Proposal passes to
shrink D-I, expand
D-II tournaments

Athletic directors agree to align
the number of entries in the
high school state tournaments

LIHUE » Athletic directors approved a proposal to change field sizes in Division I and Division II of the state softball and girls basketball tournaments.

Yesterday at the 44th annual Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association conference, ADs approved a proposal that would align all state tournaments in Divisions I and II with the numerical formula already in place.

This means that the softball championships would reduce the number of entries in the Division I tournament from 12 to eight. Conversely, the Division II tourney would increase from four teams to eight, based on the number of teams that currently play in those divisions during league play.

The same changes would unfold for girls basketball -- only if the Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive board acts on the recommendations when it meets later this month.

An earlier proposal to keep Division I tournaments locked at 12 entries, mostly for maximum revenue, did not make it out of committee. That measure would also have kept the Division II format at six entries.

If the board approves the changes, each league faces the possibility of losing berths for the D-I state tournament. For example, in girls basketball, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu would likely have only one state berth, as would the Maui Interscholastic League.

"The intent is supposed to be to help Division II, not take away from Division I," King Kekaulike athletic director Kurtis Saiki lamented. Assistant AD Michael Ban, who coaches the girls basketball team at King Kekaulike, cast the school's vote against the proposal.

"Our league will lose out one spot, most likely. I hope the executive board keeps the format the same. We need to have more opportunities for more teams," Ban said.

The Big Island Interscholastic Federation, which has more Division I teams, would likely retain its two entries, while the Oahu Interscholastic Association would lose one berth. The OIA would still have four in all for the D-I tourney.

On the flip side, each league would gain berths in the Division II tourney, which was won by Kamehameha-Hawaii last month.

This proposal got a boost because ADs voted 60-22 in favor of allowing leagues to determine the criteria and classification for each of its schools. The proposal also included language that allows classification to be determined on a "per-sport basis." That would allow a school to play in Division I for one sport, and Division II for another.

One school that has been a clear beneficiary of Division II is Waipahu. The Marauders played in the D-II state softball tournament, and its football team was on the threshold of qualifying for the D-II tourney, as well. Since the OIA requires its members to remain in its division for a two-year cycle, Waipahu will remain in D-II for the coming year.

"All we want is for the HHSAA to follow the formula," Waipahu athletic director Hartwell Lee Loy said. "I don't want to take anything away from D-I. We should all strive to be there. But, for us, it helps. We're right on the bubble."

Waipahu's enrollment is several times larger than many other schools that are eligible for Division II postseason play. That's one reason why the decision to allow leagues to determine their own criteria is key. From a win-loss standpoint, the Marauders were in the lower echelon of the OIA in recent years until D-II was established.

"It's a gradual thing and it should work," said ILH executive director Don Botelho, who was a longtime athletic director at Mid-Pacific Institute and coached football at Damien and Pac-Five, teams built on players from smaller schools. "It'll give more kids in D-II a chance."

Other notable proposals were approved during the final day of the three-day conference held at the Kauai Marriott Resort:

» A move to reduce the maximum number of events for an individual in track and field from six to four was nixed. However, ADs voted 60-20 to change the time format from Thursday and Saturday to Friday and Saturday.

Currently, trials are held on Thursday and Friday is a valuable day off. The ILH's track officials have voiced concern in recent months about the need to adhere to national federation guidelines that limit an athlete to four events.

At the state tournament, though, the day off was a factor that minimized safety concerns.

"There could be a safety issue, but I think people may be underestimating the kids," Kamehameha athletic director Blane Gaison said. "We can only speculate."

Botelho, who sits on the national rules federation, said his league will continue to limit individuals to four events. What happens at the state meet, however, will be up to each school.

"The people who used to be against a Friday-Saturday format are now for it, and the people who were for it are against it," Botelho said. "It's funny."

ADs facing budget constraints were more than willing to kill the off day on a proposal. HHSAA executive director Keith Amemiya said he submitted the proposal on the recommendation of one of the leagues.

The state tourney is always held on Oahu -- it was held at Mililani High School a month ago -- and is a serious travel expense for neighbor-island teams.

» The libero position will be permitted in boys and girls volleyball for the coming season.

» The BIIF will enter the state-tournament hosting rotation for water polo, track and field and paddling beginning in the 2006-07 year. ADs rejected a proposal that would've allowed the BIIF into the soccer rotation.

» The dates for softball and girls volleyball were adjusted. The girls volleyball tournament will be played in the same venue, Stan Sheriff Center.

» A measure to add Tanita scales to the state wrestling tournament was voted down 41-30. The proposal was defeated 14-5 (with five abstentions) at the committee level, but MIL wrestling coordinator Richard Young filed a minority report that opened discussion yesterday. After he and Nevada Interscholastic Athletic Association executive director Jerry Hughes spoke, the vote still went against the measure 41-30 with eight abstentions.

» Trainers will be compensated for additional work at the state tournaments. They will be paid $100 per day.

» Four track-and-field proposals passed: Shot put and discus distances will be marked without use of a "mark line"; the HHSAA will provide visual markers in all field events to help coaches and spectators; whistle commands will be used for the start of running events; and certified implements will be available for throwing events up to 1 hour prior to the start of events.

Administrators also voted to approve a measure that moves next year's state golf championships to Maui.