Leilehua senior Margarito Martinez won his second straight title at Thursday's Honolulu Marathon/HHSAA State Cross Country Championships at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park.

Martinez won the boys 3-mile race in 15 minutes, 56.65 seconds. Kamehameha's Jordan Thibodeau finished second in 16:09.55 and Island School's Pierce Murphy was third in 16:17.15.

Kamehameha placed five runners in the top 20 to defend its team title with a meet-low 46 points. Leilehua was second with 69.

"I really appreciate my coach (Shawn Nakata). He gave me the perfect game plan," Martinez said. "At a mile and a half, I just picked it up and I didn't look back and I knew he (Murphy) had a strong kick because he's an amazing runner."

Leilehua runners have won the last five state titles. Bryce Jenkins won from 2006 to 2008.

Kamehameha won its state-best 12th team title and did so with a solid group effort. Kamehameha's Kawena Akiona finished fifth in 16:56.15, followed by Joshua Freitas (15th, 17:28.60), Alexander Ortega (18th, 17:30.00) and Caleb Acheula (20th, 17:34.45). Also on the Warriors' winning team were Collin Pidot (33rd, 18:09.65) and Kyle Nakatsuka (65th, 18:43.15).

"We knew it was close and everything so we really pushed it as a team," Thibodeau said.

In the girls 3-mile race, Punahou placed all seven of its runners in the top 20 to win its sixth consecutive team title and state-best 24th overall with 48 points. Hawaii Prep was second with 70.

Punahou's Elli Brady was second in 19:37.40, followed by Julia Brand (10th, 20:37.10), Kyleigh Mann (11th, 20:38.00), Melissa Wong (12th, 20:43.35), Noe Lum (18th, 20:52.25), Hallie Lam 19th, 20:53.95) and Jaime Durso (20th, 20:55.10).

Seabury Hall freshman Dakota Grossman led from start to finish in winning the race in 19:25.50.

"Adrenaline carried me out and I stayed up there," Grossman said.


TEAM RESULTS

Boys

1, Kamehameha-Kapalama: 46. 2, Leilehua: 69. 3, Iolani: 87. 4, Mililani: 128. 5, Honoka'a: 158. 6, Maui: 195. 7, Parker School: 197. 8, Mid-Pacific: 201. 9, Punahou: 210. 10, Hawaii Baptist: 236. 11, Pearl City: 247. 12, Seabury Hall: 278. 13, Baldwin: 305. 14, Hawaii Prep: 392.

Girls

1, Punahou: 48. 2, Hawaii Prep: 70. 3, Kamehameha-Kapalama: 118. 4, Seabury Hall: 130. 5, Mililani: 148. 6, Hawaii Baptist: 149. 7, Iolani: 160. 8, Leilehua: 238. 9, Pearl City: 246. 10, Baldwin: 248. 11, Maui: 251. 12, Hilo: 271. 13, Honoka'a: 335.

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