournament, but dropped a close five-set match to Moanalua.

The Hurricanes rebounded in the first round of the New City Nissan/Hawaii High School Athletic Association State Tournament with a sweep of Castle on Friday and followed that up with a pulsating five-set win over fourth-seeded King Kekaulike in a quarterfinal match Saturday night.

"We didn't show up the first two sets and King Kekaulike was firing on all cylinders, but they put everything into those first two sets, so emotionally I could see a dip coming," Gamurot said. "The thing about us is we get better as the match goes on, so going give sets works for us and we just don't slow down."

Much like the OIA final against Moanalua, Kapolei dropped the first two sets before winning games 3 and 4 to send it to a deciding fifth set.

"After the second set, I told them they just had to take the third, because once we get into the fourth we'd be ready to go," Gamurot said. "We were still somewhat sluggish in the fourth and they were pretty tired in the fifth, but I told them to run everything and lo and behold Shekinah started to click. She looked like her old self in that fifth set. The timing was there and you could tell by her face that she was starting to feel more comfortable and get more relaxed and that showed in her play."

The Hurricanes jumped out to a 9-1 lead in the fifth set and won it, 15-8. Clarke finished with a match-high 20 kills with a .421 hitting percentage.

"She sets such high expectations for herself and she wants to do it perfectly and I think she thought that she was going to be able to do that the whole time, so that was frustrating for her, but we've had to figure out how to balance her power with our finesse," Gamurot said. "She's gotten better with each match. She's getting really close to being back to form. She's probably about 90 percent right now."

Kapolei also got major contributions over the weekend from libero Malia Transfiguracion (35 digs vs. King Kekaulike and 15 digs vs. Castle), setter Annika San Nicolas (68 total assists in two matches) and opposite Savannah Baldomero (10 aces vs. Castle).

"I think the success of the team was because it was a whole-team effort," Gamurot said. "Everyone has something to bring, something to contribute and it just makes the fabric work."

Clarke and the Hurricanes will face their toughest test to date when they play defending champ and top seed Kamehameha in a 5 p.m. semifinal match Friday at McKinley's Student Council Gymnasium.

AIR RIFLERY
Darren Nirei, Hawaii Baptist — Shot a score of 540 to win the boys' individual title at the Civilian Marksmanship Program/HHSAA State Championships

Isabel Villanueva, Saint Francis — Shot a score of 548 to win the girls' individual title at the Civilian Marksmanship Program/HHSAA State Championships

BOWLING
Bryce Takenaka, McKinley — Rolled a nine-game total of 1,712 pins to win the boys' individual title at the Billy Tees/HHSAA State Championships

Shelby Suzuki, Hawaii Baptist — Rolled a nine-game total of 1,696 pins to win the girls' individual title at the Billy Tees/HHSAA State Championships

CROSS COUNTRY
Lisa Tashiro, Kaiser — Won the girls' individual title in a time of 18 minutes, 59.9 seconds at the Honolulu Marathon/HHSAA State Championships

FOOTBALL
Manaia Atuaia, Kahuku — Made six tackles and a sack in a loss to Mililani

Sione Atuekaho, Hilo — Rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown in a win over Kealakehe

Jackson Fuamatu, Pearl City — Recorded a game-high 12 tackles in a loss to Nanakuli

Alohi Gilman, Kahuku — Had four tackles, an interception and a forced fumble in a loss to Mililani

Kahewai Kaaiawaawa, Mililani — Had five tackles, one sack and a fumble recovery in a win over Kahuku

Kale Kanehailua, Nanakuli — Passed for 140 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Pearl City

Keola Kealoha, Farrington — Caught a pair of touchdown passes in a win over Campbell

Luke Luna-Luuloa, Nanakuli — Scored on a 95-yard kickoff return in a win over Pearl City

Ranan Mamiya, Farrington — Rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown in a win over Campbell

Dominic Maneafaiga, Pearl City — Caught 10 passes for 151 yards and rushed for two touchdowns in a loss to Nanakuli

Randy Manewa, Nanakuli — Had six tackles and forced a fumble in a win over Pearl City

Solomon Matautia, Campbell — Scored on a 56-yard fumble return in a loss to Farrington

Kamakana Pagan, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored on a 35-yard interception return in a win over Konawaena

Alexcio Paulo-Meyers, Nanakuli — Had five tackles and returned a fumble 36 yards in a win over Pearl City

William Prescott, Farrington — Had a sack, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble in a win over Campbell

Keala Santiago, Kahuku — Had three tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery in a loss to Mililani

Tristin Spikes, Hilo — Rushed for three touchdowns in a win over Kealakehe

Jordan Taamu, Pearl City — Passed for 289 yards and three touchdowns in a loss to Nanakuli

Isaiah Tauati, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored on a 50-yard interception return in a win over Konawaena

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Kylee Ancheta, Waiakea — Had 10 digs, three aces and two assists in a five-set win over Mililani

Taniah Ayap, Waiakea — Had 23 assists, seven digs and three kills in a five-set win over Mililani

Aliyah Ayau, Kamehameha-Maui — Had 23 assists, two digs, one kill, one block and one ace in a three-set loss to Mililani

Savannah Baldomero, Kapolei — Had six kills, five digs, 10 aces, one block and one assist in a three-set win over Castle

Rachel Blake, Kahuku — Had 14 digs and two assists in a three-set win over Kamehameha-Maui and had 14 digs and eight assists in a three-set loss to Moanalua

Danielle Brown, Kamehameha-Maui — Had 10 kills, six digs and two aces in a three-set loss to Mililani

Hope Carter, Mililani — Had 34 assists, 11 digs, three kills, three blocks and an ace in a five-set loss to Waiakea

Kyrstin Chang, Mililani — Had 12 kills, nine digs and an assist in a five-set loss to Waiakea

Treyanna-Lee Freitas, King Kekaulike — Had 10 kills, 23 digs, five aces, two assists and a block in a five-set loss to Kapolei

Alison Fuate, Waiakea — Had 12 kills and three blocks in a five-set win over Mililani

Lia Gaogao, Moanalua — Had 14 kills, eight digs and one assist in a three-set win over Kahuku

McKenna Granato, Punahou — Had 12 kills, five aces and four digs in a three-set win over Nanakuli and 11 kills, five digs, two blocks and an ace in a three-set win over Kamehameha-Hawaii

Tiyana Hallums, Kamehameha — Had 12 kills, 12 digs, two blocks and an ace in a three-set win over Waiakea

Leila Holt, Kamehameha — Had 33 assists, four digs, four aces, one kill and a block in a three-set win over Waiakea

Hiilei Ishii-Chaves, Waiakea — Had 20 assists, 17 digs, eight kills and a block in a five-set win over Mililani

Natalia Kaopua, Nanakuli — Had 13 kills, two digs and an ace in a three-set loss to Punahou and 14 kills, seven digs and a block in a three-set loss to Castle

Lillie Klemmer, Punahou — Had 11 kills and a block in a three-set win over Kamehameha-Hawaii

Jojo Kruse, Moanalua — Had 15 kills, six digs and an ace in a three-set win over Kahuku

Victoria Kunishi, King Kekaulike — Had 32 assists, 14 digs, three kills and three aces in a five-set loss to Kapolei

Rachel Lafitaga, Castle — Had 15 digs, two aces and an assist in a three-set loss to Kapolei and 12 digs in a three-set win over Nanakuli

Hana Lishman, Punahou — Had seven kills, seven digs, three aces and an assist in a three-set win over Nanakuli and 10 digs, three kills and an ace in a three-set win over Kamehameha-Hawaii

Kayla Magbaleta, Mililani — Had 31 digs, five assists and an ace in a five-set loss to Waiakea

Kadara Marshall, Waiakea — Had 13 kills, three digs and a block in a five-set win over Mililani

Kristen Miguel, Mililani — Had 16 kills, eight digs, two blocks, two aces and an assist in a five-set loss to Waiakea

ShaRae Niu, Kahuku — Had 36 assists, two digs, two blocks and an ace in a three-set win over Kamehameha-Maui and had 24 assists, eight digs, two kills and a block in a three-set loss to Moanalua

Breannalye Rodrigues, King Kekaulike — Had 12 kills, two blocks and two aces in a five-set loss to Kapolei

Annika San Nicolas, Kapolei — Had 31 assists, two kills and two digs in a three-set win over Castle and had 37 assists, 11 digs, one block and an ace in a five-set win over King Kekaulike

Tiani Teanio, Waiakea — Had 18 digs, two aces, one kill and an assist in a five-set win over Mililani

Cassady Teixeira, Moanalua — Had 10 kills and two blocks in a three-set win over Kahuku

Shaney Tiumalu, Castle — Had 10 kills, five digs, three aces and two blocks in a three-set win over Nanakuli

Malia Transfiguracion, Kapolei — Had 15 digs, one kill and an assist in a three-set win over Castle and had 35 digs, three aces and one assist in a five-set win over King Kekaulike

Kiani Tuileta, Punahou — Had 34 assists, three digs, two kills and two aces in a three-set win over Punahou and 31 assists, four digs, two kills, one block and an ace in a three-set win over Kamehameha-Hawaii

Ashley Van Gieson, Nanakuli — Had 18 assists and three digs in a three-set loss to Punahou

Carey Williams, Kahuku — Had nine kills, seven digs, nine aces and a block in a three-set win over Kamehameha-Maui

Sirinya Yothawong, King Kekaulike — Had 21 digs, one ace and an assist in a five-set loss to Kapolei