[ HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS ]
Heat overwhelms
top 2 at statesKaloi and Lim are forced to
withdraw from HHSAA tennis
championship
Two defending champions went down at yesterday's state high school tennis championships, but not in the normal way.
Punahou senior Robbie Lim and Kamehameha junior Heidi Kaloi suffered serious heat stroke and severe dehydration and cramps and were forced to retire to receive medical treatment while trying to repeat as singles champions in the finals of the HHSAA/Carlsmith Ball State Tennis Championships at Mauna Lani Resort on the Big Island.
Lim's symptoms were a bit more serious than Kaloi's, and he was taken to North Community Hospital in Waimea for treatment after failing in his bid for a third straight singles title. Both were doing fine by the late afternoon.
Observers said it was extremely hot and humid at the tennis complex. Lim and Kaloi had also played semifinal matches in the morning to advance to the final.
The surprising, traumatic events overshadowed the achievements of individual winners Kalei Gora of St. Francis and Andy Narido of Hilo and the two team champions --the Punahou boys and girls squads.
For the Buffanblu boys, it was the 14th straight state crown and 36th overall. The Buffanblu girls won for the second straight year and 30th time since the inaugural event in 1958.
Lim collapsed while trailing 6-0, 4-6, 0-1.
Heidi Kaloi's dad, Alex, was watching Lim's match and his daughter's.
"He had cramps in both legs and he was still trying to play," Alex Kaloi said in a phone interview. "People were telling him to stop and he said, 'No.' In that third set, he could hardly move and he was serving underhand. He put his hand on his knees and the next thing you know, he was down on his back and the whole Punahou team ran over to him. That's when everyone knew it was over. They took him on the side and found out the cramping went all the way up to his abdomen, so when the ambulance arrived, they gave him an IV and took him to the hospital. There was the worry that it might start affecting his heart and lungs. When they put him in the ambulance, his two legs were as straight as boards."
Richard Lim, Robbie's father, said late in the afternoon that Robbie was doing fine.
Moments after Lim's collapse, Heidi Kaloi was having similar problems.
"Early in the third set, she seemed OK," Alex Kaloi said. "Then you started seeing it in her hands. Her hands wouldn't let her let go of the ball on her serves. Then she fell two or three times. After Robbie came in, the Hawaii High School Athletic Association officials told Heidi she couldn't continue.
"I'm glad they did. At one point, when Heidi was serving, she hit the ball over to Kalei because she thought Kalei was supposed to be serving. She's been playing since she was 5 and she's never done that. And when she came off the court, she was talking gibberish a little bit and not making sense, and her legs were cramping really bad. The ambulance came and they treated her and she started to recover."
Kaloi lost the first set 6-1 against Gora, but battled back for a 7-6 (6) win in the second. She was losing 4-2 in the third when they stopped the match.
Despite the unusual circumstances, Gora and Narido are thrilled about their accomplishments.
"In the first set, I hit bottom," said Narido, a senior who lost to Lim in the round of 16 last year. "He was up 3-0 in the second set, and when I finally won a game, I knew it was possible. It woke me up. I don't think (winning the title) has hit me yet."
The rivalry between Gora, who is only a sophomore, and Kaloi is expected to continue next year. Gora beat Kaloi two years in a row for the Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship, but lost to Kaloi in the states a year ago.
"She (Kaloi) was telling people she knows my game and knows how to beat me," Gora said. "This is a big accomplishment for my school, which has never had a state tennis champion before."
Punahou won both doubles championships -- Chris Iwamura and Nicholas Leong defeated Buffanblu teammates Michael Azuma and Ryan Laws 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, while Jessica Broadfoot and Adriann Gin topped Brooke Doane and Lauren Shin of Kamehameha 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-3.
The Punahou boys finished with 27 points for the victory, 19 more than second-place Hilo. The Buffanblu girls scored 18 points, followed by Kamehameha in second with 12.
HHSAA executive director Keith Amemiya said he would look into proposals for changing the format of the tournament in the future so players aren't playing grueling, back-to-back matches in severe heat and humidity.
HHSAA state championships
At Kohala Coast, HawaiiBoys
Team standings
1. Punahou, 27; 2. Hilo, 8; t3. Hawaii Prep, Iolani, 6; 5. Kealakehe, 5; 6. Kula, 4; 7. Farrington, 3; t8. Baldwin, Kamehameha, Leilehua, Le Jardin, Saint Louis, Word of Life, 2; t14. Kauai, Kapaa, Konawaena, Moanalua, Pearl City, Roosevelt, Waiakea, 1.
Semifinal singles
[1] Robbie Lim, Pun def. [5] Nainoa DePontes, Keal 6-1, 6-3
[6] Andy Narido, Hilo def. [7] Holden Ching, HPA 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4
Third-place singles
[7] Ching, HPA def. [5] DePontes, Keal 6-3, 7-5
Championship singles
[6] Narido, Hilo def. [1] Lim, Pun 0-6, 6-4, 1-0 (ret)
Semifinal doubles
[1] Michael Azuma/Ryan Laws, Pun def. [4] Alex Latif/Kyle Barrett, Kula 6-2, 6-0
[2] Chris Iwamura/Nicholas Leong, Pun def. [6] Torin
Ching/Jon Okada, Iol 6-0, 6-2
Third-place doubles
[6] Ching/Okada, Iol def. [4] Latif/Barrett, Kula 6-4 (ret)
Championship doubles
[2] Iwamura/Leong, Pun def. [1] Azuma/Laws, Pun 6-3, 3-6, 6-2Girls
Team standings
1. Punahou, 18; 2. Kamehameha, 12; t3. Iolani, Saint Francis, 8; t5. Seabury, Waipahu, 7; 7. Lahainaluna, 5; t8. Kealakehe, Kailua, Moanalua, 2; t11. Baldwin, Hawaii Prep, Kahuku, Kalani, Kohala, Leilehua, Pearl City, 1.
Semifinal singles
[1] Kalei Gora, StF def. [3] Chloe Bihag, Waip 6-1, 6-3
[2] Heidi Kaloi, Kam def. [4] Jenna Mezin, Sea 6-4, 6-2
Third-place singles
[3] Bihag, Waip def. [4] Mezin, Sea 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
Championship singles
[1] Gora, StF def. [2] Kaloi, Kam 6-1, 6-7 (6), 4-2 (ret)
Semifinal doubles
[3] Jessica Broadfoot/Adriann Gin, Pun def. [1] Erin Katayama/Julia Sandborn, Pun 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4
[2] Brooke Doane/Lauren Shin, Kam def. [4] Christina Klein/Sarah Jo Peters, Lah 6-2, 7-5
Third-place doubles
[1] Katayama/Sandborn, Pun def. [4] Klein/Peters, Lah 6-0, 5-7, 6-4
Championships doubles
[3] Broadfoot/Adriann Gin, Pun def. [2] Doane/Shin, Kam 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-3