WAILUA — Kapa‘a High School paddling teams topped four of the six divisions Saturday at the Wailua River to lead the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation Paddling program. Racing on a one-mile, or three-turn, varsity course, the Kapa‘a boys and mixed team
WAILUA — Kapa‘a High School paddling teams topped four of the six divisions Saturday at the Wailua River to lead the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation Paddling program.
Racing on a one-mile, or three-turn, varsity course, the Kapa‘a boys and mixed team topped the varsity with solid performances.
Last week, Kapa‘a boys and mixed teams topped the special varsity-only three-mile opener, and combined with Saturday’s victories, the Warrior boys and mixed teams hold eight points apiece.
Similarly, the Kapa‘a Junior Varsity boys and mixed teams pounded out solid wins to post four points each in the standings. The JV teams battled on the half-mile, or two-turn, course.
Kaua‘i High School girls took the JV Girls race and the varsity Girls race, each team posting four points.
Last week, the Kaua‘i girls topped the three-mile distance race and stands at eight points.
The Kaua‘i JV girls opened the race with a berth in the second heat, but climbed the charts on a 5:28:84 paddle, just about seven seconds faster than the Kapa‘a A team (5:35:64) and the Kapa‘a B team (5:44:10). Waimea rounded out the field on a 5:48:40 run to set the benchmark for the remainder of the season.
Opening under near-ideal, cool crisp conditions, the Kapa‘a JV boys set the pace with the Warrior A team making the half-mile crossing on 4:34:70, nearly 20 seconds ahead of its B team (4:52:66) and the Kaua‘i JV boys (5:07:31).
The Kapa‘a JV mixed team lost little time asserting itself, setting the bar at 5:03:25 by its A team, more than 22 seconds ahead of its B team (5:22:73), the team making the crossing in the second heat.
Kaua‘i’s JV mixed A team filled in the third spot on a 5:30:67 run followed by the Kaua‘i B team (5:35:64) and the Kapa‘a C team (5:49:33).
On the varsity arena, the Kapa‘a boys team set the bar high, taking the lead off the line and leading at the first turn. The lead increased by the third and final turn, the Warrior men simply waiting to stop the clock on a 9:33:14 run.
Waimea men filled in the second spot, almost 30 seconds back, stopping the clock at 10:03:76, just two ticks ahead of the Kaua‘i varsity boys (10:05:91).
The scenario repeated itself in the mixed varsity race, Kapa‘a stopping the clocks at 10:17:82, nearly 30 seconds ahead of Waimea (10:34:54), which had an easier time locking up the runner-up berth over Kaua‘i (10:46:22).
Kaua‘i redeemed itself in the varsity girls race, setting the bar at 10:53:01, challenged just eight seconds back by the Kawaikini squad (11:01:75) and Kapa‘a (11:13:43) in the finals.
The KIF Paddling regatta continues Saturday with the varsity squads racing for a mile and the JV teams sprinting at half mile.
The first race hits Wailua River at 9 a.m.
