Waimea High School varsity girls paddling team won its first regatta of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation Saturday at the KIF paddling championships at Wailua River. But the effort could not usurp the Kauai High School girls from the KIF title
Waimea High School varsity girls paddling team won its first regatta of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation Saturday at the KIF paddling championships at Wailua River.
But the effort could not usurp the Kauai High School girls from the KIF title as the Red Raider girls, including Christina Carney, Sarah Matsunaga, Saedy Tumaneng, Nichole Carney, Shea Cayabyab and Kiani Souza, controlled the final standings with 21 points followed by Waimea at 16 points and Kapaa at 12 points.
Kapaa High School, despite the setback, controlled the championship event, winning four of the six events, including the junior varsity girls and boys, the varsity boys and mixed races.
Both the varsity boys crew, comprised of Shizuo Santos, Johnny Levinthol, Maka Ahloo, Dylan Lemn, Chaz Pacleb and Keahi Tabura, and the varsity mixed crew, including Aaryn Gray, Cody Carvalho, Keahi Tabura, Keanu Saito, Tiala O’Brien-Roman and Brylyn Aiwohi, finished the season undefeated with each team culling 28 points for the respective titles.
The varsity boys saw the Waimea teams in the runner-up spots with the Menehune boys collecting 14 points and the mixed crew pulling 13 points.
Kauai finished in the No. 3 spot with seven points each in both divisions.
Kauai High School, with its win in the JV mixed division with the crew consisting of Chad Muraoka, Scott Cushnie, Bill Souza, Jadyn Mercer-Cayabyab, Kamalei Estrella, and Kahe Degracia, edged to the KIF title with 21 points, just one point better than Kapaa who finished the season with 20 points, and Waimea rounded out the division with six points.
Kapaa JV boys crew with Kanaki Harper, Edward Bernades, Kaimi Gonzalez, Kavika Beck, Kaiona Nakamura and Adrian Aquino, like its varsity counterparts, dominated the division, finishing the season with 26 points for the title followed by Kauai at 16 points and Waimea at two points.
The Warrior JV girls crew, including Danika Villuan, Alexis Ochoa, Kelly Kauai, Jazlyn Rapozo, Naomi Yadao, and Selena Morita, also topped its division, finishing with 22 points followed by Kauai at 20 points.
During the varsity girls’ first win for Waimea, the Menehune crew dogged the fleet in the preliminaries, Kauai girls taking the heat at 4 minutes, 23.30 seconds, just .66 second ahead of Waimea.
The scenario set the stage for the final race when the Menehune pulled across the line on a 4:19.33 paddle, nearly two seconds ahead of the Red Raiders (4:21.93). Kapaa rounded out the field on a 4:27.02 paddle.
Kapaa dominated the varsity boys race, crossing the line in the finals on a 3:38.50 run followed by Waimea (3:51.50) and Kauai (4:04.79).
Similarly, the Warriors controlled the varsity mixed race on a 4:02.32 run, more than two seconds faster than Waimea (4:04.60) and Kauai (4:20.82) rounding out the leaderboard.
Kapaa controlled the JV girls race with its A team crossing on a 4:27.37 run, more than four seconds ahead of Kauai’s A team (4:31.40).
The race in the JV boys was a close event with Kapaa crossing at 3:59.82, nearly a second faster than Kauai (4:00.70) and Waimea (4:04.03).
Kauai set the pace in the JV mixed race with its first finish at 4:07:88, nearly six seconds ahead of Kapaa (4:13.78) and Waimea (4:15.41).
Kapaa High School will be sending its varsity boys and mixed teams to the First Hawaiian Bank Hawaii High School Athletic Association canoe paddling championships at the Kahului Harbor on Maui, Feb. 7.
The Warriors will be joined by the Kauai High School varsity girls crew.
