“Best meet ever” said Jeff Rahill. Rahill is a key official for KIF swimming, and has been one for more then 5 years now. Winston Kawamoto, Head Coach of Island School echoed that sentiment. “There was some great races today”
“Best meet ever” said Jeff Rahill.
Rahill is a key official for KIF swimming, and has been one for more then 5 years now.
Winston Kawamoto, Head Coach of Island School echoed that sentiment.
“There was some great races today” Kawamoto concluded. Kawamoto has got to be an early favorite for Coach of the year. While his team is too small and young to challenge for any team titles this year, his swimmers from IS have shown the greatest improvement of any other KIF team.
Yet the big story in KIF swimming this year is the outstanding performances of Waimea freshman Katelyn Umetsu. A high caliber show down was expected when Kula School’s state level breaststroke swimmer Kattrina Hettinger went head-to-head with the young Waimea star in the girls 200 IM.
The race very quickly turned into a no contest as Umetsu took an early lead and never let up, winning the event by five seconds.
Kaua’i High’s Amanda Scheppers, last years swimmer of the year, and Umetsu are now the only undefeated swimmers in KIF swimming this year, setting up a monster show down in the weeks to come.
Scheppers won her 50 and 100 free events handily without much challenge. Umetsu also won the 500 free. While Umetsu won easily she did not set any pool records. Ironically, the two events that Umetsu swam have records held by none other then Scheppers herself.
As impressive as the girls competition was, they were out-shined this week by the boys.
The boys 100 free was epic.
Kelii Kaaihue of Kapa’a and Kaina Makua of Waimea swam one for the ages, both touching the wall at the same time of 53.76 which is a state qualifying tine for that event. A tie is something rarely seen in competitive swimming.
All in all, 11 of 22 pool records were broken this weekend and 6 state times were made.
Again Kaua’i High won for boys and girls.
Kula School out did them selves in hosting there first KIF swimming competition.
I commented to a lifelong KIF official about how outstanding a job that Kula had done as host.
“I disagree” was the reply. “Kula did not do an outstanding job. It was exceptional.”
The next pentagonal meet will be held at Waimea on sat Jan 26, 2001. First races start at 1:00 pm.
