The Big Island has been a breeding ground for young runners competing in various sports such as marathons, biathlons, triathlons, track and field and cross country. With a plethora of training activities and competitions, Hawaii gives its high school athletes plenty of chances to hone their skills for college, allowing them to standout at the next level.
One such standout, who is already rewriting the record books on the college scene is Alexis Van Pernis, who’s at Brown, an Ivy League school.
Van Pernis, who went by the first name of Kristiana during her time at Hawaii Preparatory Academy, recently was part of a school record-breaking 3,200-meter relay team at the Ivy League indoor track and field championships at Cornell University.