Buffanblu water polo
team ready for first state
tournament test
Punahou has won all eight Interscholastic League of Honolulu girls water polo titles since the sport began in the private-school league.
The Buffanblu head into uncharted territory starting tomorrow in the inaugural Local Motion Girls State Water Polo Championship.
They meet Oahu Interscholastic Association foe Kalani in the opening game at Duke Kahanamoku Pool at 3:15 p.m.
"It should be real interesting because we haven't seen any of the OIA teams play, and we haven't played against them," Punahou coach Ken Smith said. "But what we're striving for is to continue to improve in mind, body and spirit. That's all we can control."
Smith said the key to his team's success this year is that it returned 13 of 14 players, including six of seven starters, from last year's squad.
Kamaile Crowell, last year's league player of the year who is off to UCLA later this year, is one of the keys to the team's success.
"We depend on her speed and her solid two-way play."
Avery Cavanah, Natale Rigg and Kellen Fletcher carried a major load for Punahou as well.
Two-time OIA champion Kahuku, OIA runner-up Roosevelt and Big Island champion Hawaii Prep are the Buffanblu's chief obstacles on their quest to the state title.
Hedin returns: Kailua High School senior Danyelle Hedin is back on Oahu after her silver-medal performance at the Pan American Championships in Guatemala.
"She caught me off-guard and dominated me in the tie-ups," Hedin said of her 7-2 final loss to Sandra Roa of Columbia in the 55kg (121 pounds) division. "It's always a little disappointing when you lose, but I was lucky to walk away with the silver. I wasn't really wrestling very good."
Hedin pinned her first three opponents before the final.
"It was a lot of fun," she said. "I didn't go out of the hotel at night because it's not really safe, but I met a lot of people from Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Guatemala. I had a great time."
Stephany Lee, another Hawaii wrestler, won gold in the 72 kg (158.5 pound) at the competition. The Moanalua graduate, who is now wrestling for Missouri Valley College, beat Rosangela Conceicao of Brazil 10-0 in the final.
Big pitcher on Big Isle: Waiakea senior left-handed pitcher Myles Ioane is putting up impressive numbers again this season for the Big Island champion Warriors.
This year, Ioane brings his stuff to Oahu for the May 18-21 state tournament, which was held on Maui a year ago.
According to coach Tommy Correa, Ioane went 7-0 with a 0.90 ERA, six walks and 72 strikeouts in 31 regular-season innings.
The stats are comparable to a year ago, when the Star-Bulletin second-team All-State pick was 7-0 with a 0.42 ERA, five walks and 54 punchouts in 32 frames.
"His greatest asset is his control," Correa said about Ioane, who has two perfect games and a one-hitter this year. "He throws strikes and gets way ahead of batters."
Coaches wanted: Saint Louis and Kailua are two of the high-profile schools looking for new head football coaches.
But one of the newest varsity football programs is also looking for a head man --Kamehameha-Big Island - according to athletic director Bob Wagner.
Last year's junior varsity staff, including head coach Bruce Kekuewa, will likely move up to the varsity level. Kekuewa, the interim coach at this point, may become the defensive coordinator.
"It's a big jump from JV to varsity, so we're looking for someone with a lot of experience," Wagner said. "We haven't advertised the position yet, but we want to have someone by the middle of June."
The new Kamehameha-Maui varsity team already has its coach, with Leo Delatori moving up from the JV ranks.
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