Somehow, it’s already mid-May and school will soon be coming to a close for 2012-13. Graduating seniors have played their final games for their high school squads and given us a lot of great entertainment during their tenures, while many
Somehow, it’s already mid-May and school will soon be coming to a close for 2012-13. Graduating seniors have played their final games for their high school squads and given us a lot of great entertainment during their tenures, while many underclassmen stepped into prominent roles for some of this year’s best KIF’s teams.
The spring seasons were also an exciting mix of old and new, with some perennial powerhouses remaining in command and some new faces appearing atop the final standings. For instance, this was the fifth straight year that Waimea reached states in softball, receiving a top-2 seed for the fourth consecutive season, while the Kapa‘a baseball team reached the Division II state tournament for the first time.
Here’s a look back at how all the KIF participants fared at the state level.
After their thrilling five-set victory to capture the KIF crown, the Kaua‘i boys volleyball squad grabbed fourth place in the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Div. II tournament. The Red Raiders opened with a sweep of fourth-seeded Farrington (25-23, 25-19, 25-21) but then fell to top seed Hawai‘i Baptist (25-13, 25-13, 25-12). In the third-place matchup, Kaua‘i lost a back-and-forth battle with No. 2 Seabury Hall (21-25, 26-24, 15-13). Grant Basquez’s play earned him one of six spots on the D-II All-Tournament Team.
It wasn’t the back-to-back titles they were hoping for, but Waimea softball took third place at states after a great season, besting the Kaua‘i Raider Wahine 11-3 in that third-place matchup. Waimea earned the top seed and stifled Aiea in the quarterfinals, 6-2. Kaua‘i entered unseeded, but knocked off McKinley, 16-5, in the first round and then held off No. 3 Kamehameha-Big Island, 8-7, in the quarters. Waimea dropped to powerful Saint Francis, 14-6, in the semis, while Kaua‘i was bested by No. 2 Nanakuli, 10-0, for the second straight season. Catcher Gaylan “Ulu” Matagiese and shortstop Sienna Santiago earned All-Tournament nods for the Lady Menehune, while Kaua‘i High’s Kyana Hirokane received the first base slot.
The Kapa‘a baseball team entered as the No. 4 seed and finished with a pair of victories to earn fifth place. The Warriors opened with a tough 2-1 loss to Kamehameha-Big Island, but bounced back with an 8-0 win over Kaimuki in the consolation bracket and bested Konawaena, 3-2, in the fifth-place game. First baseman Nick Tabura received All-Tournament honors for his 4 for 5 showing at the plate in the two victories, as well as a well-pitched game in the opening loss.
The Kaua‘i boys golf team finished in sixth place overall with a 633 two-round total. Pono Tokioka led the Raiders with a 79-76 weekend for a 155 total. Braeden Robley shot a 157 (82-75), followed by Jaime Amimoto’s 158 (81-77), Kai Adachi’s 165 (78-87) and Trevor Kua’s 167 (81-86), Kapa‘a’s Kenji Miyata led the Warrior individuals with a 159 (81-78), followed by Kainalu Gandia’s 160 (84-76).
On the girls’ side, the Kaua‘i girls golf team took eighth place. Daesza Tomas finished 16th overall with a 161 total (83-78). Taylor Viquelia fired a 164 (84-80), followed by Hiilani Alana at 187 (91-96) and Jenae Park at 206 (106-100). Kapa‘a’s Naea Oda shot a 166 (82-84).
The Red Raiders had some tremendous results at the Track and Field Championships. McKenna Lopez-Estacio took the gold medal for his discus hurl of 163 feet, 3 inches. Kawehi Louis-Diamond won silver in the Girls 100 Meter Hurdles for her time of 15.25 seconds. Josh Herr also grabbed a silver in the Boys 3000 Meter Run with a time of 9 minutes, 4.09 seconds. Krista Schnackenberg finished eighth overall in the Girls 1500 Meter Run at 5 minutes, 10 seconds.
Overall, it was a season of great performances and a fitting way to end the school year. We look forward to doing it all over again in the fall.
• ‘My Thoughts Exactly’ appears Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays in The Garden Island. Email David Simon your comments or questions to dsimon@thegardenisland.com. Follow David on Twitter @SimonTGI
