Kaʻū News Briefs Sept. 21, 2024

First lap completed for this 50K runner as others finish the 5K on Saturday at Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run. Based at Kaʻū Coffee Mill,
it is a fundraiser for O Kaʻū Kakou. It also features a 10K and Half-Marathon. Photo by Julia Neal

KAʻŪ COFFEE TRAIL RUNNERS described the course as beautiful on Saturday, with competitors running as far as 50K through coffee orchards into the rainforest up Wood Valley Road.
    Sean Warner of Pepeekeo won the 50K in 4:59, followed by Ryan Cochran of
Volcano in 5:38:03, Adam Adler of Hilo in 6:31:59 and David Bozarth of Kealakekua in 6:33:06.

A 50K wahine winner Leah Stickels of Kailua in the Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run on Saturday. 
Photo by Julia Neal

   The 50K women's winner was Leah Stickels of Kailua in 6:38:29, followed by Wendy Neupauer of St. Louis Park in 6:29:24, Jolene Giles, of Lahaina in 7:18:43 and Kristi Ota of Kihei in 9:27:50.
    Top Half-Marathon male finisher from Kaʻū-Volcano was Lyman Perry of Volcano who took second overall in 2:10:45. Morgan Gerdale of Volcano  took sixth overall in 2:19:18. Another top finisher from Kaʻū was Elton Wilson of Ocean View in 2:50:42.
    Daniel Hill of Waikoloa won the men's Half-Marathon in 1:55:43. Third was Sean Bingham of Pearl

Michelle Chacon, of Pāhala, was top woman finisher
in Kaʻū for the Half-Marathon. Photo by Laura Diaz

City in 2:14:34. Fifth was Tim Heaton of Kealakekua in 2:47:17.
    Top Half-Marathon woman finisher from Kaʻū was Michelle Chacon of Pāhala in 2:56:32. Another Kaʻū finisher was Yuko White of Ocean View in 3:24:18.
    County Council woman Ashley Kierkiewicz of Kea'au finished the Half-Marathon in the 30-39 division in 4:08:44.
    The women's Half Marathon was taken by Cora Olson of Temont, MN in 2:20:25, followed by Sahe Massie of Pepeekeo in 2:20:25, Blair Southworth of Mountain View in 2:44:23, Tamara Hynd of Kamuela in 2:45:32 and Candus Debus of Pāhoa in 2:47:17.
    Top male finisher in Kaʻū in the 10K was John Desfor of Ocean View in 57:35 who took first in the 20-29 division. Drew White of Ocean View in the 50-59 division finished in 1:22:07. Joe Kent of Volcano in the 30-39 division finished in 1:25:12.

Medals for local finishers at the Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run for Kaweni Ibarra and
Jaysha Alonzo-Estrada. Photo by Julia Neal

    John Kolander of Kailua-Kona won the 10K in 44:05, followed by Sean LePouttre of Kailua-Kona in 47:25, Caitlyn Tateishi of Pāhoa in 49:1 and Joel Andrychowiz, of San Diego in 50:04.
    Top women 10K finishers from Kaʻū were Nāʻālehu residents Christie Nittrouer in 1:03:28 and Anjulie Morales in 1:04:01. Volcano finishers were Ellen Dunkle in 1:28:39 and Jennifer Harshorn in 1:29:19, both from Hawai'i National Park.
    The 10K winner was Caitlyn Tateishi of Pāhoa in 49:16, followed by Carrie Kaare of Pāhoa in 52:16, Kaylee Wooten of Vancouver, WA in 56:54, Hollie Saplan of Hilo in 58:42 and Ellen
Cordeiro of Hilo in 58:43.

County Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz
 of Kea'au completes the Half-Marathon.
Photo by Julia Neal 

    Five Kaʻū residents won their age group divisions in the 5K. In the 40 to 49 male division, Matthew Patrick of Hawai'i National Park won in 37:32. In the 20-29 female division, Mekhia Desfor won in 41:40. In the 70 and older men's division, Clement Hirae of Pāhala, won in 45:38. Nadine Ebert of Punalu'u won the 70 and older female division in 1:39:31. In the male 19 and under division Kaiden Kaluahine-Salmo of Pāhala won in 46:57. In the female 19 and under, Nia Pule of Nāʻālehu won in 1:32:15.
    Among the local women, Jaysha Alonzo-Estrada of Pāhala finished in the 20-29 division with 59:29 and Tiffany Clark of Nāʻālehu finished in the 30-39 division in 1:32:13. Jessica Gerdel of Volcano finished in the 40-49 division in 56:36 and Marie Hernandez of Nāʻālehu finished in 59:25. Kathy Baxter of Ocean View finished in the 50-59 division in 45:38. Shirley Sarbay of Volcano finished in 1:22:04.
    Among the local men in the 5K, Kaweni Ibarra of Pāhala finished in 59:16 and Noeau Pule of Nāʻālehu finished in 1:32:14.
    Nick Muragin of Hilo won the 5K in 23:05, followed by Collin Saxby of Kailua-Kona in 25:21, Gary Beuschel of Papaaloa in 29:13 and Naga Nakata of Pāhoa, in 30:21 and Dylan Garrison of Pāhoa in 36:41.

Long run ahead for this 50 K competitor. Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run also includes a 5K, 10K and Half Marathon. Photo by Julia Neal

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THE SPORTS CARDIOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF KAʻŪ HOSPITAL, which is headquartered in Hilo, came to Kaʻū on Saturday to meet with athletes and everyone who wants better heart health through fitness. Representatives of the group, including sports cardiology doctor Thomas Sawyer, MD, FACC, set up at the Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run at Kaʻū Coffee Mill. 

   According to the team, the Sports Cardiology program is the only one in the state dedicated to the care of the athlete’s heart. It offers screening, evaluation, and treatment to high school, college, professional, masters, tactical, and recreational athletes at all levels of ability and stages of life.
    "We work with every athlete individually to understand their unique goals and needs and provide targeted evaluation and treatment recommendations to enhance performance and safety," says literature about the Sports Cardiology Program.
   "All patients receive a detailed medical and athletic history, physical examination, and ECG. Further testing and treatment is tailored to the specific needs of each athlete. Advanced diagnostic techniques such as echocardiography (including 3D imaging), stress testing, coronary angiography, cardiac MRI or CT, extended rhythm monitoring, and genetic testing are available as necessary." See more at https://www.easthawaiihealthclinics.org/sports-cardiology/#1655770470286-f51d9e62-d0ec.

Sports Cardiology Program, a Department of Kaʻū Hospital, came to the Ka'u Coffee Trail Run on Saturday to meet athletes and others of all ages planning to improve fitness through sporting activities. Photo by Julia Neal

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

Sister volunteers for fentanyl  education
 Hailey de la Torre, RN and Andi
 Pawasarl-Losario. Photo by Julia Neal

 
HAWAI'I ISLAND FENTANYL TASK FORCE representatives came to Pahala on Saturday to educate folks about the drug becoming a problem with kupuna, as they deal with the aches and pains of growing older. Andy Pawasaral-Losario, who is Executive Director of Bridge House, and her sister and nurse Haile De la Torree talked to residents in front of Mizuno Superette about fentanyl.
   The sisters also gave out free Narcan units that can be used during a fentanyl overdose. They said they empathize with families who have drug problems since they have experienced the challenge in their own family.
    They noted that Hawai'i Island suffers fentanyl overdose death every seven days, with the numbers totaling 52 in 2023. They said that fentanyl is the number one cause of death for Americans, ages 18-45 and is growing in the kupuna population.
    See more on Hawai'i Island Fentanyl Task Force at www.hiftf.org.
    Learn about the Bridge House at https://bridgehousehawaii.org/.                                            

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.  

September 2024, 5,000 in the mail, 2,500 on the streets.