Adolpho Jumps and Runs to State

Kalei Adolpho will finish out her senior year with another show at a state track and field championship meet. After qualifying in the high jump at her first meet of the season earlier this year, Adolpho will also represent Molokai at states in the 800-meter dash. She earned a state consideration time in last weekend’s Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) tournament, coming in third at 2 minutes 35.27 seconds.

“She jumped clean all the way through,” said coach Jessie Ford. “This week we will do some sprint work for the 800, [but] focus more on [the high jump].”

Adolpho was also named MIL champion for the high jump, at 5’. She got third at states last year, jumping 5’2”, but said she wants to jump 5’4” this year. Competitors get three attempts at each height to make a clean jump.

“I feel excited, I’m happy about how MILs went,” Adolpho said.

Akona Adolpho and Xristina Bicoy also competed at MILs last weekend, but neither placed.

Ford said this season went well, but wants to start earlier next year and continue the different conditioning exercises she tried this year, such as parachutes (resistance running).

“The challenge is to create stress on the body that racing does, without having all the opportunities other kids [off-island] have to race,” she said.