Tyson Chihara picked up a state qualifying time and added a consideration time at the KIF swim meet Saturday at the Kauai High School pool. Chihara was joined by five other Red Raider swimmers in leading Kaua‘i to an overall
Tyson Chihara picked up a state qualifying time and added a consideration time at the KIF swim meet Saturday at the Kauai High School pool.
Chihara was joined by five other Red Raider swimmers in leading Kaua‘i to an overall team win in unofficial points.
The Raider boys collected 225 points and combined with the girls’ 190-point showing, Kaua‘i soared to 415 points.
Kapa‘a finished second with 242 points (133 girls, 109 boys) followed by Island School with 97 points (81 girls, 16 boys). Kula, who had two swimmers earn consideration times, ended in fourth with 33 points (33 girls, 0 boys) and Waimea rounded out the field on 23 points (9 girls, 14 boys).
Chihara’s state qualifying time came in the Boys 200 Yard Individual Medley, clocking in at 2:15.20. He also earned a consideration time in the Boys 100 Yard Breaststroke with a first finish and the consideration time of 1:10.25.
Teammate Kelsey Tanaka was on his heels at 1:10.91 and also earned a consideration time in the second place finish.
Tanaka (24.54) and fellow Kaua‘i swimmer Russell McClusky (24.78) finished 1-2 in the Boys 50 Yard Freestyle, just a fraction of a second short of consideration time of 24.00.
On the girls’ side, Sarah Faraola, a freshman at Island School, topped the sprints with first finishes in the Girls 50 Freestyle (27.60) and the Girls 100 Yard Freestyle (1:03.67), but missed the consideration time in the 50 Free by .40 second.
Matt Ross earned two consideration times, the first coming in his first finish in the Boys 200 Yard Freestyle, stopping the clock at 1:59.87. His second consideration came in the Boys 100 Yard Backstroke (1:04.55).
On Ross’s heels in the Boys 200 Yard Freestyle, Noah Murray earned a consideration time with a 2:05.78 swim.
Kyson Gusukuma also pocketed a consideration time in the Boys 500 Yard Freestyle (5:36.29).
His earning sets the stage for this weekend’s meet, the final one before the KIF championships on Feb. 10, as Gusukuma finished second in the Boys 100 Yard Backstroke (1:07.22) just .12 of a second short of another consideration time.
Meaghan Sims earned a consideration time, broke a pool record, but failed to earn more than one event.
Sims earned her consideration time in a second finish to Kula School’s Melanie Grindle (1:07.44) in the Girls 100 Yard Butterfly on a 1:07.90 swim. She also broke the pool record with a first finish in the Girls 200 Yard IM, but failed to earn a consideration time on her 2:30.67 swim, falling short by .44 of a second.
Grindle’s swim set a new pool record, breaking one set earlier by Sims.
Alanna Reynolds was the second Kula swimmer to earn a consideration time in the Girls 100 Yard Backstroke where she finished first on a 1:07.76 swim.
Michelle Woltmon of Island School finished second to Reynolds, but failed to make the consideration time by .20 of a second.
Reynolds’ swim shattered the pool record of 1:10.35 set in 2006 by Woltmon.
Kaua‘i also earned consideration times in four team events — Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay (2:04.53), Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay (1:44.65), Girls 400 Yard Freestyle Relay (4:13.91) and Boys 400 Yard Freestyle Relay (3:46.26).
Mary Tausend, Casie Ford, Trisha Lagmay and Sims make up the Girls 400 Yard Freestyle Relay team that broke the KIF record set in 2006 by a Kaua‘i High School team.
The Kaua‘i Girls 200 Yard Freestyle Relay team finished first at 1:56.46, missing the consideration time by a scant second and a half.
Saturday’s KIF Swim meet will be the final one before the KIF Championships. With more than a handful of swimmers close to getting qualifying times, watch for more excitement starting at 10 a.m. at the Kaua‘i High School pool.
