KIF track All-Stars honor Kapaa boys, Kauai girls dominance

The Kauai Interscholastic Federation’s track and field All-Stars put a clear stamp on a season that asked a lot of athletes, coaches and families: Kapaa High School rose to the top on the boys side, while Island School swept the girls relays and claimed the girls team honor.

The selections came after a spring shaped by construction restrictions at Vidinha Stadium, where nonparticipating athletes and parent spectators were kept outside the competition arena during the KIF championships on Saturday, May 9. Kauai County had approved only limited access to the track for scheduled meets, and the stadium was not open to the public. That meant island runners and field athletes had to compete under tighter conditions than usual, with the season running through a facility still in transition.

Even with those limits, the All-Stars list showed which programs built depth as well as individual excellence. Kapaa’s boys collected the top team recognition, and the school’s Broc Candido earned All-Star nods in three field events. Colten Nagahisa was selected in three running events and two relays, a sign of the kind of range that often separates a strong athlete from a season-defining one.

On the girls side, Island School’s depth carried through the relay races and into the overall team honor. Kapaa girls finished second, followed by Kauai and Waimea, underscoring how tight the top end of the conference remained. Kauai High School senior Aileah Villatora stood out as one of the season’s signature performers after placing first in the 200 meters at the state meet and earning recognition in three dash events. Earlier in the season, she also broke three KIF track records, adding another layer to a senior campaign that helped set the pace for the island.

Island School freshman Cora Rosenthal placed in three events, while Voyager underclassmen earned enough selections to show the school’s next wave is already contributing. That matters in a league that has been building track tradition for generations. The KIF was first organized in 1937 with Kauai High School and Waimea High School, and Kapaa joined in 1946. Today, the federation includes eight member schools and competes in 29 varsity sports and eight JV sports.

The All-Stars list serves as more than a roster of names. It is a snapshot of where Kauai track got stronger this year, which schools handled the strain of an unusual venue situation, and which athletes turned a constrained season into one of the island’s most competitive finishes.