KAPA‘A — Matt Ross picked up two state qualifying times as KIF swimming returned to the Kapa‘a pool Saturday. But the return, despite the concerted efforts by Kapa‘a High School athletic director Greg Gonsalves and the swim teams, was not
KAPA‘A — Matt Ross picked up two state qualifying times as KIF swimming returned to the Kapa‘a pool Saturday.
But the return, despite the concerted efforts by Kapa‘a High School athletic director Greg Gonsalves and the swim teams, was not without problems as officials discovered the starting blocks could not be used because their heights exceeded the state standards by three inches.
“The entire Kapa‘a High School ‘ohana is to be complimented for their efforts,” coach Ro Davis said in an e-mail to high school team coaches, athletic directors and the KIF. “This was Kapa‘a’s first home-hosted meet in many years and it went off extremely well, in my opinion, in large part due to their advance preparations.”
Davis said he hopes that future meets can continue to be held in the future and the starting block height issue resolved.
These issues could not deter the high school swimmers who earned an additional pair of Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association qualifying times and nine state consideration times.
The Kaua‘i High School relay teams earned a qualifying and two consideration times, while Matt Ross, a Kaua‘i swimmer, earned a qualifying and consideration time in his individual events.
“They did it without the blocks,” Placido Valenciano, one of the pool officials said. “Can you imagine how much faster they could do if they had the blocks?”
The Kaua‘i Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay team, including Ross, Tyson Chihara, Kyson Gusukuma and Kelsey Tanaka, earned their state berth on a 1:56.96 swim, almost two seconds better than the qualifying time of 1:58.40.
Ross went on to earn a state berth in the Boys 500 Free (5:23.22) and consideration in the Boys 100 Yard Backstroke (1:05.49).
Chihara earned consideration times in the Boys 200 Yard Individual Medley (2:18.89) and the Boys 100 Yard Breaststroke (1:11.15).
Gusukuma went on to earn a consideration time in the Boys 500 Yard Freestyle (5:34.29) with his second finish below Ross in that event.
Individually, Kula swimmer Alanna Reynolds picked up a consideration time in the Girls 100 Yard Backstroke (1:08.69) and Megan Sims, a Kaua‘i senior who earned two state times last week, added a consideration time in the Girls 100 Yard Butterfly (1:07.79).
Sims is part of the Kaua‘i Girls 400 Yard Freestyle Relay team that earned a consideration time (4:13.93) with its first finish in the Saturday meet. Team members include Mary Tousend, Trisha Lamay, Cassie Ford and Sims.
The Kapa‘a team, including Pauline Lucas, Camielle Brady, Tiana Amo and Marlo Bendor, also earned a consideration time (4:23.41) with its second-place finish Saturday.
Kaua‘i’s Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay team also garnered a consideration time (1:41.07) on its first finish Saturday. Team members include Russell McClusky, Chiahara, Ross and Tanaka.
Kaua‘i dominated the scoring by finishing with a combined score of 403 points after its boys tallied 210 points and its girls collected 193 points.
Kapa‘a (101 boys, 177 girls) was second with 278 points followed by Island School (15 boys, 29 girls) who netted 44 points.
Waimea (10 boys, 21 girls) and Kula (16 girls) followed with 31 and 16 points, respectively.
Saturday’s meet moves back to the Kaua‘i High School pool starting at 2 p.m. Kula will be the event host.
