Young Vulcan Runners Point to Bright UH Hilo Future

Young Team, Better Results for 2018 Vulcans: Seven freshmen and one senior helped lead UH Hilo to a much improved campaign in 2018 under head coach Jaime Guerpo and assistants Alan Ryan and Keely McGhee. The Vulcans finished ninth of 12 teams at the Pacific West Conference Championships and showed better times throughout the year than in years previous on the same courses.

PacWest Improvement: The Vulcans took step one by just having enough runners to compete the PacWest Championships in Fresno, something that they couldn't say in 2017. They also topped three teams in the race, something that they hadn't done since the 2014 season. Their ninth place crossing was the best for a Vulcan team since the 2013 year.

Jaime, Take One: "One word you could use to sum up this year for this team is 'experience'," said head coach Guerpo. "We were young and didn't have the college experience, but we received that experience needed to compete by the end of the year. This year's cross country team was new with seven freshmen and one senior.  I didn't know what to expect but I knew I had some talented girls coming in, with a mixture of scholarship and walk-on runners. As the season went on we ran pretty solid in most of our races.  Most improved and some didn't due to some injuries.  But even with the girls working through the grind of their first college season, they battled and came through at the Pac West Championships."

Olivia's Opening Year: One of UH Hilo's seven freshmen had one of the best seasons for a Vulcan rookie in many years. Olivia Jarvis (Oceanside, Calif.) was Guerpo's top runner in every meet except one, and also had the top finish at the PacWest for a UH Hilo harrier since 2014. Jarvis was 39^th at the PWC, with a six kilometer time of 24:01. She had a season-best 5K time of 19:45, and crossed the line third overall in two races—the UH Hilo Invitational and the Hawaii Pacific Invitational.

Jaime, Take Two: "There were up and downs as far as results were concerned but, in the end there was the passing of torch sort of speak," Guerpo added. "From Anna Baker Mikkelsen, our best runner that last four years (2014-17) to Meghan (Langbehn) to Olivia.  Olivia like Meghan, is a coach's dream, she has done everything I asked her to do.  From doing the summer training, to in-season training and performing at races during the year. "There is not one negative that I can tell you about Olivia, except the fact that there's a lot of work do to get to the next level.  And that was expressed to the rest of the team also.  If they want to get noticed at the conference meet than we need step up our game, including the coaches."

Barragan's Best: UH Hilo's top time of the season actually belonged to fellow freshman Annaka Barragan (Folsom, Calif.), who clocked 19:34 at the Coyote Challenge in San Bernardino, Calif. She edged Jarvis by 11 seconds in that race, and was also UH Hilo's second runner to cross the finish line in two other races (Big Wave and HPU). A late-season injury slowed her in UHH's last two races, preventing a perhaps even better finish for the Vulcans at the PacWest Championships.

More From Morris: UH Hilo's third freshman and third finisher at most meets was Makena Morris (Chino Hills, Calif.). Morris finished third for the Vulcans at the Big Wave, Coyote Challenge, and HPU. She was UHH's second finisher at the UH Hilo Invitational and the Chaminade Invitational. Her top time of the year was 20:16 (5K) at the Coyote.

More Vulcans: Caitlin Kawaiaea (Waianae, Hawaii/Nanakuli HS) came on strong at the end of the season, finishing as UH Hilo's third runner in the last two meets of the year—the Chaminade Invitational and the PacWest…UHH's lone senior Meghan Langbehn, in just her second season of running cross country at any level, wrapped up her career on a stellar note at the PacWest, crossing the finish line second among Vulcan runners…Three other freshmen runners gained valuable experience throughout the season—Lily Gavagan (Pukalani, Hawaii/Kamekameha Maui), Kathy Perez (Astoria, Ore.) and Shaelee West (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton HS).

Jaime, Take Three: "For years, we have bee close to the bottom of the conference, the doormats so to speak," Guerpo concluded.  "No more. I'm proud of this team--where we have been and what we are going to become.  Even with Cal Baptist and Dixie State gone (they left the PacWest in 2018), the rest of the teams in the conference are getting better.  For us, with a few more recruits next year, who knows?  The sky is the limit for this team."

For a complete look at UH Hilo's history in the PacWest Championships, click here.