Even the coaches would have to agree: the activity is more a skill than a sport. Kapa’a coach CSM Oliver McGuire related air riflery more to bowling than football in its demand on participants. But it is that skill, and
Even the coaches would have to agree: the activity is more a skill than a
sport.
Kapa’a coach CSM Oliver McGuire related air riflery more to bowling
than football in its demand on participants.
But it is that skill, and the
concentration and focus that accompanies it, that makes riflery a
highly-competitive, hotly-contested event around the island and around the
state.
Even new to Kaua’i, and, thus, not familiar with the procedures of
covering riflery, one need not dig too deep to learn that, as in football,
Waimea is the school to beat on the island when the season kicks off Thursday.
The Menehunes’ boys and girls were champions of the Kaua’i Interscholastic
Federation last season, and the Waimea women finished second in the state in
1999; the boys sixth.
What vaults the Menehunes to the forefront of the
KIF, seems to be Major Victor Aguilar’s ability to offer his shooters more
opportunities to compete.
“The KIF season is a big thing, it’s what gets
things going,” Aguilar said. “But we are able to show the kids that there’s
more out there.”
Consequently, two of Aguilar’s shooters, daughter Kristen,
and Albert Santos, qualified for the National Junior Olympics, an
invitation-only event, last year.
“If these kids want to be good,” the
coach said. “they have to shoot more than six times a year.”
With
experienced returnees and a disciplined program, competitors will have to be on
top of their game to compete with the Menehunes.
“Waimea is a good team
with good shooters,” McGuire said. “They kind of seem to be the team to
beat.”
Regardless, there’s more, McGuire said, to the competition than
victory.
“There’s a lot of character building in shooting,” the coach said.
“You have to possess concentration and you have to learn how to relax, compose
yourself and compete.
“Besides, any competition can teach.”
The
Warriors carry 13 boys and 11 girls on their team.
McGuire said Wency
Luczon should be a shooter to watch. The junior is returning for her third year
on the squad. For the boys, McGuire suggested keeping an eye out for senior Jan
Hase and junior Jonathan Ibanez.
“They have proven to be my best two
shooters in practice,” McGuire said. “We’ll see in competition.”
As with
cross-country, boys’ soccer, girls’ swimming and track, the Island School is
slated to participate in riflery again this year. Which is saying plenty for
the school, situated on a 30-acre campus behind Kaua’i Community
College.
“We only have 50 kids at the high school level,” athletic
director/riflery coach Sean Magoun said. “So there’s not a very deep pool to
pull from.”
Another hardship for the Island School to overcome is the lack
of military leadership at the coaching level.
“We don’t have those programs
where we can get some trained backing,” Magoun said. “And we don’t really have
the training facilities.
“No big deal. We’re going after it.”
Magoun
will be looking for leadership from Justin Geurber.
“Justin has shown a lot
of potential,” Magoun said.
Danielle Fisher returns to lead the Island
School girls into battle.
At Kaua’i, Major Melvin Manglona is the first to
admit that his boys seem to be a bit slow kicking things into high
gear.
But, then, the Kaua’i squad as a whole has been tardy in getting off
the ground for the 2000 season.
“I just got the kids out there for the
first lesson yesterday,” Manglona said Tuesday. “But we’ll be ready.
“I’ll
be pretty confident when we take on the Island School or Kapa’a, but Waimea
will be tough.”
Manglona seemed especially excited about his girls’
prospects. With good reason. Last year, the coach had one of the better
shooters on the island in Victoria Tsugawa. She returns for her senior year
this season. Andrew Barklow returns to lead the boys.
