Christel Simms and Brittany Beauchan are out to get their Punahou team another view from the top of the state swimming world.
Breaking their own Hawaii High School Athletic Association individual record swimming marks in the process was just a bonus, so far.
Simms posted state-meet records in both the 200- and 100-yard freestyle yesterday in the first day of the Swimming and Diving Championships at Central Oahu Regional Park's Veterans Memorial Aquatic Complex. Beauchan followed by besting her own state record in the 100 breaststroke, and claimed the day's top 200 individual medley time as well.
Simms, a sophomore, has now set the 200 free mark in both of her trips to the championships, with a time of 1 minute, 49.92 seconds yesterday, more than half a second better than the previous record of 1:50.46.
"It was a big surprise for me in the finals last year. But this year, I was totally confident going into the heat and did my strategy: control, build, race it," she said.
A short while later she broke Keiko Price's 1994 record in the 100 free with a time of 50.54 seconds against Price's 51.27.
Then Beauchan, a senior, crushed the breaststroke opposition on her way to a new state-meet best of 1:04.04 (six-hundredths of a second faster).
"I wasn't really aiming for breaking a record, I was more aiming to better my time," Beauchan said with a laugh, "and my time just so happens to be the record. It was a nice little addition."
Punahou junior Rachel Cote added yesterday's best times in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly.
The Buffanblu girls took first place in a whopping nine of 11 swimming events going into today's finals, and had the runner-up in two of those.
Of course, none of that means very much to coach Jeff Meister if the Buffanblu can't match those efforts today in the finals.
"We gotta come back and do it all over again tomorrow, and then we'll see," Meister said. "But we're excited -- they felt good in the water."
On the boys side, the field was much more wide open. Five different schools claimed the best time in at least one event going into today, with Iolani (the champion from 2002 through '05) posting the best times in three events, and defending champ Kamehameha in two.
Amidst all the Buffanblu girls hype, Kealakehe senior Daniel Coakley set a record mark in the 50 freestyle at 20.46 seconds. He received inspiration from his friend Davis Kane, who set the mark in 2006 at 20.73 and graduated last year from Kamehameha.
"He said I was going to beat his record and he gave me the determination to do it," said Coakley, who knew Kane from competing in the same swimming age bracket despite the two living on different islands. "We have that bond of friendship."
He wanted to dedicate the record to his father, former Kohala coach Jeffrey Coakley, who he swam under his first three years of high school before switching to the Waveriders, as well as his former Cowboys teammates.
"They inspire me to do better," Coakley said.
Local Motion State Swimming & Diving Championships
Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay
1. Punahou 1:50.01, 2. HPA 1:53.48, 3. Iolani 1:55.81, 4. Kealakehe 1:56.57, 5. HBA 1:56.96, 6. Kamehameha 1:57.81, 7. Pearl City 1:58.90, 8. Mililani 2:00.16.
Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay
1. Kealakehe 1:40.34, 2. Punahou 1:41.81, 3. Iolani 1:42.96, 4. Kamehameha-Maui 1:43.84, 5. Kamehameha 1:45.29, 6. HPA 1:45.50, 7. Leilehua 1:45.55, 8. Saint Louis 1:48.12.
Girls 200 Yard Freestyle
1. Christel Simms, Punahou, 1:49.92; 2. Jennifer Cahill, Baldwin, 1:58.03; 3. Krista Maier, Kealakehe, 1:59.00; 4. Angela Majkut, Mid-Pacific, 1:59.90; 5. Asia Ayabe, Iolani, 2:00.81; 6. Karie Nickle, Kamehameha, 2:00.94; 7. Rachel Fujita, Punahou, 2:01.16; 8. Nica Nordyke, Punahou, 2:01.42.
Boys 200 Yard Freestyle
1. Jack Pope, Lahainaluna, 1:45.19; 2. Brett Johnson, Iolani, 1:48.10; 3. Geramiah Simoes, Iolani, 1:48.13; 4. Taylor Fife, Island Pacific Academy, 1:48.33; 5. Zach Cutts, Punahou, 1:48.39; 6. Aukai Tirrel, Maryknoll, 1:48.82; 7. Bruce Pfirrmann, Iolani, 1:49.31; 8. Jayson Hagi, Kapolei, 1:49.50.
Girls 200 Yard IM
1. Brittany Beauchan, Punahou, 2:09.16; 2. Libby Matthews, Seabury Hall, 2:11.94; 3. Sarah Billiamosa, Pearl City, 2:13.07; 4. Jenna Sheeley, Punahou, 2:13.49; 5. Rachael Meisner, Kamehameha, 2:14.44; 6. Kim Kopra, HPA, 2:15.48; 7. Courtney Lui, Iolani, 2:17.95; 8. Kiana White, Mililani, 2:18.65.
Boys 200 Yard IM
1. Josh Cutts, Punahou, 1:57.87; 2. Kekoa Taparra, Kamehameha, 1:58.08; 3. Kalani Rosell, Kamehameha-Maui, 1:58.35; 4. Sean Campbell, Iolani, 1:59.81; 5. Thomas Yi, Kalani, 2:01.53; 6. Kila Pickering, Kamehameha, 2:02.18; 7. Victor Wong, Iolani, 2:03.26; 8. Kent Yamada, Mililani, 2:03.34.
Girls 50 Yard Freestyle
1. Michelle Yoshida, Punahou, 24.04; 2. Aja Kusao, Iolani, 24.37; 3. Hailey Gill, Lahainaluna, 25.15; 4. Shanelle Choi, Pearl City, 25.19; 5. Hanalei Crowell, Kamehameha, 25.31; 6. Nanea Fujiyama, Kamehameha, 25.33; 7. Victoria Crozier, Kamehameha-Maui, 25.59; 8. Sam Maitland, Radford, 25.66.
Boys 50 Yard Freestyle
1. Daniel Coakley, Kealakehe, 20.46; 2. Ilia Reyes, Kamehameha, 21.20; 3. Brett Gomes, Punahou, 21.43; 4. Beau Moody, Saint Louis, 21.79; 5. Kevin Brown, Seabury Hall, 22.20; 6. Timothy Loo, Maryknoll, 22.40; 7. Haku Mokulehua, Lutheran, 22.70; 8. Jordan Opdycke, HPA, 22.74.
Girls 100 Yard Butterfly
1. Rachel Cote, Punahou, 58.52; 2, Marissa Yamamoto, Punahou, 59.41; 3. Nikki Yamamoto, Iolani, 59.77; 4. Shanelle Choi, Pearl City, 59.99; 5. Leah Schrententhaler, Iolani, 1:00.66; 6. Sarah Lee, Kealakehe, 1:01.31; 7. Remy Hirai, Kamehameha, 1:01.52; 8. Tahnee Allman, Punahou, 1:01.93.
Boys 100 Yard Butterfly
1. Geramiah Simoes, Iolani, 50.92; 2. Jasmeet Jernaill, King Kekaulike, 53.49; 3. Brandon Ching, Punahou, 53.69; 4. Mitchell Chong, Punahou, 54.12; 5. Nicholas Garrett, Kealakehe, 54.17; 6. Michael Lim, Iolani, 54.37; 7. Avery Chern, Punahou, 55.10; 8. Haku Mokulehua, Lutheran, 55.41.
Girls 100 Yard Freestyle
1. Christel Simms, Punahou, 50.54; 2. Michelle Yoshida, Punahou, 52.76; 3. Aja Kusao, Iolani, 53.86; 4, Megan Takakura, Kamehameha-Maui, 55.03; 5. Angela Majkut, Mid-Pacific, 55.07; 6. Alexandra Jamora, Kapolei, 55.53; 6. Hanalei Crowell, Kamehameha, 55.53; 8. Karie Nickle, Kamehameha, 55.87.
Boys 100 Yard Freestyle
1. Ilia Reyes, Kamehameha, 47.29; 2. Brett Gomes, Punahou, 48.43; 3. Beau Moody, Saint Louis, 48.70; 4. Bruce Pfirrmann, Iolani, 48.72; 5. Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka, Iolani, 49.07; 6. Keahi Parker, HPA, 50.10; 7. Leighton Hao, Kamehameha-Maui, 50.20; 8. Jordan Opdycke, HPA, 50.55.
Girls 500 Yard Freestyle
1, Jennifer Cahill, Baldwin, 5:09.04; 2. Krista Maier, Kealakehe, 5:14.30; 3. Rachael Meisner, Kamehameha, 5:16.66 4. Nicole Hagi, Kapolei, 5:21.35; 5. Zoe Harran, King Kekaulike, 5:21.92; 6. Elise Baker, Punahou, 5:24.22; 7. Kristi Torkildson, Punahou, 5:24.85; 8. Kimberlee Cadell, Kamehameha, 5:25.18.
Boys 500 Yard Freestyle
1, Jack Pope, Lahainaluna, 4:40.41; 2. Jayson Hagi, Kapolei, 4:53.84; 3. Sean Campbell, Iolani, 4:55.75; 4. Aaron Schmaltz, Punahou, 4:55.85; 5. Taylor Fife, Island Pacific Academy, 4:59.26; 6. Nick Penny, HPA, 5:02.80; 7. John Hall, Punahou, 5:05.04; 8. Matthew Ross, Kauai, 5:08.13.
Girls 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
1. Punahou 1:42.23; 2. Kamehameha 1:42.75; 3. Iolani 1:44.00; 4. Lahainaluna 1:44.42; 5. Kealakehe 1:45.61; 6. Kamehameha Maui 1:46.32; 7. Kamehameha Hawaii 1:46.37; 8. Kapolei 1:46.80.
Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
1. Iolani 1:29.79; 2. Punahou 1:30.26; 3. Kamehameha 1:30.52; 4. Kealakehe 1:30.58; 5.
Maryknoll 1:32.90; 6. Leilehua 1:33.03; 7. Mililani 1:33.86; 8. Lahainaluna 1:36.31.
Girls 100 Yard Backstroke
1. Rachel Cote, Punahou 58.19; 2. Catherine Nakamura, Hawaii Baptist 1:01.11; 3. Sarah Billiamosa, Pearl City 1:01.84; 3. Noe Vargas, Hawaii Prep 1:01.84; 5. Marissa Yamamoto, Punahou 1:02.48; 6. Dara Tawarahara, Iolani 1:02.61; 7. Remy Hirai, Kamehameha 1:02.62; 8. Lauren Pang, Iolani 1:02.68.
Boys 100 Yard Backstroke
1. Mitchell Chong, Punahou 52.98; 2. Kevin Brown, Seabury 54.93; 3. Zach Cutts, Punahou 55.03; 4. Devon Palermo, Saint Louis 55.39; 5. Thomas YI, Kalani 55.60; 6. Jasmeet Jernaill, King Kekaulike 55.67; 7. Keahi Parker, Hawaii Prep 55.77; 8. Andrew Kinimaka, Kamehameha 56.91.
Girls 100 Yard Breaststroke
1. Brittany Beauchan, Punahou 1:04.04; 2. Kim Kopra, Hawaii Prep 1:06.14; 3. Jenna Sheeley, Punahou 1:08.48; 4, Libby Matthews, Seabury 1:08.53; 5. Kiana White, Mililani 1:10.00; 6. Courtney Lui, Iolani 1:10.35; 7. Mega Takakura, Kamehameha Maui 1:10.53; 8. Marie Calvet, Iolani 1:10.76.
Boys 100 Yard Breaststroke
1, Kekoa Taparra, Kamehameha 59.35; 2. Josh Cutts, Punahou School 59.92; 3. Brett Johnson, Iolani 1:00.25; 4. Kalani Rosell, Kamehameha Maui 1:00.96; 5. Spencer Dung, Punahou 1:01.07; 6. Victor Wong, Iolani 1:01.49; 7. Kent Yamada, Mililani 1:01.83; 8. Marc Okimura, Punahou 1:02.75.
Girls 400 Yard Freestyle Relay
1. Kamehameha 3:44.28; 2. Iolani School 3:44.91; 3. Hawaii Prep 3:46.35; 4. Kealakehe 3:48.38; 5. Pearl City 3:48.39; 6. Hawaii Baptist; 7. Baldwin 3:54.52; 8. Kapolei 3:55.28.
Boys 400 Yard Freestyle Relay
1. Iolani School 3:18.50; 2. Kealakehe 3:21.47; 3. Kamehameha 3:22.04; 4. Punahou 3:22.13; 5. Leilehua 3:23.44; 6. Hawaii Prep 3:23.87; 7. Kamehameha Maui 3:25.75; 8. Mililani 3:26.50.
