[PADDLING]

AYUMI NAKANISHI / ANAKANISHI@STARBULLETIN.COM Lokahi's senior women's crew dominated the Hui Wa'a season, taking first place in every regatta. Theresa Gerry, Kini Neal and Kanesa Duncan led yesterday's crew.

Lokahi takes another
Hui Wa’a championship

The club wins its third straight
title by beating out Kaneohe

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By Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.com

A mediocre start in the 2002 Na Ohana O Na Hui Wa'a paddling season was forgotten as Lokahi captured its third consecutive Oahu championship yesterday at Keehi Lagoon.

Lokahi was victorious in eight races and amassed 66 points for its fourth regatta win of the season. The victory evens the overall season score with Kaneohe, which finished second with 60 points.

Na Keiki O Ka Mo'i (44), Manu O Ke Kai (28) and Waikiki Yacht Club (24) rounded out the AA division.

In the A division, Koa Kai (41) capped a perfect season with an easy win.

In typical fashion, Lokahi trailed Kaneohe 44-35 after the youth races, made up ground with the novice crews and gained a lead it would not relinquish with the adults.

"It's a relief," Lokahi coach Robert Viernes said. "I've been stressed all year. Now I can smile. And whatever regatta, this is the one we had to win, the Hui Wa'a championships.

"I had confidence once the kids did good. I knew what the adults would do. We always count on the women to make points."

Lokahi's youth crews kept the club within striking distance of Kaneohe, whose youth still accounted for five of the club's six wins.

"We had one error. We had a couple kids who huli'd (flipped)," Kaneohe coach Clint Anderson said. "We adjusted a lot of crews to qualify our other crews for our states. That was the first thing on my mind, to try to get crews to the states.

"Lokahi is powerful. They have a lot of people. We're rebuilding. We had nothing to lose. We did what we did. Overall, we're happy with the season. At least they know they have somebody on their tail."

One crew that never felt anyone on its tail was Lokahi's senior women.

Despite not having two of its veteran paddlers competing this season, Lokahi blew its competition out of the water. The crew of Theresa Gerry, Kini Neal, Kanesa Duncan, Jennifer Thompson, Nalyne Harada and Iwa Bush finished first in every regatta.

Ironically, Lokahi considered itself an underdog this season.

"This is definitely a thin year for us in terms of numbers," Thompson said. "On the positive side of that is that the women who came out were really dedicated. Basically we've made up for the two of us that left.

"It was a great end to a great season at Hui Wa'a. It was an awesome season. We have a great group of women."

Notes: Lokahi has won 15 of the last 16 Hui Wa'a championships. ... Depending on the race, Hui Wa'a will race either two or three lanes in the state championship. State lanes are determined by the number of paddlers in an association. Hui Wa'a registered more paddlers than the Maui racing association this year, but a discrepancy in the interpretation of the rules led to a compromise. Hui Wa'a will have three lanes in 19 races and Maui will occupy three lanes in 18 races.