Titles Twice as Nice for Claremont’s Grace Smith, Tesoro’s Griffin Kushen at Iolani Invitational

Smith, a freshman, achieves victories in consecutive days in multiple states to lead Wolfpack girls to win, with Kushen adding another triumph following 2022 championship in Oahu

Grace Smith won two races in consecutive days in different states, with Griffin Kushen securing his second career victory at the Iolani Invitational, leading another spectacular California showcase Saturday at the 25th edition of the meet at the Hawaii Country Club.

Smith, a freshman at Claremont High, followed her victory Friday at the Palomares League preview meetat Ruben Ayala Park in Chino by winning the 3-mile girls championship race Saturday in Oahu in 17 minutes, 20.45 seconds, leading five Wolfpack competitors in the top 30 to prevail by a 71-77 margin against Tesoro.

Smith extended the impressive run of California female individual victories at the meet to nine in a row, with Claremont producing the state’s third straight Iolani girls team title since Punahou prevailed in 2021.

Kushen, a senior at Tesoro, returned to the Iolani Invitational after winning in 2022 and clocked 14:50.58 on the 3-mile layout in the boys championship race, with Mira Costa edging Bay League rival Redondo Union by a 43-53 margin.

Kushen, who extended California’s streak of individual male winners to 10 in a row, triumphed in 15:49.2 in a 5-kilometer race as a sophomore. Mira Costa made it six straight boys team titles for the state.

Smith and Kushen both finished fourth Aug. 31 in their respective Sundown Showdown races at the ASICS Cool Breeze Invitational at the Pomona Fairplex, before celebrating island supremacy Saturday.

Smith ran 17:37.4 to triumph in the Palomares League preview competition, but Claremont competed without junior Isla Bulmer and Ayala was victorious by a 28-51 margin at Friday’s event.

Bulmer finished fifth Saturday in 17:56.14 at the Hawaii Country Club, with fellow juniors Joy Cheng (18:52.27) and Triana Maldonado (19:37.3) taking 13th and 25th, respectively, for Claremont, which also had freshman Camila Trevino-Davila achieve 27th in 19:45.32.

Sadie Krueger, a freshman at Moanalua, was the top Hawaiian female competitor with a runner-up finish in 17:45.07, followed by Santa Margarita junior Alahna Thomas placing in the top three at the event for the third year in a row in 17:46.64.

Ashlyn Jacobsen, a junior at Campbell High in Hawaii, was fourth in 17:52.14, Tesoro juniors Mackenzie Forrest (17:58.14) and Amber Dazey (18:10.3) were sixth and seventh, with Mira Costa juniors Sadie Wilson (18:15.49) and Alana Clarke (18:26.17) earning eighth and ninth, and Santa Margarita junior Riley Szuba rounding out the top 10 that included no senior athletes by clocking 18:32.02.

Thomas and Szuba contributed to Santa Margarita taking third with 88 points, Mira Costa was fourth at 135 points, with Redondo Union placing fifth following a 146-point effort.

The top girls program from Hawaii was Hanalani Schools in sixth with 257 points.

Following Mira Costa and Redondo Union in the boys championship race, West Torrance took third at 129 points, Claremont was fourth with 141 points, Las Vegas Centennial finished fifth at 155 points and Tesoro secured sixth with 157 points.

Iolani, the last Hawaiian boys program to win the team championship in 2017, placed seventh at 253 points.

Mira Costa was led by senior Isaac Faynsod taking third in 15:01.7, with juniors Krish Desai (15:35.86) and Carson Ehman (15:40.42) earning seventh and eighth, senior Ian Hansen placing 11th in 15:47.14 and JT Kaplan finishing 14th in 15:49.92 for the Mustangs.

Redondo Union had seniors Adam Divinity (14:59.83) and Alexander Barbarie (15:15.08) achieving second and fourth, Claremont junior Lyle Mideiros placed fifth in 15:30.27, with Centennial sophomor Calvin Rivera securing sixth in 15:32.36 and Bulldogs’ junior teammate Kingston Lueck grabbing ninth in 15:42.92.

Campbell senior Ari Smith was the top Hawaiian male competitor in the field, finishing 10th in 15:46.49.