WAILUA — Kapa‘a’s Mixed paddlers were less than a second better than Kula in the Varsity Mixed competition Saturday. The Warriors pulled across the line at 3:49.76 ahead of the yellow-shirted Kula team who slipped in at 3:50.51 in the
WAILUA — Kapa‘a’s Mixed paddlers were less than a second better than Kula in the Varsity Mixed competition Saturday.
The Warriors pulled across the line at 3:49.76 ahead of the yellow-shirted Kula team who slipped in at 3:50.51 in the finals of that division as the KIF opened its paddling season at the Wailua River.
This tight competition was a continuation of the heat battle when the Kula A team topped Kapa‘a on a 3:47.27 paddle over the Warriors’ 3:48.59 crossing.
When the dust had settled, the Warriors gained 26 points, followed by Waimea edging out Kaua‘i with 18 and 16 points, respectively.
Kula, showing a strong second finish throughout the finals of the Varsity classes, ended with 14 points followed by Island School with 10 points.
In addition to the tight finish in the Varsity Mixed, Kapa‘a topped the Varsity Boys finals with a 3:34.23 finish over Kula and Kaua‘i who stopped the clock with times of 3:37.74 and 3:44.11, respectively.
The Kaua‘i Varsity Girls topped that division final on a 4:02.94 paddle over Kula and Waimea who crossed at 4:07.84 and 4:23.83, respectively.
Kapa‘a missed the cut for the finals in the Varsity Girls competition with a 4:22.15 finish in the heats, eking out their top heat placement over Island School by a half second.
Kapa‘a only showing in the JV competition came in the JV Girls race where the Junior Warriors slipped past Kaua‘i 4:15.79 to 4:24.78.
Waimea controlled both the JV Boys and JV Mixed competition, stopping the clock at 3:50.14 in the JV Boys race and crossing at 4:03.80 in the JV Mixed race.
KIF Paddling continues this Saturday at the Wailua River, hosted by Waimea High School.
The first canoes hit the line starting at 10 a.m. over a half-mile course.
