High school sports year
to wrap up with 6 more
team champions
With 30 of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association's 36 state tournaments for the 2003-04 school year completed, Iolani has earned the most state championships with seven.
The Raiders are followed by Punahou with six. Four schools have won two -- Kahuku, Kapolei, Moanalua and Kamehameha.
The high school sports season comes to a close this week, and by Saturday, six more champions will be crowned in baseball, Division I and Division II girls basketball, boys golf and boys and girls judo.
Putting a plug in: After losing the first state girls water polo championship game to Punahou last Saturday, Kamehameha coach Ben Nary is looking ahead.
Nary, who also coaches the Chaminade men's team, would like to see more of the state's colleges -- such as Chaminade and Brigham Young-Hawaii -- add women's water polo as a sport.
"It doesn't cost a lot to run a program and it would give these girls (in the state tournament) another opportunity that's not available to them now," he said.
The University of Hawaii is the only college in the state that offers women's water polo.
Goalie Jessica Brooks of the champion Buffanblu is the sister of U.S. Olympic team goalie Brandon Brooks, a former Punahou and UCLA standout who is preparing for this summer's Games in Athens.
The high school title match featured dueling sisters -- senior Kamaile Crowell of the Buffanblu and freshman Hanalei Crowell of the Warriors.
Triple gold: Research by HHSAA information director Dennis Anderson found the closest thing to last Saturday's triple-gold performance by Seabury's Tia Ferguson.
Ferguson won the 800-, 1,500- and 3,000-meter races in the Island Movers Track and Field Championships at War Memorial Stadium, becoming the first girl to do so in the state meet's history.
In 1984, Kaiser's Nina Liahjell completed an impressive triple victory of her own. That year, the distance events were 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters. Liahjell won all three.
Such accomplishments would become more difficult if the state trials and finals lose the day off between them, as some have suggested be done to save money.
Adjustments could be made, however, such as eliminating trials in the 3,000.
HHSAA executive director Keith Amemiya said he would consider that issue, as well as adjusting the state tennis tournament schedule, after this week's baseball and basketball tournaments.
"The issue of whether to eliminate the off-day comes up regularly," he said.
A tennis change may be needed after two top players suffered severe heat stroke in last Saturday's singles finals on the Big Island.
One player went to the hospital and the other required medical attention.
Any proposals to change state tournament formats are addressed at the athletic directors' meeting, June 10-12 on the Big Island.
Good neighbors: Although Oahu schools Pearl City (boys) and Punahou (girls) won the team track and field titles, neighbor island entries took first place in 16 of the 31 events.
Joseph Locey of Kapaa stole the individual show in the boys meet, winning the 200 and 400 meters. His time of 49.63 in the 400 was incredible considering the miserable weather conditions, and Locey looked like he had plenty of gas left at the finish.
Another Warrior, Jennifer Lindsey, took gold in the high jump, clearing 5-1. The three first places doubled Kapaa's total in the school's history at the state meet.
Keaau was third in the boys meet with 36 points, mostly on the strength of Joshua Enos (first in 1,500, second in 800) and Johnavi Darby (first in long jump).
ILH top four hard to separate: The recently completed Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball season will be remembered for its intriguing four-team race among eventual champion Mid-Pacific, runner-up Punahou, Kamehameha and Saint Louis.
Fourteen of the 22 games in which two of the four teams participated were decided by two runs or less.
Garden Isle boy signs: Kauai pitcher Alec Reichle, who has recovered from a serious auto accident and is playing in this week's state baseball tournament, accepted a scholarship and signed to play for Brigham Young next year.
Reichle, a Star-Bulletin first-team All-State pick a year ago, decided on the Cougars after taking a recruiting trip late last month.
Star-Bulletin reporter Dave Reardon contributed to this report.
BACK TO TOP |
Athletes of the Week
>> Nate Nasca, Pearl City: Won the 100 and 110 hurdles and accounted for 22 1/2 of the Chargers' 50 points in the school's first-ever state track and field championship.
>> Tia Ferguson, Seabury Hall: Became the first girl to win the 800-, 1,500- and 3,000-meter races at the state meet.
Honor Roll
TRACK AND FIELD
>> Punahou girls team: Won the state meet without taking an individual event and placing second in just three -- Claire Schiff (pole vault), Jenna Cross (high jump) and the 4x400 relay team.
>> Joseph Locey, Kapaa: Won the 200 and 400 and set a state meet record in the 200 of 21.9 in trials.
>> Lauren Amano, Baldwin: Took the gold in the 100 and anchored the Bears' winning 4x100 relay.
>> Joshua Enos, Keaau: Crossed first in the 1,500 and took second in the 800.
>> Careena Onosai, Word of Life: Earned the school's first state track and field gold medal, winning the discus, and placing second in the shot put.
>> Joseph Gonzales, Pearl City: Finished second in the 3,000 and third in the 1,500 and scored 14 points for the winning team.
>> Lorin Milotta, Waialua: Repeated as state champion in the 100 hurdles.
>> Mei Li Nickles, Mililani: Defended her triple jump title.
>> Fran Weems, Kealakehe: Took first in the 200 for the second year in a row.
>> Krystal Moore, Hilo: Defended her 2003 championship in the shot put.
BASEBALL
>> Shaun Kiriu and Kasey Ko, Punahou: Kiriu pitched a three-hitter and Ko hit the winning RBI triple to eliminate Kamehameha from the ILH tournament. Ko also went 2-for-3 with a double off the wall 360 feet to left-center in the league's championship game at Aloha Stadium.
>> Harrison Kuroda, Mid-Pacific: Pitched six innings of one-hit, shutout relief to earn a 3-1 victory over Punahou in the ILH's overall championship game.
BASKETBALL
>> Monica Chock, St. Francis: Scored 22 points in a victory over Sacred Hearts and 21 in a loss to Kamehameha in the ILH third-place tournament.
>> Nicole Lehner, Sacred Hearts: Scored 19 points in a tourney loss to St. Francis.
>> Bre Carson, McKinley: Scored eight of her 14 points in the final quarter to beat Kalaheo in the OIA semifinals.
>> India Soo, Kamehameha: Scored 22 points and hit four 3-pointers in a tourney win over St. Francis.
>> Caasi Nakasone and Holly Saito, St. Andrew's Priory: Nakasone scored 17 points and Saito added 16 in a win over Word of Life to clinch a spot in the Division II state tourney.
>> Tatriana Lorenzo and Analee Viena Lota, Kamehameha: Lorenzo scored 19 points, including a runner in the lane with 36 seconds left in overtime, to lift the Warriors past Maryknoll and into the state tournament. Viena Lota's basket sent the game to OT.
>> Sela Fisilau, Maryknoll: Scored 16 points in the loss to Kamehameha.
>> Tati Beasley, Roosevelt: Scored 20 in a win over Kalani that sealed a berth in the state D-II tourney.
>> Latoya Wily, Kahuku: Scored 24 in an OIA title-clinching win over McKinley.
GOLF
>> Britney Choy, Leilehua: Won the state girls individual title.
>> Shari Horio, Aiea: Carded an ace on the 17th hole in the final round of the state girls tourney.
TENNIS
>> Kalei Gora, St. Francis: Won the state girls singles title.
>> Andy Narido, Hilo: Captured the state boys singles championship.
WATER POLO
>> Kamaile Crowell and Avery Cavanah, Punahou: Both were instrumental in leading the Buffanblu to a win in the state's first state tourney. Crowell scored the winning goal in the title match against Kamehameha.
>> Kim Kopra, Hawaii Prep: Scored three late goals to push Ka Makani past Roosevelt in a first-round state tourney game.
>> Tamarah Binek, Waiakea: Scored 11 goals in three tourney games.
>> Lauren-Ann Garrigan, Kamehameha: Scored seven goals in a win over Kaiser.
Hawaii School Web Sites