• Kaua‘i well represented at state tournaments Kaua‘i well represented at state tournaments By Duane Shimogawa Jr. – The Garden Island The bevy of state tournaments for the fall season has been completed and Kaua‘i has a lot to be
• Kaua‘i well represented at state tournaments
Kaua‘i well represented at state tournaments
By Duane Shimogawa Jr. – The Garden Island
The bevy of state tournaments for the fall season has been completed and Kaua‘i has a lot to be proud of about their talented athletes. For starters, air riflery started things off with Waimea’s Sharla Shimono snatching a medal with her impressive ninth-place finish. Fellow Menehune, Sheila Ramos nearly got a medal too, as she was just two points shy of 15th-place.
For the boys, Brian Martin grabbed a hold of a medal with a 12th-place finish. Kaua‘i’s Brandan Nakamoto felt just like Ramos after the matches, as he missed out on a medal by just a point.
Bowling was up next at Lihu‘e Lanes. Darryl Izumo and the crew did a great job hosting the event. Bowling is definitely a popular sport on Kaua‘i, with a standing-room only crowd in attendance.
Kaua‘i’s athletes did a fairly good job of defending their home turf, with a medal in each of the events.
Red Raider Mei-Ling Keopuhiwa medaled along with Waimea’s Kekoa Masuda. Meanwhile, former Red Raider, Noel Campos led her ‘Aiea team to the state girls title, with an impressive finish for herself as well.
The runners were next with the state cross-country meet on the Big Island. The KIF contenders, Scott Martin and Chelsea Smith-Wishard, both undefeated KIF champs, made the Garden Island proud. Martin improved on his ninth-place finish from last year with an impressive eighth-place mark. Smith-Wishard took leaps and bounds to the 12th-place slot, after finishing in 94th-place last season. Quite a jump for the sophomore, who’s coach (Deb Engdahl) says she has the potential to be a state champion.
On the volleyball court, both Red Raider squads showed their worth with great performances after losses. The Red Raider boys, who won their first match against OIA powerhouse Mililani, fell to Waiakea, the tournament’s #2 seed.
“That was probably the worst match we played this season,” senior outside hitter Futi Tavana said. However, the Red Raiders fought back to earn fifth-place in the state, with wins over OIA heavy hitters, Kalaheo and Kahuku. Along the way, Kaua‘i setter Garrett Sakimae garnered a huge award, by being named to the all-tournament team, as one of the best players in the state.
While the Kaua‘i boys were wreaking havoc on the Big Island, the Kaua‘i girls were doing the same on Maui.
After an opening round loss to Kalani, the Red Raiders came back with a vengeance, with wins over Baldwin and Hilo for seventh-place in the state.
The dynamic duo of Kehau Judd and Tina Moger put together solid games and the scary part for the rest of the state is that the two are only juniors.
With four state tournaments done, there’s only one to go and Kaua‘i can only add to the success so far for island athletes.
On the gridiron, the Red Raiders face Maui’s division II champ, Pac-3 this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Vidinha Stadium. Both teams come into the game hungry and ready to win their first state title, but first things first, as both Kaua‘i and Pac-3 know the importance of taking it one game at a time.
