PAUL HONDA / PHONDA@STARBULLETIN.COM The Kamehameha girls crew celebrated after winning the state championship yesterday at Keehi Lagoon.

Kamehameha, Castle
win paddling titles

CORRECTION Thursday, March 10, 2005 » Kaihe Chong was a member of the Kamehameha boys paddling team that captured the state title Friday. His name was incorrectly given as Wong in a story that appeared in Saturday's edition. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at corrections@starbulletin.com.

They aren't the biggest and brawniest. In fact, the Kamehameha Warriors, both boys and girls, didn't even win their league titles.

That didn't matter yesterday, however, as both crews roared to victories at the First Hawaiian Bank State Paddling Championships at breezy Keehi Lagoon.

Castle prevented a private-school sweep by capturing the mixed crew crown.

Kamehameha's boys had the closest margin of victory, completing the half-mile course in 3 minutes, 52.8 seconds. Punahou, the Warriors' rival from the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, was less than a second behind in 3:53.64.

"The wind picked up and got worse. I figured the times would be slower, but we picked it up," steersman Jordan Wong said. "We had to talk as a crew. We're the smallest crew out here. These (other) guys are huge."

While ILH races are much longer, the state distance is a sprint.

"Every stroke counted," Warrior paddler Kaimana Smith said. "If you mess up on one stroke, that's a second."

Coach Kalama Heine was stoked after the Warriors' fourth state crown in a row.

"I'm relieved. We have a really good group of kids. Jordan did an awesome job on the turns," he said.

The Warrior boys crew is comprised of: Shawn Butler, Jonathan Pestana, Nainoa Quinn, Kaimana Smith, Drew Ueno, Kenui Viveiros, Jordan Wong and Kaihe Wong.

Punahou was congratulatory in defeat.

"Our crew works good together, but all-around, Kamehameha is awesome," Punahou steersman Kai Aluli said.

"It could've gone either way," senior Tom Roth said. "But today's their day."

Kamehameha's girls won the final by a fairly wide margin over Anuenue. The Warrior girls finished in 4:32.96. Anuenue was nearly 10 seconds behind at 4:42.73.

"We got motivated to win, especially for our seniors," said Makana Bruhn, who is one of four on the crew. "It takes a lot of determination, hard work and having faith in each other."

Rose Lum, the girls coach of 28 years, was near tears after the win.

"You can teach them technique, but one thing you cannot teach is heart and desire," she said. "These girls have been training so hard. They're so small, but efficient."

The Kamehameha girls crew is comprised of Makana Bruhn, Mehana Ho'opi'i, Kilty Inafuku, Pua Reis-Monis, Alyssa Pacarro, Kelsey Saifoloi and Cady Uyeoka.

State Paddling At Keehi Lagoon Boys 1. Kamehameha (Shawn Butler, Jonathan Pestana, Nainoa Quinn, Kaimana Smith, Drew Ueno, Kenui Viveiros, Jordan Wong and Kaihe Wong) 3:52.80. 2. Punahou 3:53.64. 3. King Kekaulike 3:58.70. 4. Kealakehe 4:08.19. 5. Mid-Pacific 4:08.99. 6. Castle 4:09.75. 7. Leilehua 4:14.65. 8. Nanakuli 4:19.06. Girls 1. Kamehameha (Makana Bruhn, Mehana Ho'opi'i, Kilty Inafuku, Pua Reis-Monis, Alyssa Pacarro, Kelsey Saifoloi and Cady Uyeoka) 4:32.96. 2. Anuenue 4:42.73. 3. Konawaena 4:48.02. 4. King Kekaulike 4:50.24. 5. Castle 4:54.29. 6. Kealakehe 4:56.07. 7. Mid-Pacific 4:56.82. 8. Seabury Hall 4:58.61. Mixed 1. Castle (Alika Abordo, Kaimi Dudoit, Jared Duran, Kapili Kalahiki-Anthony, Cory Siqueira, Jayna Kapono, Kawena Kawainui, Tiare Kekauoha, Melissa Matsuda and Kevin Snodgrass) 4:15.72. 2. King Kekaulike 4:17.28. 3. Konawaena 4:23.40. 4. Kamehameha 4:24.27. 5. Punahou 4:33.66. 6. Halau Ku Mana 4:35.22. 7. Maryknoll 4:36.48. 8. Kalaheo 4:43.46.

Despite the state championship, the Warriors couldn't help but feel for Punahou. The Buffanblu girls won their first two races of the day by wide margins, but were disqualified in a semifinal heat for an illegal start.

"It's sad because Punahou got this far and got disqualified," Kamehameha steersman Uyeoka said.

Whatever the case, Punahou's dominant season came to an abrupt, heartbreaking end.

"At first, we didn't believe it," Punahou steersman Meleana Carr said. "We thought it was a joke."

Two years ago, Punahou's girls lost by two hundredths of a second at the state meet. This time, though, it was unbelievable.

"I'm not gonna get over this," said Carr, a senior. "We're just going to stick together. Even one of the officials said we're the best crew."

Punahou did not have a single DQ during the season, Carr added.

Buffanblu coach Reney Ching took the situation as best she could.

"It's a mistake that you don't ever want to happen. The officials reviewed the (video) tape. Our boat holder clearly feels it wasn't over the line, but I respect the decisions of the officials," she said.

"It hurts, but I know our girls paddled an excellent race. It's important that we keep our heads up," said Ching, who has been an OCHRA official. "I know they are very clear about their decision."

Castle took the mixed final in 4:15.72, just ahead of Maui Interscholastic League powerhouse King Kekaulike. Na Alii finished less than 2 seconds back at 4:17.28.

In Castle's case, those 2 seconds may have been earned in the past few days.

"We had time to practice with some people from Tahiti," paddler Kapili Kalahiki-Anthony said. "They came down and helped us with technique, our timing and strokes as a team."

The Knights mixed crew is comprised of: Alika Abordo, Kaimi Dudoit, Jared Duran, Kapili Kalahiki-Anthony, Cory Siqueira, Jayna Kapono, Kawena Kawainui, Tiare Kekauoha, Melissa Matsuda and Kevin Snodgrass.

The DQ of Punahou's girls wasn't the only unfortunate occurrence. In a preliminary heat, Konawaena's boys were on the turn when Hawaii Prep's boat collided with the Wildcats'.

"There was lots of confusion," HPA steersman Emmett Weatherford said as the two canoes bumped and got stuck on the i'ako section. "Both boats went forward, and then we backpedalled."

Konawaena, which was in the lead, wound up sixth and out of the running. It was a bittersweet season-ending situation, particularly since the 'Cats had posted the third-fastest time earlier.

"Especially when you're in first, and another boat of first-year paddlers is involved," Konawaena assistant coach Paul Daugherty said. "They got in our lane. They got disqualified."

HPA's No. 2 paddler, Peter Prentiss, felt equally disappointed.

"No one wanted to screw up," he said. "We would've had a chance to qualify."

Weatherford, a first-year steersman, expressed remorse.

"I feel pretty bad for the Kona guys. It wasn't entirely my fault or entirely their fault. It was a bit of both," he said.

The situation escalated when a Konawaena paddler vented his anger at the HPA crew on the water. When the boats got back to shore, an HPA coach was drawn into the verbal banter, Daugherty said. Cooler heads prevailed among the two Big Island schools.

"Stuff happens in the heat of the battle," said Daugherty, a longtime paddler and coach at Keauhou Canoe Club.

In BIIF races, Konawaena used Mirage canoes, a fiberglass that is common at world sprints. At states, however, boats are required to have shorter hulls. Konawaena prepared by switching to a malia hull and a Channelmaster a'ama.

"We tried to rig it so we'd be as close to these boats (at states) as possible," Daugherty said.

Note: The A.E. "Toots" Minivelle Invitational Regatta begins today at 8 a.m. Varsity and junior varsity crews from Tahiti and Hawaii will compete in the day-long event at Keehi Lagoon.