FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Iolani's Kon Weber won the ILH boys cross country title yesterday at Central Oahu Regional Park.

Maryknoll’s Besenbruch takes place at top of ILH

Maryknoll's Julie Besenbruch is on the brink of domination.

Kon Weber is just glad to compete.

Besenbruch, last year's runner-up, won the Interscholastic League of Honolulu girls individual cross country championship yesterday with a time of 19 minutes, 43 seconds at Central Oahu Regional Park.

Besenbruch's closest competitor, Christina Wong of Punahou, was 38 seconds back with a time of 20:21. Three of the top four were Maryknoll harriers. Spartans Malia Kagawa (20:22) and Haley Abing (20:29) placed third and fourth.

Punahou won the girls team chase with 41 points. Maryknoll had 69, and Kamehameha 70.

"Today, Haley and I were building off each other, like we do at practice," said Besenbruch, who pulled away at the 2-mile mark. "It felt real good, but I don't know if it was my best."

Besenbruch is only a sophomore, one of the standouts who helped Maryknoll win the intermediate title two years ago.

Weber, of Iolani, captured the boys' ILH title. The senior finished the course in 16:59, 32 seconds ahead of Punahou's Chris Burniske. Iolani pushed Kamehameha hard, but the Warriors came out ahead with 37 points in the team competition. Iolani finished with 47 and Punahou tallied 56.

It was a terrific afternoon for Weber, whose team spent plenty of time and energy running to places like Chuck E. Cheese in Aina Haina as a training goal.

Weber knows he won't be a favorite to win next week's state championship, but he'll be ready.

"(Bryce) Jenkins (of Leilehua), the guy's fast. I'm looking forward to running my last race and I'll give it my all," he said. "I don't really care who wins."

Nathan Nakatsuka of Kamehameha was third at 17:33, just a fraction of a second head of Hawaii Baptist's Matt Nakamoto.

Though two regular-season ILH meets were held at CORP, Weber had family events to tend to. The grassy, somewhat hilly course was to his liking.

"They told me it's faster and shorter," Weber said, alluding to the earlier meets. The first one had been measured too long, and the second was too short.

It didn't matter for Weber, who had won two other regular-season meets. He was aware of Burniske.

"We call him 'Texas,' " Weber said. "But I tried to go out and I never looked back."