ILH out of Division II running

It's time for a change.

The Interscholastic League of Honolulu has won every Division II softball championships since classification arrived in 2004. But that streak of five titles will end this year since the ILH does not have a team in the brackets this year.

Kauai returns as the top seed and hopes the ILH's absence means an easier road this time. The Red Raiders lost to Pac-Five 4-2 in the title game last year.

'Iolani is the top seed in the Division I tournament, which also contains Sacred Hearts and Mid-Pacific of the ILH.

The championship games are Friday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, with Division II at 5 p.m. and Division I to follow.

Punahou remembers tough loss

The Punahou boys volleyball team wants to right a wrong this week at the state tournament.

The Buffanblu won three straight state titles and came close to making it four last year. But they lost a three-set thriller to 'Iolani in the title game on Maui.

Punahou won the ILH again this year and the first-round bye that comes with it, forcing the defending state champs to play an extra game.

It's safe to assume that a rematch could occur, since the rivals are on opposite sides of the brackets and an ILH team has won the title every year since Roosevelt's dynasty ended in 1980.

Athletes of the week

BOYS

Jeremy Fujimoto

» School: Punahou

» Sport: Baseball. The senior notched two wins and a save in the state baseball tournament. He had 12 strikeouts against Campbell.

GIRLS

Kristin Lim

» School: Punahou

» Sport: Tennis. She completed an undefeated individual career by leading the Buffanblu to their seventh state title in a row.

Honor roll

BASEBALL

» J.R. Bunda, 'Iolani: pitched a three-hit shutout with three strikeouts against Pearl City

» Keaka Kamakana, Molokai: went 2-for-3 with a double and four RBIs against McKinley

» Dae Yang Kim, Moanalua: pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed one run in an upset of 'Iolani

» Zachery Muenster, Punahou: won two games in the state tournament, including the final, allowing one earned run in 9 2/3 innings

» Chris Pascual, Kamehameha: pitched eight scoreless innings with eight strikeouts against Punahou

» Alika Ramseyer-Ho, Kailua: nine strikeouts against Maui and six in four innings against Punahou

» Craig Shoji, Maryknoll: went the distance on the mound and got the win despite taking a line drive to his right thigh in the state Division II title game against defending champ Kauai

» Michael Suiter, Punahou: sparked the Buffanblu from the top of the order with a .467 on-base percentage and played a sparkling center field; also scored the first run of the Divison I title game

» Tyler Todd, Maryknoll: went 3-for-4 with five RBIs against Makua Lani and singled and scored the winning run in the D-II state title game

GOLF

» Kristina Merkle, Moanalua: successfully defended her state title

JUDO

» Taylor Ibera, Farrington: won her fourth state championship at 98 pounds

TRACK AND FIELD

» Trevor Mau, Saint Louis: broke meet marks in the long (23-10 1/2 ) and triple (47-1 1/2 ) jumps at the ILH championship meet

TENNIS

» Punahou boys: won their 19th straight team state crown to tie for the national record

» Jared Spiker, Kalani: captured the boys state singles title

WATER POLO

» Shayna Price, Punahou: scored five goals in the final and took MOP honors at the state tournament

» Aisha Price, Punahou: scored four goals in the title-game win over Kamehameha