WAILUA — Levi Miyashiro shot a 75 and Kelli Oride finished with a 75 to lead Kaua‘i High School to the 2008 Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation golf championship Saturday. Miyashiro has been steadily improving through the KIF season, and Saturday’s run
WAILUA — Levi Miyashiro shot a 75 and Kelli Oride finished with a 75 to lead Kaua‘i High School to the 2008 Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation golf championship Saturday.
Miyashiro has been steadily improving through the KIF season, and Saturday’s run through the Wailua Golf Course gives the KIF champions of things to come as the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association’s state championships will be played at Wailua starting in early May.
Cory Oride, coming off the ITJG tournament with a first finish last week, finished two strokes off the Kaua‘i pace at 77 (41-36) to help lead the Red Raider team to its final 309 total in the boys competition.
Kapa‘a followed with 341 and Waimea rounded out the team competition at 376.
Kelli topped the Red Raider girls with her 75 (37-38) as Kaua‘i girls finished with 256 for the title.
Following Miyashiro and Oride, Taylor Bell (37-41-78) and Wiley Yoshioka (38-41-79) accounted for the Kaua‘i boys team scoring.
Sean Mamaclay, paired with Miyashiro and Cory, topped the Warrior boys scoring with an 80 (40-40) followed by Justin Uegawa who finished at 84 (48-36).
“He’s going to be real good,” said Kapa‘a coach Fred Levinthol, who watched Uegawa get out of trouble on the Wailua No. 12. “He has a good attitude toward the game and doesn’t let things get to him.”
Kevin Wataya (46-42-88) and Aaron Belmonte (44-45-89) rounded out the Kapa‘a team scoring, Levinthol noting that both boys have the potential of developing into good golfers because of their character.
“They’re good boys,” Levinthol said. “And they have fun out there. That’s the important thing.”
Grant Paiste (43-44-87), paired with the KIF leaders, finished by leading the Menehune boys team followed by a tie for second place between Justin Moriguchi (46-45-91) and Jake Kuzen (44-47-91). Adam Chandler (47-50-97) rounded out the Waimea team scoring.
“I like that Jake,” Levinthol said, watching the Menehune left-handed golfer negotiate the issues at the No. 12 hole at Wailua. “He’s pretty consistent, and he’s come a long way from the start of the season.”
Ryan Wong (50-45-95) and Adam Kling (54-50-104) represented Island School and Cyrus Ogawa (41-41-82) topped the three golfers from Kula Intermediate and High.
Of the trio, Eric Guyett is still a freshman, and according to an e-mail from his father Jon on Saturday, he shot a 45 on the Wailua front nine en route to posting a final 97, his first-ever Under 100 for 18 holes.
“We are proud of his hard work and dedication to become a better golfer,” Jon said, noting that this is Eric’s first year representing Kula.
Matt Clark (56-59-115) was the third Kula Intermediate and High golfer.
Following Kelli in the girls’ competition, Rae-Lynn Morikawa finished with an 85 (46-39) followed by Kristy Rapozo posting a 96 (49-47) for the Red Raiders.
Gabby Saiki, a consistent No. 2 in the KIF girls field, finished with an 81 (40-41) with Waimea’s Melissa Kagawa holding consistent with a 99 (54-45).
Alex Dorn (83-68-151) and Haime Arquette (76-74-150) represented Kapa‘a and Waimea, respectively.
“These new golfers are important to the KIF,” Levinthol said. “They are the players of tomorrow, and they need to play today so they can get the experience.”
KIF golf moves to the Princeville Golf Course this Saturday followed by a final round at Wailua Golf Course on April 12. Following that are two state qualifying rounds on April 19 and April 26 at the Wailua Golf Course.
The girls open the HHSAA state championships at Wailua from May 6-7 followed by the boys on May 13-14.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
