Side Lines

Hanalei CC sweeps GICRA championships

Hanalei Canoe Club dominated both Na ‘Opio and the adult competition to take the overall championships at the Garden Island Canoe Racing Assocition Championship Regatta in Hanalei last Saturday.

Overall, Hanalei Canoe Club posted 290 points following 42 events, soaring to that total tallying a commanding 123 points at the completion of Na ‘Opio races.

Kaiola Canoe Club overcame a strong challenge by Kilohana Canoe Club in Na ‘Opio competition to finish second in that division en route to taking second in Na ‘Opio as well as in the overall standings. Kaiola posted 66 points in Na ‘Opio and finished with 165 points overall.

Kilohana finished third in Na ‘Opio with 39 points, and Namolokama, in fifth place after the Na ‘Opio competition with 20 points, roared back in the adult competition to finish third overall with 152 points.

Hanalei took a 36-7 lead in points over Kilohana after the first four events, the yellow-shirted paddlers eking out a 2:36.30 win over Kilohana’s 2:37.16 showing in the Girls 12 Under race (event 4).

Kilohana came back with a first-place finish in the Boys 12 Under race (2:16.62) to pull into second place over Kaiola CC which finished second with a 2:42.59 paddle.

That gave Kilohana a 16-14 edge over Kaiola in points with the win and despite a second finish to Hanalei in the Girls 13 Under race, improved to 32-14 points over Kaiola.

But Kaiola came back in the Mixed Novice B race to post a 2:02.89 paddle, dropping to Hanalei by .84 second, to overtake Kilohana 39-38 points.

Kilohana finished that race in third place with a 2:12.73 run.

Kaiola returned in the Mens Novice B to post a 4:11.66 second finish below Hanalei (3:59.50) and relegated Kilohana (4:50.02) to third place in that race to take a 45-43 point lead and second place in Na ‘Opio.

Kapa‘a boys drop heart-breaker to Gee Unit

Kapa‘a split a pair of games in the 15 Under boys division as its “B” team posted a 41-23 win over Westside, and Kapa‘a fell by a point, 48-47 to the Gee Unit Tuesday night.

In the opener, the Kamikaze marked a 58-10 win over Kaulupono Girls in a 13 and Under contest in the 3 G’s Nation competitive basketball league which continues through Aug. 2.

Spam Lindsey finished with a game-high 17 points and Kapono Cummings added 13 points in Kapa‘a’s heart-breaking loss to the Gee Unit.

Donovan Harrison topped the Gee Unit scoring with 15 points followed by Willis Batol adding 11 points. Joe Duronslet and Winston Gee contributed 9 and 8 points, respectively.

Kapono Cummings figured heavily in the Kapa‘a B win over the Westside, finishing that game with 11 points below the game-high 16 points posted by Andrew Panoke.

Kawehi Louis-Diamond set the pace for Kamikaze with a game-high 24 points in its win over Kaulupono. Bristy Ann Agu added 18 points

Obama to run ads

during Olympics

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama is going for the gold.

The Democratic presidential contender has decided to buy $5 million in national advertising on NBC during the broadcast of the Olympic games, an NBC spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday. The ads will appear on network and cable channels.

The ad purchase was first reported yesterday on the Web site of Advertising Age, a magazine that covers the industry.

The Olympics, to be held in Beijing, will open Aug. 8. Such an extensive purchase of ad time would give Obama wide exposure before the Democratic National Convention, to be held the last week in August.

Obama has the resources: He has set fundraising records and has reported raising $52 million in June, more than twice the $21.5 million raised by his rival, Republican John McCain.

— The Garden Island/Associated Press wire services