StarBulletin.com

Jenkins leads Mules to cross country title


By

POSTED: Saturday, November 01, 2008

When your dad's resume includes a stint with the 82nd Airborne Division, there's a good chance running a few miles might be part of your daily routine.

And Bryce Jenkins concedes his father, Lt. Col. Bruce Jenkins, can be a taskmaster at times—in a good way.

“;As much as I hated it, I think he pushed me when I needed it,”; said Bryce, who won his record-tying third Honolulu Marathon/HHSAA Cross Country Championship yesterday at Hawaii Prep on the Big Island.

But when the time came to come back from a month-long injury, it was all Bryce's decision.

Jenkins' time of 17 minutes, 13 seconds on the muddy 3-mile course led Leilehua to a successful defense of its first HHSAA team title. Matt Stevens of Hawaii Baptist (1994-96) is the only other three-time individual Hawaii high school boys state cross country winner.

Senior Bailey Massenburg of King Kekaulike won the girls title in 20:42.90 and Punahou took the girls team crown for the fourth time in a row. Defending individual champion Kristin Ali Keith of Mililani finished sixth in 21:37.00.

Until recently, it looked like Jenkins might release his stranglehold on the championship. He was diagnosed early in the season with a stress fracture of his left shin and didn't do much running other than sporadic jogging midway through last month.

“;I was running 80- and 85-mile weeks before that,”; Jenkins said. “;That's probably how I got hurt.”;

His coach, Shawn Nakata, and his father helped Bryce put together a plan to try to keep him in shape. It included pool, bicycle and elliptical workouts.

When the OIA West Championships came around three weeks ago, though, Bryce pushed himself.

“;He only ran a couple of times (the week of the race), 1 mile, and 2 miles, I didn't think he was ready,”; Bruce Jenkins said. “;He convinced me he was.”;

He won that race, as well as the overall OIA title last week. Yesterday, he said he felt no ill effects after the win, in which he broke away from a cluster out front about midway through. Matthew Nakamoto of Hawaii Baptist was second in 17:34.40.

“;It felt great (to win), but I felt really slow because I'm not in shape,”; said Jenkins, who walked the HPA course earlier in the season to qualify for states, finishing last.

“;He stayed focused and remained part of the team,”; Nakata said.

Leilehua's boys won yesterday with 75 points. Kamehameha was second with 99.

Margarito Martinez (fourth), Shannon Cosey (10th), Shannon White (17th) and Noel Cabato (43rd) made up the rest of the scoring five.

As often happens in cross country, a solid performance by the fifth runner made a huge difference.

“;(Cabato) really stepped up his game and came out of nowhere,”; Jenkins said. “;Everyone did their part.”;

Massenburg said the hilly course was challenging, but “;fun.”;

It is dominated by a steep hill the runners must negotiate twice, at around the 1-mile mark and again at 2 miles. She took off from the rest of the leaders at the first hill and no one followed.

“;I made a move, I knew that would be make it or break it,”; Massenburg said. “;I think that's what cross country is all about, hills and rough terrain.”;

Punahou's girls won with 48 points. Seabury Hall was second with 117.

“;We have a very young group, three freshmen,”; Punahou coach Duncan Macdonald said. “;But all very coachable. They came up with a plan to run as a team, and they did it.”;

Farrah Madanay (fifth), Brooke Laporte (seventh), Julia Brand (eighth), Kyleigh Mann (ninth) and Kaycie Won (19th) finished near the front in a wave of Buffanblu.