Dylan Kane has all the potential to make his dreams come true.
A year ago, as a junior, the lanky 6-foot-3 sprinter zoomed to victories in the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the Island Moving/HHHSAA State Track and Field Championships on his home turf: Kamehameha’s Kunuiakea Stadium.
Then came football season and his eventual commitment to the University of Oregon, who he signed with on Feb. 5.
As of Saturday, Kane virtually ceded the ILH championships in his two core events. With nagging injuries still healing, particularly a strained left biceps, he was limited to the 4×100 relay race. Kamehameha’s relay team of Keola Pedrina, Justin Desaki, Fatu Sua-Godinet and Kane won in 42.64 seconds, topping Punahou by a little more than one second.
He ran the 200 at last year’s state meet in 21.92 seconds, chased by Randolph Braun of King Kekaulike, Luca Vartic of Konawaena, Albert Bee of Castle, Radford’s Izaiah Lavatai, Campbell’s Corey Cooper and Hilo’s Mike Williams. Vartic, Lavatai and Cooper were underclassmen.
Preparing for the future, Kane is thinking big picture. He has added to his frame, weighing in at 202 pounds now — a good 15 or so more than he carried last fall. Dealing with injuries, Kane’s top times this spring are 22.8 in the 200 and 11.28 in the 100. The 100 and 200 at states — not necessarily the ILH — are all he is focused on.
“We try to peak at states every year,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of injuries, little injuries here and there.”
The biceps injury occurred while Kane was weight training.
In 2014, he won the state 100 dash in 11.14 seconds, edging Vartic (11.19) and Kaiser’s Thomas Leong.
But there’s Keoni-Kordell Makekau of ‘Iolani, who ran an 11.42 in last year’s state meet and finished in sixth place. Now a junior, Makekau won the ILH title on Saturday with a blazing time of 11.01.
Next week’s “last chance” meet will precede the state championships, which will be held at War Memorial Stadium on Maui in two weeks. Kane is considering a tune-up sprint in the 100 or 200 at the “last chance” meet. He’s not overly concerned, if at all, about rising competitors like Makekau.
“I just run against myself. I can only control what I do,” Kane said.
The state-meet record in the 100 is 10.80, set in 1999 by a certain multi-sport phenom from St. Anthony named Shane Victorino.
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