It was the evening of May 7, 2016, and the cheers could be heard from the Big Island to Oahu.
First came the surprise: At the HHSAA track and field championships at Kamehameha-Kapalama, the incomparable Emma Taylor hurdled herself into BIIF history and led Hawaii Prep to an impromptu state title.
Then came the suspense: Back in Hilo a few hours later, Kamehameha fell behind – again and again and again – battled back, took lead and held on – barely – to capture the school’s first state baseball title.
That snapshot provides a look at two of the Big Island’s biggest sports stories of 2016, a year in which the BIIF said goodbye to a couple of golden girls.