Kalani High School’s Dara Ajimine made history yesterday when she won her third consecutive individual girls state championship and led the Lady Falcons to their first team title since 1994, at the Lihu‘e Bowling Center. She was the first bowler
Kalani High School’s Dara Ajimine made history yesterday when she won her third consecutive individual girls state championship and led the Lady Falcons to their first team title since 1994, at the Lihu‘e Bowling Center. She was the first bowler — male or female — to win three in a row.
T. Grabe out of Kamehameha Schools won two in a row from 1980 to 1981.
Baldwin High School’s Corey Gushikuma produced another champion for Maui yesterday, winning the individual boys. The Neighbor Island last produced an individual in 2005. The Pearl City Chargers took the team competition.
Ajimine, who held a 64-pin lead after the first day of competition, went on to win with a score of 1,752 — 83 ahead of second-place finisher Venny Jean Turner of Sacred Hearts Academy.
But Ajimine said it wasn’t an easy win.
“It was frustrating,” she said. “I just couldn’t figure out the lane conditions.”
Ajimine said she just had to play off the lanes for each approach. Ajimine finished with four games at 200 or over (211 in the third, 230 in the fourth, 201 in the sixth and 100 in the ninth).
Hosts from the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation sneaked in a top 15 finish for a medal, just making the cut. Waimea High School’s Tiffany Lum, who started the day off in 22nd place, worked her way up the leaderboard to finish at 1,469 and in 15th place.
“When they called my name it was so surreal,” Lum said.
Lum said that heading into the tournament she didn’t think she had a real chance of medaling, but after the first day and seeing how close she was, she was surprisingly optimistic.
“After the first set, I though maybe I had a chance,” she said. “I pretty much got the mindset that I had to at least bowl my average.”
Lum’s average is 170.
“(During the ceremony,) I was pretty much crossing my fingers the whole time. And then they called my name,” she said. “Since Kaua‘i High School was the host, they were all up there and it felt good because they were all saying that I should’ve medaled. That I deserved it.”
This was Lum’s first state medal in any sport.
“To celebrate, I’m going to have a good dinner. My celebration is to stay at home and be with my medal,” she said.
Kapolei’s Kimie Roller took third with 1,583, McKinley’s Winter Drew-Kaohu finished 1,560 and Kapolei’s Chrystalynn Bonifacio rounded out the top five at 1,548.
For the girls team competition, Kalani finished atop with a grand total of 7,482. Kapolei had a combined total of 7,333 and Hilo finished with 7,090. KIF champions finished in seventh with 6,723.
First-place boys finisher Gushikuma, who like Ajimine was the leader after the first day, finished ahead by 28 with a score of 1,788. Kalani’s Jonathan Nakagawa finished at 1,760. Kealakehe’s Bryson Apolo posted 1,755, ‘Iolani School’s Kelly Sakuda finished 1,713, Hawai‘i Baptist Academy Jaron Goto and Waiakea’s Jonathan Shimasaki both finished at 1,712.
Pearl City’s boys won their first championship since 1997. The Chargers finished with a final pin fall of 8,004 over second-place finishers from Waiakea (7,967). HBA finished third with 7,740.
Hosts Kaua‘i finished with 7,011.
Team — Girls
Kalani 190 195 211 230 150 201 189 186 200
2 135 175 149 155 144 216 122 193 167
3 137 134 182 171 138 155 212 138 155
4 165 156 137 181 159 153 169 157 149
5 170 152 130 134 158 157 144 179 202
797 812 809 871 749 882 836 853 873 — 7482
Kapolei 190 190 167 197 134 147 122 156 178
2 159 157 170 152 157 168 182 169 149
3 114 153 148 162 191 136 160 169 172
4 190 193 175 176 181 151 182 193 172
5 191 126 211 125 137 141 167 136 137
844 819 871 812 800 743 813 823 808 — 7333
Hilo 143 150 133 142 181 175 127 152 154
2 143 156 122 146 177 206 143 157 158
3 112 154 146 126 182 153 167 160 186
4 172 136 167 123 167 177 149 174 210
5 124 182 165 159 184 145 189 140 176
694 778 733 696 891 856 775 783 884 — 7090
Team — Boys
Pearl City 200 247 197 147 203 135 157 167 199
2 197 241 185 146 192 146 189 178 168
3 161 202 244 158 185 176 192 156 134
4 191 195 177 146 154 160 118 149 179
5 164 213 193 218 153 197 151 198 146
913 1098 996 815 887 814 807 848 826 — 8004
Waiakea 166 221 161 143 136 170 227 203 176
2 225 170 217 165 155 171 133 176 141
3 231 186 229 161 148 116 165 132 172
4 160 200 205 188 124 214 121 190 157
5 168 190 268 157 205 180 186 180 178
950 967 1080 814 768 851 832 881 824 — 7967
HBA 166 164 173 177 158 170 136 182 191
2 156 226 206 180 183 209 193 187 172
3 159 157 161 145 143 125 192 159 138
4 223 146 222 210 192 184 222 131 174
5 147 152 179 182 191 155 152 136 134
851 845 941 894 867 843 895 795 809 — 7740
HSSAA Girls Individual
Oct. 30, 31, Lihu‘e Bowling Center
Kalani Dara Ajimine 190-195-211- 230-150-201-189-186-200 — 1752
Sacred Hearts V. Jean Turner 204 -204-172-169-193-171-173-183-200 — 1669
Kapolei Kimie Roller 191-126-211-176-181-151-182-193-172 — 1583
McKinley Winter Drew-Kaohu 160-182-154-193-201-176-176-161-157—1560
Kapolei Chrystalynn Bonifacio 190-193-175-162-191-136-160-169-172—1548
Pearl City Ashley Shoemaker 201-232-148-151-162-180-154-166-151—1545
Mililani Stacey Shigekane 164-188-148-153-164-170-171-173-213 — 1544
Moanalua Shari Usui 137-170-220-165-174-144-171-181-159 -—1521
St. Francis Chelsea Seki 218-169-179-180-164-171-176-137-120 —1514
Moanalua Alyssa Aguilar 190-127-173-126-211-189-158-168-170 —1512
HBA Elisabeth Seamon 177-169-206-131-137-174-165-191-148 —1498
Kapolei Raelena Mattos 190-190-167-197-134-147-122-1560178 —1481
Hilo Kacie Wakida 172-136-167-123-167-177-149-174-210 —1475
Mililani Tamara Stephens 137-188-186-167-174-148-145-142-188 —1475
Waimea Tiffany Lum 165-185-162-157-157-150-131-167-195 —1469
Hilo Makalani Pina 124-182-165-159-184-145-189-140-176 —1464
Kapolei Valerie-Chanel Ibarra 159-157-170-152-157-168-182-169-149 —1463
Maryknoll Melissa Worsham 170-143-146-149—175-168-183-170-158—1462
Island Pacific Jaymie-Rae Martin 163-147-158-170-147-139-176-185-176—1461
Waialua Nohelani Olpendo 157-213-163-138-193-149-182-150-115—1460
Campbell Kristyn Nakano 176-159-152-154-167-144-137-191-177—1457
University Lab Shannon Lee 175-182-184-170-157-137-164-157-131—1457
Kalani Brandi Kawamoto 135-175-149-155-144-216-122-193-167—1456
Kalaheo Tammi Sakaguchi 156-187-126-170-166-180-143-134-192—1454
HSSAA Boys Individual Oct. 30, 31, Lihu‘e Bowling Center
Baldwin Corey Gushikuma 202-159-167-246-215-203-180-213-203 —1788
Kalani Jonathan Nakagawa 192-163-168-191-199-178-220-241-208—1760
Kealakehe Bryson Apolo 217-180-139-209-174-187-193-200-256—1755
Iolani Kelly Sakuda 189-192-138-188-165-251-231-182-177-1713
HBA Jaron Goto 156-226-206-180-183-209-193-187-172—1712
Waiakea Jonathan Shimasaki 168-190-268-157-205-180-186-180-178—1712
Roosevelt Justin Kanda 155-161-231-192-172-174-216-194-211—1706
HBA Brock Wong 223-146-222-210-192-184-222-131-174—1704
Leilehua Scott Becera 255-177-182-158-166-200-171-203-192—1704
Mililani Raymond Allen Jr. 207-134-191-164-183-170-228-234-193—1704
Kam-HI William Salavea 176-173-225-181-194-181-164-204-191—1689
Pearl City Jonathan Carino 197-241-185-146-185-189-189-178-168—1678
Castle Brian Kukahiko 170-215-179-206-135-189-180-190-198—1662
Pearl City Micah Lee 200-247-197-147-203-135-157-167-199—1652
Mid-Pac Christopher Chong 175-200-145-200-183-178-207-183-171—1642
Kalani David Goo 205-248-194-173-152-199-181-147-141—1640
Pearl City Jordon Ono 164-213-193-218-153-197-151-198-146—1633
Kona Alika Monroe 142-119-221-219-187-146-145-214-229—1622
Punahou Nolan Murakami 175-232-170-188-182-157-146-201-170—1621
Kona Len Nakamoto 211-162-179-125-201-135-210-214-183 —1620
Castle Bryson Lee 156-201-213-182-172-145-220-157-171—1617
Pearl City Derek Suefuji 161-202-244-158-185-176-192-156-134—1608
Maryknoll Matthew Ho 150-188-139-139-199-181-189-211-209 —1605
Waiakea Curtis Tokihiro Jr. 166-221-161-143-136-170-227-203-176—1603
• Lanaly Cabalo, sports editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 237) or lcabalo@kauaipubco.com
