WEATHER WOES

In a repeat of the inclement weather that passed through the Islands in January, the storm system that arrived Thursday created its share of problems in the sports calendar, too.

Early on Thursday, coach Gary Venzon of the ZZ boys basketball team was notified that all games scheduled for Thursday night at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center were scrubbed, leaving Venzon free to referee girls basketball games taking place at the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea.

Steady rainfall could be heard over the din of basketball inside the gym, punctuated by squeals of delight from fans when an occasional lightning flash peeked through the louvres, and for teams travelling from O`ahu, the inclement weather also posed its share of problems as the Punahou II team was delayed on O`ahu, allowing the Waialua Bulldogs to play an extra unrecorded quarter while waiting on the Punahou squad.

The fate of the Lady Menehune Basketball Tournament itself fueled uncertainties in the minds of parents who were driving across the island in constant rain to Waimea, one parent listening to the radio for any game status updates.

But, despite being slowed down, day one of the tournament was played as the Waimea varsity girls kept ahead of the JV squad, 47-31.

The Kaua‘i Red Raiders were better than the Waialua Bulldogs, 40-25, and in the finale that followed, Punahou II downed Kapa‘a, 45-36.

Ashley Mier paced the Menehune varsity ladies with 15 points with Janna Soto adding eight points in their opening win while Chasen Sherman tucked in eight markers to lead the JV Menehune, Lexine Valenciano helping the effort with six points.

Valerie Aficial finished with a dozen markers with Sherri Gebauer adding ten points as Kaua‘i pulled ahead of Waialua in the second quarter to post a 40-25 win despite Waialua outgunning Kaua‘i, 12-8 in the final frame.

Kira Nakasone hit eight points, including four in the final quarter to lead Waialua who got seven markers from Cheyenne Opianna and six from Misty Maxwell, Opianna drenched from head to toe in perspiration from her intense play in and out of the paint.

Shelly Masuda paced the Punahou II team with ten points in their 56-45 win that came despite Kapa`a erupting, 20-12 in the final quarter behind six points from Brittany Carvalho.

Kennilyn Nakamura posted 11 points to lead Kapa‘a with Carvalho finishing the night with eight points.

Over on O`ahu where the 2004 HHSAA state canoe championship regatta was to take place, Keith Amemiya, executive director for the HHSAA issued a cancellation of the Friday morning 24-race, three-division event due to the unfavorable weather conditions at Ke‘ehi Lagoons where the regatta was to take place..

In a release Friday afternoon, the HHSAA announced a rescheduling of the HHSAA/First Hawaiian Bank State Canoe Paddling championship regatta to Saturday, Feb. 28 starting at 8 a.m.

According to Hartwell Lee Loy, the canoe paddling coordinator for the HHSAA, if conditions do not permit the holding of the regatta on Saturday, this year’s championships will be cancelled due to the numerous complications, including travel and lodging for Neighbor Island teams as well as the availability of volunteers to hold the meet at another date.

From Maui where the HHSAA/Local Motion Swimming and Diving championships were to take place starting Friday, the adverse weather conditions caused the event to be condensed to one day on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Sixty-seven trial heats for 22 swimming events plus preliminary rounds of 1-meter diving were to have taken place on Friday. The condensed format calls for the same number of races to be held Saturday, but final places will be determined by time rather than place finished.

“The fastest eight qualifiers in each event will be placed in the last heat of each event,” explained Lynette Chew of the HHSAA seeding committee.

The championships will start at 10 a.m. at Coach Soichi Sakamoto Pool in the Maui War Memorial athletic complex.

Diving, which was to be a part of the main meet, will be held at the Kihei municipal pool.