On February 24, Kapa’a and Waimea opened the Kaua’i Interscholastic Federation tennis season with a split. The Menehune boys cruised past the Warriors; the Kapa’a girls slammed Waimea. Saturday, fortunes flipped. In an intense day of tennis, the Kapa’a boys
On February 24, Kapa’a and Waimea opened the Kaua’i Interscholastic Federation tennis season with a split. The Menehune boys cruised past the Warriors; the Kapa’a girls slammed Waimea.
Saturday, fortunes flipped. In an intense day of tennis, the Kapa’a boys used two three-set doubles victories to squeak out a 3-2 overall match win. Meanwhile, Waimea took advantage of a few missing Lady Warriors to win 4-1.
“It’s our two-week break from school right now,” Kapa’a coach John Tom said. “Some of our girls got the opportunity to go on a trip and weren’t here today.”
Both girls singles matches were decided by default.
Boys
In the most competitive tussle to date, Kapa’a’s Justin Nagai and Stephen Esaki broke a 2-2 overall-match deadlock with a 6-2, 6-7 (7-1), 6-4 victory over Waimea’s Matt Gamboa and Steven Fountain.
“It was the truly exciting match of the day because it was the deciding match,” Tom said. “I was proud of my boys. They played well.”
The other doubles matches provided similar excitement.
The Menehunes took the upper hand when Cyrus Tumbaga and Ryan Kakuda fought back from a one-set deficit to beat Cory Nagai and Andrew Walpole 6-7 (7-3), 6-3, 6-3.
Kapa’a then pulled the overall match even when Darren Lacaden and Seth Marushige outlasted Waimea’s David Laguatan and Justin Muraoka 6-0, 5-7, 7-5. That set the stage for the number three doubles match.
In number one singles action, Kapa’a’s Ed Roessler defeated Ricky Riopta 6-2, 6-1. In a singles number two match-up, Waimea’s Jonathan Anderson swept the Warriors’ Robert Adamson 6-3, 6-2.
Kapa’a improved to 1-2 on the season. Waimea dropped to 1-2.
“We’re looking forward to matching up with Kaua’i next week,” Tom said of his boys. “They’ve built a really good program over there and we’d like to take some steps toward getting to that level.”
Waimea and Kapa’a also played three exchange matches. The results follow:
Troy Kubota/Joe Valencia (Kap) def. Yuuichi Hanamizu/David Laguatan (W), 8-7; Glen Ramos/Darren Lacaden (Kap) def. Justin Muraoka/Cyrus Tumbaga (W), 8-6; Ricky Riopta/Jonathan Patterson (W) def. Cory Nagai/Robert Adamson (Kap), 8-6
Girls
Without its traditional stable of girls, the Warriors fell 4-1 to Waimea. Kapa’a’s only victory came by default in the number two singles match. Shantelle Demille was credited with that victory.
Waimea’s Taryn Honma won the number one singles match by default as well.
The Menehunes also swept the doubles matches. The match scores follow:
Number one: Heather Medina/Karen Sison def. Tiana Laranio/Ashley Valvieja, 6-4, 6-1; Number two: Jennifer Tambo/Beveryly Mangayayam def. Julia Costa/Heather Sykes, 6-1, 6-0; Number three: Sarah Nonaka/Eniko Kinszovensky def. Eve Lampenfield/Jaclyn Filippe, 6-2, 6-4.
In the lone exchange match, Shantelle Demille def. Taryn Honma, 8-6.
Sports editor Jason Gallic at 245-3681 or mailto:kauaisports@pulitzer.net
