[ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ]
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State paddling finally For the high schoolers who gathered at Keehi Lagoon for the finals of the inaugural state paddling championship yesterday morning, the regatta marked the crowning achievement of their seasons.
in the record books
Kamehameha, Punahou and
Lahainaluna win titles in
the inaugural regattaBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comFor many who watched, the event represented the culmination of decades of work.
"It's very gratifying," said long-time paddler Sammy "Steamboat" Mokuahi, who was among the driving forces to establish the sport at the high-school level.
"We don't have all the answers to everybody's questions, but I'm sure proud of everybody to get to where we are now, because it took time and effort."
Mokuahi had waited 35 years to see the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Paddling Championships become reality and he was on the beach to see crews from Kamehameha, Punahou and Lahainaluna earn the honors of being the first to win state titles.
"It's special for all the paddlers, not just for us," Kamehameha girls coach Rose Lum said.
Kamehameha opened the day by edging Iolani to win the girls championship. The Warriors' crew of Brooke Calpito, Angelica Chong, Kanani Souza, Krystal Tim Sing, Tehina Wright and Lorie Nakamura completed the half-mile course in 4 minutes, 13.57 seconds, just 1.25 seconds ahead of Iolani.
"I was super excited and I was so relieved. I was happy because all of our hard work paid off," said Nakamura, the crew's steersman. "With Iolani right there we had to work really hard throughout the whole race."
Kamehameha and Iolani battled in long-distance races during the Interscholastic League of Honolulu season and had to make a quick transition to the sprint format at the state regatta.
"The first three minutes of a (long distance) race is a sprint," Lum said. "This race is a little over four minutes, so it's just a matter of adjusting a little bit."
Lum and Nakamura said they dedicated the race to Nakamura's late mother, Shirley, who was a coach and a steersman before she passed away several years ago.
Nakamura said her mother taught her some of the intricacies of steering and those lessons proved valuable yesterday as the Warriors made a clean turn around the quarter-mile buoy to start their sprint to the finish.
"It took a lot of practice and I still have much more to work on," Nakamura said.
The Punahou boys crew followed with a dominating performance to capture the state title. The Buffanblu finished more than 6 seconds ahead of runner-up Lahainaluna.
"We never expected to win," Punahou steersman Scott Bright said. "We just said, 'let's make finals and we'll be stoked about that.'"
The crew of Bright, Kapono Brown, Keith Beers, Nick Huntsman, Wil Foster and Darragh O'Carroll was a combination of Punahou's Division I and Division II teams and had practiced together for just four days before the meet. O'Carroll was a late substitution after another crew member got sick before the championships.
"They made a commitment together and worked their rear ends off for about four days to prepare," Punahou coach Rocky Higgins said. "It's really a matter of these guys believing in each other. They came to have a good time and be a part of something extremely special and they put it all together at the right time."
Bright said the sprint format took some getting used to, but the team's long-distance training helped it pull through Friday's preliminary rounds and the finals.
"I think our endurance really helped us," he said. "(Friday) we did three half-miles and every time we got faster. I think we benefited from the long distance races."
The mixed final provided yesterday's tightest finish. Lahainaluna edged Maui Interscholastic League rival King Kekaulike by 0.25 seconds to claim the title. It wasn't clear which crew had won until the final results were announced.
"It was super close, I was kind of sweating at the end," Lahainaluna's Kazuo Flores said. "I kept looking to my side. They pushed us."
Most of the eight-boat field came out of the turn together before Lahainaluna and King Kekaulike pulled away. The Lunas and Na Alii traded the lead with each stroke down the stretch, and it just happened to be Lahainaluna's turn in front when they crossed the finish line.
After the race, Lahainaluna's crew of Flores, Hoku Gonzales, Rose Butihi, Kaipo Kekona, Vanessa Sanchez and Audrey Chihara congratulated King Kekaulike in a show of Valley Isle unity.
"It was so great for all the Maui crews," Chihara said. "If we came in second we still would have been happy because we just wanted to represent Maui."
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