A state champion can carry the team only so far.

But behind an all-around team effort, championships are more than possible.

The Kahuku High School girls retained its team title at yesterday's 7-plus-hour O'ahu Interscholastic Association Eastern Division Track and Field Championships at Kaiser. The Red Raiders edged runner-up Kaiser, 131-116.

The Roosevelt boys team also retained its divisional title, amassing 142 points to easily outdistance second-place Moanalua, which scored 65.

"It's better that way," Kahuku coach Garth Spurrier said of the team's effort. "There's less pressure on one person. We all knew the state champ would have pressure but it's good they share it. Other girls picked up and helped add to it."

Kahuku sophomore Zhane Santiago is the defending state champion in the 100-meter hurdles, 300 hurdles and triple jump. Her versatility, combined with her teammates' performances, helped Kahuku hold off Kaiser, a smaller squad with a half-dozen members who compete in multiple events.

Santiago won the 300 hurdles in 50.10 seconds and the long jump with 16 feet, 7 1/2 inches. She was a member of the winning 4x400 relay team and placed second in the triple jump and 100 hurdles. Teammate Nalia Taufa won the discus with 100-6 and was third in the shot put.

The Red Raiders scored points in nearly all 16 events. Freshman Samantha Shipley was third in the 1,500 and 3,000, and Alyshia Cummings helped the Red Raiders win the 4x400. Running in second place, she made up a 20-meter deficit during the third leg and was steps behind the leader at the baton exchange. Anchor Chelsie Kamauoha took over the lead to help the Red Raiders win in 4:31.76.

"We knew she could; they're all hard workers," said Spurrier, who praised throws coach Duane Fely, sprints/relays coach Keala Santiago and jumps coach Sterling Carvalho. "It's good for them to build on this ... their hard work paying off."

Kaiser's Sarah Clapp swept all of the girls distance events, winning the 800, 1,500 and 3,000. Teammates Jin-Ru Schiller won the 100, Melody Papalii won the 400, Arianna Ondo won the high jump and Sage Hinthaus won the pole vault by setting a meet record at 10-7. Schiller, Papalii, Hinthaus and Shaykilla Maddix were on the winning 4x100 relay team and the Cougars' all-around effort was nearly enough to win the title.

"They knew they had the opportunity to do well and they didn't back down," Kaiser coach Dennis Swart said. "They went out to win, with a purpose to win it."

In the boys division, Kiakona Monteilh won the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles for Roosevelt and teammate Alex Fowler won the long jump and triple jump. The Rough Riders also swept the distance events with Tomoyuki Miura winning the 1,500, Rowan Gragas winning the 800 and Kai Yoshioka edging Miura to take the 3,000. Monteilh, Gragas, Fowler and Drayson Ito ran on the winning 4x400 relay team, and Kenneth Nguyen won the pole vault.

"Everyone who competed did what we had to do," Fowler said. "Kona took first in both of the hurdles, and we took first in the 4x400 and I was first in the long jump and the triple, and we trained hard and we did good."

Yesterday's meet was condensed to one day. In years past, the trials portion was held two days prior to the finals. The meet was scaled back to a timed finals event because of budget reasons. The end result was a meet that lasted more than 7 hours and multi-event competitors running from one event to another.

"I warmed up good, stretched very well and made sure I was prepared mentally and physically." Roosevelt's Monteilh said.

Other double winners were Kailua's Chauncy Makainai (boys discus and shot put) and Castle's Cecilia Durocher (girls 100 hurdles and triple jump).

Castle edged Roosevelt, 92-90, to win the junior varsity boys title and Moanalua won the JV girls title with 137 points.