Mustangs buck
odds in baseball
The last pick in the NFL Draft is called "Mr. Irrelevant," but that doesn't mean the Oahu Interscholastic Association's last qualifier to the state baseball tournament is also lacking in relevancy.
Kalaheo (8-6) finished its regular season at 5-5, but went 3-1 in the OIA tournament to place fifth and sneak into the state tournament. The Mustangs play Kauai (9-4) in a first-round game today at 2 p.m. at Iron Maehara Stadium.
"What got us to the states is team unity," Mustangs coach Alex Racoma said. "They bonded together and made a commitment to give it all they had no matter, win or lose."
Kalaheo got some clutch hitting from Aren Viveiros and Ransen Kaanoi as it beat Mililani and Pearl City in the final two days of the OIA tourney.
"Most of all it was our total pitching staff that pulled us through -- Sunny Harbottle, Scott Galusha, Sean Fernandez and Kurt Okamura --and our catcher, Jacob Myking, showed some great leadership," Racoma said.
"We plan on carrying right on from the OIA playoffs. If we can duplicate what we did there, I don't know where we can end up. I hope we can make it to the finals. One thing is for sure, the players are going to continually carry that positive attitude."
Smiling all the way: A loss to Kailua in the OIA baseball championship game didn't stop Aiea pitcher Nelson Hao from smiling last Saturday.
Hao was locked in a pitcher's duel with Kailua's Chris Mahelona and lost 2-1 on a late Surfriders' rally. Although he said he was disappointed, he looked far from rattled.
Hao's easy-going nature was evident during the sixth inning with the score tied 1-all --nail-biting time for most people. Many in the audience were puzzled about Hao's super-sized smile while pitching during Kailua center fielder Cody Teixeira-Vickery's long at-bat.
"My slider was working and that's all I had been throwing to him," Hao said. "And he (Teixeira-Vickery) talked to me and asked me for a fastball. So I threw him a fastball and struck him out."
Kailua and Aiea, along with OIA rivals Roosevelt, Waianae and Kalaheo, are on Maui for the state tourney, which starts today.
Leap of fate: At least one great strategic move contributed to the Iolani girls winning consecutive state track and field championships -- as well as one of only two individual gold medals for the Raiders last Saturday.
First call for the 300 hurdles came while Kelly Higa was preparing to start her winning high jump of 5 feet, 1 inch.
"I was supposed to run in that event, but because we were going for the team win the coaches felt it would be better if I concentrated on the high jump," Higa said. "I was taking my jump when I would've been reporting to the hurdles. It worked out pretty good."
Doubles team clutch: Punahou needed a point and got it from the doubles team of Krystina Katayama and Julia Sandborn. They won the third-place match Saturday, giving the Buffanblu their 18th point to secure the state team tennis title over Kamehameha, which finished with 17 points.
Katayama and Sandborn beat Iolani's Jenna Kappel and Stacy Shimata 6-1, 6-2 and Punahou won the team title for the first time since 1991.
Juliano gets scholarship: Kahuku's Kyle Juliano will receive a $10,000 AXA Achievement Scholarship at the school's awards assembly May 22.
Juliano, who is ranked 29th out of 271 students in the senior class, lettered in football, baseball and track for two years and soccer for four years.
The Star-Bulletin's Dave Reardon contributed to this report.
Athletes of the Week
BOYS
>> Travis Beyer, Kamehameha track and field: Took first in the 100- and 200-meter runs, was third in the 400 and ran on Kamehameha's winning 4x400 and second-place 4x100 relays.
GIRLS
>> Sela Fisilau, Maryknoll basketball: Scored a game-high 14 points to lead the Spartans past Iolani to capture the ILH's third berth to the state tournament.
Honor Roll
Track and Field
>> Jerrod Avegalio, Kahuku: Won the discus with a state meet record 186 feet and was second in the shot with a 55-3.
>> Krystal Moore, Hilo: Doubled in the shot (38-7 1/4) and discus (121-5).
>> Andrew Maixner Radford: Doubled in the 1,500 (4:07.98) and 3,000 (9:15.50).
>> Panfilo Bascar, Jamaal Rivers, Jerub-James Pacheco and Brad Somera, St. Anthony: The 4x100 relay team ran 42.98 to break the state meet record, also set by St. Anthony in 1999.
>> Chun Mei Nickles, Mililani: Set a state meet record of 11-4 in the pole vault, was second in the 100 hurdles, and ran a leg on the winning 4x100 relay.
>> Mei Li Nickles, Mililani: Won the long jump, was fourth in the 100 hurdles and anchored the winning 4x100 relay.
>> Nick Frazier, Kamehameha: Won the 400 (50.28), was second in the 100 and 200 and ran in the winning 4x400 relay and second-place 4x100.
>> Lauren Ho, Hawaii Baptist: The freshman won the 1,500 and placed third in the 800.
Basketball
>> Megan Burton, Sacred Hearts: Scored 27 points for the Lancers in an ILH tournament victory over St. Francis.
>> Laosamoa Misa-Uli, Farrington: Scored 21 points and pulled in 10 rebounds in a semifinal win over Kahuku in the OIA tournament.
>> Nicole Lehner, Sacred Hearts: Notched 16 points in a playoff loss to Iolani.
>> Kara Morita, Hawaii Baptist: Totaled 44 points in two games in the ILH tournament.
Golf
>> Kira-Ann Murashige, Hilo: Captured the state title with an even-par 140 and led the Vikings to the team championship.
Judo
>> Tariya Enos, Kamehameha: Completed her third consecutive undefeated season by capturing the 109-pound class at the ILH championship meet.
Tennis
>> Robbie Lim, Punahou: Repeated as state boys singles champ.
>> Heidi Kaloi, Kamehameha: Captured the state girls title.
Baseball
>> Chris Mahelona, Kailua: Pitched the Surfriders past Aiea 2-1 in the OIA championship game.
>> Isaac Kamai, Kamehameha: Pitched a four-hitter to beat Mid-Pacific and clinch the ILH championship.
>> Chris Balatico, Mililani: Hit four doubles and pitched Mililani to an OIA playoff victory over Moanalua.
>> Davin Muramoto, Kalani: Hit a two-run double in the bottom of the seventh to rally the Falcons past Kapolei in a playoff game.
>> Myles Ioane, Waiakea: Tossed a three-hitter to lead the Warriors past Hilo for the BIIF championship.
>> Ransen Kaanoi, Kalaheo: Hit an RBI single in the ninth to lead the Mustangs past Campbell in a playoff game.
>> Lance Powell and Blake Lamug, Aiea: Powell drove in the only run and Lamug went the distance on the mound in a playoff win over Mililani.
>> Chevy Teves, Waianae: Pitched a two-hitter to defeat Kalani in a playoff game.
Water Polo
>> Natale Rigg and Kamaile Crowell, Punahou: Each scored five goals in a 17-1 ILH title game win over Kamehameha.
Gymnastics
>> Ryan Kahanu, Kamehameha: Won the vault, bars, floor and all-around at the ILH boys championships.
>> Danielle Lum, Kamehameha: Captured the bars and the all-around title in the ILH girls championships.
>> Jenna Cottral, Punahou: Won the vault and beam and placed second in the all-around at the ILH meet.
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