HHSAA sets
2 more Division II
tournamentsThe parameters are established
for softball and girls basketballWho's in which division
The Hawaii High School Athletic Association and the state's five competing athletic leagues unanimously approved the formats for the 2004 state softball and girls basketball tournaments yesterday.
For the first time, the HHSAA will run two-tiered tournaments in both sports. All of the leagues agreed to keep the customary 12-team tournament for Division I, while adding a four-team Division II championship.
"The consensus was that any reduction of participating teams in the 12-team format would be undesirable. No one wanted to do that," HHSAA executive director Keith Amemiya said after yesterday's meeting at the Oahu Interscholastic Association office at Radford High School. "The reason for adding the Division II tournament is to give smaller schools an opportunity to compete for a state championship, not to take away opportunities from the larger schools."
The Division II softball and girls basketball tournaments were originally approved by the HHSAA executive board in June.
In both sports, the D-II portion will be scheduled on the final two days of the four-day D-I portion, and both divisions will be part of a championship doubleheader.
The D-II tournament will have one representative each from the OIA, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, the Big Island Interscholastic Federation and the Maui Interscholastic League. The Kauai Interscholastic Federation, with a total of three teams, will send a representative to the Division I tournament only.
The OIA is realigning its softball and basketball leagues in the same fashion as its football league -- a 14-team Red Conference broken up into seven-team East and West divisions (D-I) and an eight-team White Conference (D-II).
Amemiya noted that the leagues' D-I and D-II breakdowns are subject to slight modification if possible Department of Education athletic budget cuts necessitate scheduling or divisional changes.
Three D-II girls basketball teams -- Punahou, Kamehameha and Iolani -- are not eligible for the state tournament because those schools also have D-I programs.
The D-II tournament gives small-school teams such as the University basketball team and the Laupahoehoe softball team legitimate chances of making it to a state tournament in 2004 and beyond.
The Division II tournaments for softball and girls basketball (as well as football) are on a one-year trial basis and need HHSAA executive board approval to be extended.
Two-tiered football tournament formats were chosen last month.
Nineteen of the 39 schools fielding football, softball and girls basketball teams are in the same division in all three sports. Twenty-nine other schools are competing in one or two of the three sports.
HHSAA
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Who’s in which division
SOFTBALL
Division IOIA: Campbell, Castle, Kahuku, Kailua, Kaimuki, Kaiser, Kapolei, Leilehua, Mililani, Moanalua, Pearl City, Roosevelt, Waianae, Waipahu
ILH: Iolani, Kamehameha, Punahou, Sacred Hearts
BIIF: Hilo, Keaau, Kealakehe, Waiakea
MIL: Baldwin, King Kekaulike, Lahainaluna, Maui
KIF: Kapaa, Kauai, Waimea
Division II
OIA: Aiea, Farrington, Kalaheo, Kalani, McKinley, Nanakuli, Radford, Waialua
ILH: Maryknoll, Mid-Pacific, St. Francis, University
BIIF: Honokaa, Kamehameha-Big Island, Kohala, Konawaena, Laupahoehoe, Pahoa
MIL: Hana, Kamehameha-Maui, Lanai, Molokai
KIF: None
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Division IOIA: Aiea, Campbell, Farrington, Kahuku, Kaimuki, Kaiser, Kalaheo, Kapolei, Leilehua, McKinley, Mililani, Moanalua, Pearl City, Radford
ILH: Iolani, Kamehameha, Maryknoll, Mid-Pacific, Punahou, Sacred Hearts, St. Francis
BIIF: Hilo, Honokaa, Kealakehe, Konawaena, Waiakea
MIL: Baldwin, King Kekaulike, Lahainaluna, Maui
KIF: Kapaa, Kauai, Waimea
Division II
OIA: Castle, Kailua, Kalani, Nanakuli, Roosevelt, Waialua, Waianae, Waipahu
ILH: Christian Academy, Hanalani, Hawaii Baptist, La Pietra, Redemption Academy, St. Andrew's Priory, University, Word of Life, Iolani, Kamehameha, Punahou
BIIF: Hawaii Prep, Kamehameha-Big Island, Ka'u, Keaau, Kohala, Laupahoehoe, Pahoa, St. Joseph
MIL: Hana, Kaahumanu Hou, Kamehameha-Maui, Kihei, Lanai, Molokai, St. Anthony, Seabury Hall
KIF: None
