WAILUA – After witnessing the Red Raider girls team conquer the field last week, the Kaua‘i High School boys golf team had only one thing on its minds: do exactly what the girls did. Indeed they did, by a huge
WAILUA – After witnessing the Red Raider girls team conquer the field last week, the Kaua‘i High School boys golf team had only one thing on its minds: do exactly what the girls did.
Indeed they did, by a huge nine-stroke margin over Maui’s surprise school, King Kekaulike, 625 to 634 to win the 2004 HHSAA/David S. Ishii Foundation boys state golf championship.
The excitement though, didn’t stop after the final quartets made their way into the clubhouse.
That’s because Damien’s Kurt Nino and Moanalua’s Ryan Perez had a score to settle after being deadlocked at three-over-par 147 after two rounds.
However, it didn’t take long for Nino to take charge and claim the state’s top prize for boys golf.
On the second hole, Perez missed a short putt that would’ve squared the hole and Nino took full advantage by sinking his putt to win the individualist title.
After finishing round one two strokes back of Mililani, Kaua‘i head coach Winston Ogata gave his team familiar advice.
“I just told them going into today, to just go out and play,” Ogata said.
That’s exactly what the Red Raider team did as two of the top 15 medalist were from Kaua‘i High School.
Leading the charge were Chad Nonaka, who finished in eleventh place with a 10-over-par 154 and Cory French, who finished in seventh with an eight-over-par 152.
Kaua‘i was also represented in the medal pool by Kula School’s Sean Ogawa with a fifteenth place finish by shooting an eleven-over-par 155.
Coming in third place as a team was Waiakea with a 636, then it was Mililani, the first round leaders with a 639, and University High rounded out the top five with a 645.
On the individual side, University’s Travis Toyama came in third with a five-over-par 149.
Fourth place honors went to Mililani’s Bronson Kalilikane, who shot a seven-over-par 151 and Honoka‘a’s Sean Maekawa finished in fifth by scoring an eight-over-par 152.
Other Red Raider notables included Jordan Cox, (12-over-par 156) who just missed medaling by one stroke.
Meanwhile, Alan Baab finished two strokes behind Cox with a 14-over-par 158.
This was the first time in Kaua‘i High School’s history to win both boys and girls state golf titles in the same season.
For complete results, check out page B2.
