Running together will never be more important for Leilehua at this morning's Honolulu Marathon/Hawai'i High School Athletic Association cross country championships Maui's Kapalua Village Golf Course.

The Leilehua boys, three-time O'ahu Interscholastic Association champions, could be the first OIA school to win the team title since Radford in 1982.

Last year's state runner-up, the Mules have a lineup that placed five runners in the top 10 at Saturday's OIA championships, all turning in sub-18-minute marks. One of them is Bryce Jenkins, the defending state champion.

"I know we have a special group of boys that run together very well," Leilehua coach Shawn Nakata said. "I also know that past results and statistics mean nothing when it comes to the state race. It comes down to how well a team runs as a team, and that's how we will approach the meet.

"When that gun goes off everyone starts from the same line. In my book, everyone before the race is equal."

The top five finishers for each team score points for their squad's overall point total.

Kamehameha is the defending boys champion, having won eight titles since 1997. Punahou has won the last two girls titles.

The lead pack in the girls race could be filled with underclassmen. Mililani sophomore Kristin Ali Keith is the top returner from last year's state meet where she finished second. Keith is a two-time OIA champion.

Seabury Hall sophomore Hailey Grossman defended her Maui title at Kapalua Village in a time of 20:21. Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Haley Abing of La Pietra is a junior.

"Hailey is a stronger and more confident runner than last year," Seabury Hall coach Tom Rehrer said. "She is healthy and running well so I expect her to be up in the lead pack with the other five or six girls who have a good chance winning."

Honoka'a freshman Tialana Greenwell turned out for cross country to stay in shape for soccer. She ended up winning four straight Big Island Interscholastic Federation meets at one point this season before winning the BIIF championship by 50 seconds.

"She's very self-effacing in this era of athletes who are all about look at me, I'm the greatest and all this," Honoka'a coach Walter Mosch said. "She just wants to be one of the gals. She's never big headed about the whole thing. She's slightly embarrassed by all the attention."

Reach Stanley Lee at sktlee@honoluluadvertiser.com.