Yates, Kelekoma, Locey, and Guerber Honored PUA LOKE — Students who excelled in track, tennis, baseball, and girls basketball made up the field of the latest winners of student athletes announced by King Auto Center for their Athlete of the
Yates, Kelekoma, Locey, and Guerber Honored
PUA LOKE — Students who excelled in track, tennis, baseball, and girls basketball made up the field of the latest winners of student athletes announced by King Auto Center for their Athlete of the Month program.
Joseph Locey and Jeni Guerber were honored as the April Athletes of the Month,with Kirby Yates and Ulu Kelekoma selected as the honorees for May.
The close of the school year nipping at their heels, the current field of student athletic leaders include one senior and three juniors with Island School receiving their first honor as senior Guerber was one of two honorees for April.
Guerber, a senior who will be joining 23 other graduates at the school’s Saturday afternoon commencement exercises, went through the 2004 KIF tennis season undefeated, and in two seasons, has suffered only one loss on Kaua‘i.
Island School tennis coach Ernie Blachowiak described Guerber as one of the mainstays in the school’s tennis program, the senior playing a strong mental game where she demonstrated patience on the court, and worked hard to secure her victories.
Guerber is a multi-sport athlete, Blachowiak said, having excelled in air riflery as well as canoe paddling before getting into tennis.
University of San Diego is on her agenda following graduation Saturday.
“I wasn’t trying for the record. I was just trying to win,” Joseph Locey of Kapa‘a High School said of his state record in the 200-meter race. “If you try for the record, there are more chances of mess up,” the second April honoree said with a smile.
The state got a taste of Locey early in the track season when the Kapa‘a junior participated in pre-season events on O‘ahu and Maui where his times in the sprint events turned heads, track coach Calvin Paleka said.
Returning to Kaua‘i, Locey finished by taking the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter events at the KIF meet, breaking the KIF records in the process. Locey ran the 100-meter at 10.7 seconds, a time faster than his showing on the rubberized tracks of Maui and O‘ahu, Paleka added.
Working in the rain at the state meet on Maui, Locey brought home the gold in the 200- and 400-meter events, breaking the state record in the 200-meter in the process. This record was set by St. Louis’ Jason Rivers who is currently on the roster for the University of Hawai‘i football team, Paleka said.
“Locey has possibilities,” Paleka said. “As a junior, he has opportunities ahead of him. And, he is working hard in the classroom.”
Right-handed Kaua‘i High School pitcher Kirby Yates finished with a perfect 6-0 season enroute to being named one of two May Athletes of the Month, Aaron Uyeda said.
Uyeda, who was standing in for head coach Hank Ibia, said Yates, whose brother Tyler has made a name for himself with the Mets, continued to pitch another hard game at states, throwing a two-hitter (with 10 strikeouts) against Hilo.
“It was a tough game,” Uyeda said of that 1-0 loss. “It wasn’t because of pitching!”
Uyeda said Yates, a product of the Koloa Baseball Association, joins other Koloa products like the Oketani brothers, Jake and Shannon, Chunky Pagador on the Red Raider squad.
Part of the reason why Yates is strong, finishing the season with an average 1.7 ERA, is because, despite being just a junior, Uyeda said Yates’ manner on the field reminds him of watching a senior.
“He knows the game well,” Uyeda said. “And, he worked hard off-season, starting early routines in throwing and running along with the other Koloa (association) boys. Great things will happen for him.”
Yates, a two-time all-star, was selected as this year’s MVP for the KIF, adds that he does get to work with Tyler when Tyler comes home, the older brother advising him on off-season routines as well as joining him on runs and throws at Koloa park four, or five times a week.
The sixth player of a five-person basketball team, Ulu Kelekoma, is the second honoree for May, Kelekoma a junior on the KIF championship Kaua‘i girls basketball team.
“She rarely starts,” head coach Dennis Aquino said. “But, she is an impact player. She should be a starter, but averaging 4 steals a game that is usually converted to scores, Ulu has more impact coming off the bench.”
Aquino said his guard demonstrates good attitude on and off the court, and her quickness and intelligence is an asset to the program, these attributes further reinforced as Kelekoma was named MVP in the KIF all-stars.
Kelekoma said, “It doesn’t matter if you start or not. What matters is the end, so you just gotta play hard while you’re out there.”
