Second straight titles
for Mules, Trojans

Repeat success was in order at yesterday's Oahu Interscholastic Association swimming championships.

Leilehua's boys and Mililani's girls each won their second consecutive league crowns at the Kalani High School pool. Both won by handy margins.

The Leilehua boys tallied 289 points to 200 for second-place Kaiser. Mililani's girls compiled 215 points. Kalani was next with 162.

"We're very excited. In the beginning of the season, these guys got together and decided that they wanted to win this," Leilehua coach Nathan Higa said. "Everybody's so close. It's one big family."

This year's title is the sixth for Leilehua, which won in 1984 under Janice Kuewa and in '85 under Leslie Oshiro. Higa guided them to league crowns in '98 and '99.

The Mules weren't surprised with the success of their seniors -- 13 of whom have been in the program for four seasons.

"A lot of our younger kids made it to the finals (yesterday) and swam well," Higa noted.

In OIA swimming, the top 12 finishers in each event score points.

Mililani captured its seventh crown, and its first under Sharon Lopez.

"We knew we had something good when we took the West over Leilehua," Lopez said of last week's divisional championships. "We have a mix, with a lot of freshmen."

Lynette Fukuda placed first in the 100 backstroke and second in the 200 freestyle.

"I'm not surprised we won. Last year we won, so I had full confidence. Everyone knew it would be close in points, that every point counted, every swim counted," said Fukuda, a junior. "I feel proud to be part of Mililani."

Kristi Horiuchi finished third in the 200 intermediate and fourth in the 100 fly.

"The rest was a combination of finishing in the top 12," Lopez said. "It was a team effort. I'm relieved. They worked hard this year for it."

The next step will be a daunting challenge.

"The ILH and outer island teams will be tough," Higa said of the state championships, which will be held in two weeks at the University of Hawaii's Duke Kahanamoku Pool. "We're hoping to finish in the top 10."

At the state championships, six swimmers qualify for each event's final. From there, only the top five score points.