Three Kaua‘i tennis players came home with winner’s hardware from the Aloha Airlines Junior Summer Sectionals played over the weekend. Chas Okamoto, Lyndsey Tom and Sarah Kukino won first, second and third places in their divisions at the tournament that
Three Kaua‘i tennis players came home with winner’s hardware from the Aloha Airlines Junior Summer Sectionals played over the weekend.
Chas Okamoto, Lyndsey Tom and Sarah Kukino won first, second and third places in their divisions at the tournament that was played at the Central O‘ahu Regional Park.
According to Jonathan Tom, Lyndsey’s dad as well as one of the coaches for the Kapa‘a High School tennis program, there were only three players from Kaua‘i who entered “Hawai‘i’s most important junior tournament.”
Okamoto, third seeded in the B14 division, earned his top honor by defeating top seeded William Chen 6-2, 6-3 in the final match.
He advanced to the finals by handling Travis Yoshimoto, 6-2, 7-6(6) in the semifinals.
Second seeded Tom lost to Jackie Owens in three sets in the finals of the G16 division.
Owens emerged on top 6-1, 2-6, 6-0. In the semifinals, Tom advanced by defeating No. 6 Sherise Lum 6-3, 6-4.
Kukino earned her third place award in the G14 division with a win over Tamitha Nguyen, 6-2, 6-3. The third seeded Kukino was edged out by second seed Karlene Pang in the semifinals in three sets 6-3, 5-7, 3-6.
