Murashige and Hilo
rule in girls state golf
WAIKOLOA >> Kira-Ann Murashige and her Hilo teammates kept the neighbor island hold on the girls state golf championships yesterday.
Murashige shot a 1-under 69 for a 140 total to win the individual state title, and the Vulcans ran away from the rest of the pack to win the team crown at the David Ishii/HHSAA Girls Golf Championship at Waikoloa Beach Course.
All five girls team titles and five of the past six individual championships have come from the neighbor islands.
Hilo shot a 223 yesterday for a two-day total of 444, 23 shots ahead of Kauai and 24 in front of defending champion Waiakea and Punahou.
The 444 was six strokes better than the previous best team score in tournament history.
Murashige, a junior, erased a one-shot deficit at the start of the day to win going away. Her even-par 140 total (after a 71 on Friday) was five strokes better than first-round leader Lehua Wise of Kauai, and is the lowest score in 10 years of HHSAA girls tournaments.
Wise carded a 75 yesterday after opening the tournament with a 70.
Lisa Kajihara of King Kekaulike (77-71--148) was third, in front of four golfers who finished with 150s -- Hilo's Whitney Ueno, Waiakea's Amanda Wilson, Punahou's Lindsay Hong and Kamehameha's Mari Chun.
Wilson, a sophomore, finished second last year to Waiakea's Leah Whiting, who is now at Oregon State.
Murashige ended the season on a roll, winning the Big Island Interscholastic Federation championship last weekend and states this weekend.
She was very consistent both days, shooting a 36-35 on the first day and a 35-34 yesterday.
Murashige has a chance to become just the second player to win multiple girls state titles. Anna Umemura won three times for Punahou (1994, '95, '97).
The previous three girls to win state titles were seniors.
HHSAA