Public school athletes have been readmitted to the biggest stage in Hawai’i high school sports, according to state school superintendent Paul LeMahieu. After a meeting of officials from the state’s five leagues Thursday afternoon on Oahu, LeMahieu and Hawai’i High
Public school athletes have been readmitted to the biggest stage in Hawai’i high school sports, according to state school superintendent Paul LeMahieu.
After a meeting of officials from the state’s five leagues Thursday afternoon on Oahu, LeMahieu and Hawai’i High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya announced a revised schedule for the six spring state tournaments.
This comes after an announcement Tuesday that state tournaments would be cancelled due to the class time expected to be missed for travel.
“The championships are completely back in business,” Department of Education spokesman Greg Knudson said. “The overall objective of not interfering with instructional time has been met to the best of our ability.”
Casualties of the revised schedule include all consolation games and the traditional number of eligible teams. Where the baseball and girls’ basketball tournaments historically invite 12 teams, this year there will be eight.
“We did the best we could under the circumstances,” Amemiya said. “And we know these will all be viable competitions because we’ve preserved most of the tournaments in original form.
“By and large the best athletes in the state will still qualify for the state tournaments.”
Of interest is the fact that both tennis and girls’ basketball will hold a portion of their competition on Monday, May 21. Players – and coaches – or teams that qualify will be reimbursed by the HHSAA for travel on that day.
“We are really looking forward to these tournaments,” Amemiya said. “And we’re all very happy for these kids, that they’re going to get to compete on this stage.”
Though subject to change, the spring state tournaments are scheduled to proceed as follows:
Boys Golf: Saturday, May 12, Kapalua Golf Course (Maui) – 36-hole tournament
Girls Golf: Saturday, May 12, site to be determined (Maui) – 36-hole tournament
Tennis: Friday, May 18, Kiahuna and Poipu Kai Tennis Clubs (Kaua’i) – preliminary rounds; Saturday, May 19, Kiahuna and Poipu Kai Tennis Clubs – preliminary rounds; Monday, May 21, Punahou School Tennis Courts (Oahu) – semifinals and finals
Track and Field: Friday, May 18, War Memorial Stadium (Maui) – trials; Saturday, May 19, War Memorial Stadium – finals
Baseball: Friday, May 18, sites to be determined (Oahu) – quarterfinals; Saturday, May 19, sites to be determined and Aloha Stadium – semifinals and finals
Limited to an eight-team tournament with no consolation games. Championship game will be played at Aloha Stadium. Representation is as follows: Oahu Interscholastic Association, three teams; Interscholastic League of Honolulu, one team; Big Island Interscholastic Federation, two teams; Maui Interscholastic Federation, one team; KIF, one team
Girls Basketball: Friday, May 18, sites to be determined (Oahu) – quarterfinals; Saturday, May 19, Stan Sheriff Center (Oahu) – semifinals; Monday, May 21, Stan Sheriff Center – final
This tournament reduced similarly to baseball. Representation is as follows: OIA, three teams; ILH, two teams; BIIF, one team; MIL, one team; KIF, one team
