LIHUE — Kauai Interscholastic Federation swimmers picked up six individual state qualifying events and four relay events Saturday as the KIF Championship meet is set for this weekend.
Akira Williams of the Kauai High School swim team led the roster of individual qualifying events by picking up state swims in the 200 freestyle (1 minute, 48.13 seconds), the 100 freestyle (47.11), and bettered a 2006 KIF Championship meet record set by Jared Perry, stopping the clock at 57.30 compared to Perry’s record-setting 57.95.
Red Raider swimmer Julia Safford, swimming on the state-qualifying girls 200 medley and girls 200 freestyle relay teams, picked up an individual swim mark in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.18).
Kapaa High School made its own strides in the swim season. Its boys 200 medley relay team, including Cody Andrews, Skyler Wilson, Amine Benamar and Tyler Tanaka, earned a state swim with a first-place finish that broke the two-minute mark at 1:57.58.
The Warrior girls 200 medley relay team, including Maddie Hoesel, Lani Alo, Chloe Zumwalt and Juliana Tampus, may have finished in second place with its 2:06.85 performance, but was good enough to earn a state swim standard.
Island School rounded out the day’s swimming when its boys 400 freestyle relay team, including Henry Scherer, James Pratt, Asa Hatcher and Max Rovinsky, touched the wall in first place with a state standard 3:57.77. Scherer picked up an individual swim in the 100 butterfly (57.89), and was joined by Olivia Lutkevich making her mark for the Voyagers in the 500 freestyle (5:44.14).
The KIF Championship meet, hosted by all four KIF-member schools, will start at 10 a.m. Saturday at the YMCA Pool.
Qualifying Swims
Girls 200 medley relay: Kauai High School – 2:04.96 (Kelli Okayama, Julia Safford, Hayley Kaeo, Alana Cayabyab)
Girls 200 medley relay: Kapaa High School – 2:06.85 (Maddie Hoesel, Lani Alo, Chloe Zumwalt, Juliana Tampus)
Girls 200 freestyle relay: Kauai High School – 1:51.83 (Julia Safford, Kelli Okayama, Alana Cayabyab, Hayley Kaeo)
Boys 200 medley relay: Kapaa High School – 1:57.58 (Cody Andrews, Skyler Wilson, Amine Benamar, Tyler Tanaka)
Boys 400 freestyle relay: Island School – 3:57.77 (Henry Scherer, James Pratt, Asa Hatcher, Max Rovinsky)
Akira Williams (Kauai) – boys 200 freestyle (1:48.13)
Akira Williams (Kauai) – boys 100 freestyle (47.11)
Akira Williams (Kauai) – boys 100 backstroke (57.30)*
Henry Scherer (Island) – boys 100 butterfly (57.89)
Olivia Lutkevich (Island) – girls 500 freestyle (5:44.14)
Julia Safford (Kauai) – girls 100 breaststroke (1:11.88)
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
