The Student News Site of Mililani High School

Trojan Times

The Student News Site of Mililani High School

Trojan Times

The Student News Site of Mililani High School

Trojan Times

The Cost of Paradise
Dannika Pila and Arie YamasakiFebruary 7, 2024
Left to right: Trumpets Rylan Akau-Morgan, Peyton Kahiapo and Skylar Hamasu stand in first position during the City of Lights Parade on Dec. 2.
Great Minds Think Alike: Collaborations Between Mililani Schools
Gianna Brown and Arie YamasakiFebruary 7, 2024
Senior Marcus Morifuji faces off against senior Ava Mayfield in a game of chess. The Tabletop Gaming Club
hosted its first chess tournament on Nov. 30, any student was welcome to participate.
Checkmate! Tabletop Gaming Club Hosts Chess Tournament
Marcus Morifuji, Sports Editor • February 6, 2024

New and old times: Roybal, Gibbs place at Great Aloha Run

By Sierra Gamayon
[email protected]
(Photo courtesy of Linda Kawana) After placing ninth in the Great Aloha Run, Vanessa Roybal (12) stayed to watch and support other runners even after she finished.
(Photo courtesy of Linda Kawana) After placing ninth in the Great Aloha Run, Vanessa Roybal (12) stayed to watch and support other runners even after she finished.

People from all over Hawaii came together to participate in the annual Great Aloha Run, an 8-mile stretch starting at Nimitz Highway and ending at Aloha Stadium, but some rose above to compete with the best in the state. On Feb. 20, Seniors Vanessa Roybal and Lauren Gibbs participated in the Great Aloha Run; Gibbs placed first in the Teen Division and Roybal placed ninth place in the Women’s Elite Division. Both competitors came to the run with completely different mindsets, but both of their results exceeded their expectations.

“This run helped me to accomplish more; I believe that if you push yourself and train hard enough you can accomplish whatever goals you set your mind to,” said Gibbs.“This was a tough challenge; track, cross country and my motivation really helped me overcome this run.”

Surprisingly, this was the first time Gibbs participated in the Great Aloha Run. “My dad and my brother wanted to do it, so they had me come along,” said Gibbs.“It was my first time doing an 8-mile run and it was hard.” Roybal, on the other hand, is no stranger to this run. “I used to do it in middle school for fun and then I took a break, but I have done it for the last 2 years,” said Roybal.

In the last few years of participating, Roybal started to do the run competitively rather than for fun. “I got second place in the teen age group, and I realized that I could actually do pretty good,” said Roybal.

There were hundreds of people participating and many more were there to watch and support the runners; the energy of the crowd served as a motivating factor for Gibbs. “My favorite part of the run was the energy that comes from other people cheering for you,” said Gibbs. “First place kind of just happened; I was sick just the day before that and then I just came that day to run.”

The run serves different purposes for participants, such as a physical and mental test. “It helps me push myself,” said Freshman Dylan Miyamura. “My favorite part is when I finally finish and look at the timer to see if I was able to beat my previous score.”

Gibbs, Roybal and Miyamura are all part of track and field, which contributed to their endurance during the Great Aloha Run. However, neither Roybal nor Gibbs will be participating next year, as they will be moving to the mainland for college.

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