LIHU‘E — As predicted from the beginning of the season, the girls in green and the boys in red climbed to the top of the KIF swimming world with wins in the KIF championship meet on Saturday at Kaua‘i High School’s pool.
The KIF championship meet also had a special meaning for everyone involved, with the event dedicated to Kapa‘a swimmer Crystal Wolshin.
The senior would have been swimming in Saturday’s meet, but has spent the last several months on the mainland, battling a brain tumor. Her swim coach, Kara Panui, said that Crystal has been so homesick that she returned from Texas this past weekend, even though she has not completed her most recent treatment.
The Warrior ladies totaled up 82 points, followed by Kaua‘i at 57 and Waimea with 33. Both Island and Kula tied for the fourth spot with 16 points apiece.
The Red Raider boys broke the century mark with 100 points, followed by Kapa‘a with 39 and Waimea at 32.
Kula and Island flipped flop places for the boys with Kula edging Island, 17-15.
Kapa‘a senior Jennifer Lindsey, Waimea senior Katelyn Umetsu, Kaua‘i sophomore Meaghan Sims, along with Island freshman Ben Baldwin, Kaua‘i junior Aaron Ramelb, and Kaua‘i junior Keenan Anaya were the big fish, individually, amassing 12 points each to lead their respective divisions.
Kula junior Wailana Waite, Kapa‘a senior Liana Nakazawa, Kaua‘i sophomore Kyson Gusukuma, and Waimea senior Eric Oroc were all tied for the fourth-place slot.
Kaua‘i took home 10 gold medals and 25 total to lead the KIF. Kapa‘a tallied 17 medals, which included five golds. Waimea finished up with 10 medals, followed by Kula with seven, and Island with five.
The Kapa‘a girls 200 medley relay team of Stephanie Perius, Pauline Lucas, Liana Nakazawa, and Jennifer Lindsey took home the title with a time of 2:12.47.
Keenan Anaya, Nick Murray, Aaron Ramelb, and Cory Riley of Kaua‘i won the boys 200 medley relay contest (1:55.73). Kaua‘i’s Meaghan Sims propelled herself to the 200 free title (2:21.32) and Island School’s Ben Baldwin cruised in the 200 free (1:55.49). Katelyn Umetsu of Waimea won by almost six seconds over Kapa‘a’s Nakazawa with a time of 2:37.65 in the 200 yard IM (individual medley).
Kaua‘i’s Aaron Ramelb had the quick feet and arms in the boys 200 IM with the winning time of 2:21.53.
Jennifer Lindsey of Kapa‘a beat Kula’s Wailana Waite in the 50 free (27.27) and Waimea’s Eric Oroc (24.76) won a close boys 50 free contest over Kelsey Tanaka of Kaua‘i.
Nakazawa, a Kapa‘a senior blanketed the competition with a win in the 100 yard butterfly (1:13.07).
Ramelb was a second faster than Mokihana Aquatics team-mate, Randy Umetsu of Waimea in the boys 100 yard butterfly. Lindsey and Keenan Anaya won their respective 100 free events. Gusukuma, who was suffering from a cold, managed to win the 500 free contest. Sims won the girls half of the 500 free.
Waimea’s Tiffani Tumbaga, Jade Casmass, Katelyn Umetsu, and Kelly Joyce defeated Kapa‘a’s Stephanie Perius, Magen Grooms, Marla BenDor, and Kali Grooms for the 200 yard free relay title.
Kaua‘i’s Kelsey Tanaka, Nick Murray, Keenan Anaya, and Aaron Ramelb were the winners in the boys 200 yard free relay.
The 100 backstroke events were ruled by Umetsu and Anaya. In the 100 breaststroke, Waite and Baldwin were business as usual, winning in dominating fashion.
Kapa‘a (Nakazawa, Grooms, Lindsey, Wilson) and Kaua‘i (Riley, Ross, Gusukuma, Tanaka) grabbed the 400 free relay titles with no challenge.
The 2005 HHSAA State Swimming Meet will be held on O‘ahu at the Duke Kahanamoku Swim Complex from Feb. 25-26.
