WAILUA — The Kauai High School junior varsity boys had the best paddle of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation paddling season Saturday on the Wailua River. But despite the performance, the JV Red Raider boys came up two seconds short, said
WAILUA — The Kauai High School junior varsity boys had the best paddle of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation paddling season Saturday on the Wailua River.
But despite the performance, the JV Red Raider boys came up two seconds short, said coach Joe Curammeng.
“The main thing is how much they improved,” Curammeng said. “The boys were disappointed, though. They worked hard.”
Kauai High School won three events following the KIF Championship Regatta, and Kapaa High School won three events.
Kapaa High School, coached by Micah Mokuahi, took titles in the Varsity boys, ending with a total of 28 points, the Varsity Mixed division, finishing second in the finals, but getting the title on 24 points, and the JV Boys where the JV Warriors edged out Kauai with 20 points to the Red Raiders’ 16 points.
Kapaa also posted 12 points in the JV Girls, nine points in the JV Mixed division, and 16 points in the Varsity Girls class.
Kauai High School, controlling most of the races in the Varsity Girls division through the season, finished by topping the finals for 26 points. Kauai High School also picked up titles in the JV Girls with 24 points and the JV Mixed with 22 points.
The Red Raiders also posted 16 points in the JV Boys, and seven points each in the Varsity Boys and Varsity Mixed classes.
“We had a successful season,” Lori Parraga, the Kauai coach said. “The JV and Varsity girls trained hard along with the JV Mixed crew and came out champions. We look forward to the state regatta on Feb. 1.”
Kauai came back to control the JV Girls, its winning team of Christina Carney, Kahe Degracia, Sarah Matsunaga, Anika Cadavona, Kiani Souza and Hiilani Alana crossing on a 4:21.94 paddle to Kapaa;s 4:27.52 finish.
Kauai’s JV Mixed team, including Christina Carney, Warren Cortez-Madeira, Sarah Matsunaga, Max Meisner, Dylan Wakano, and Kiani Souza, crossed the line on a 4:01.03 paddle, ahead of Waimea (4:06.69) and Kapaa (4:08.63).
With the finals of the KIF Championship Regatta, the KIF will be sending the Kapaa Varsity Boys and Varsity Mixed, and the Kauai Varsity Girls to participate in the First Hawaiian Bank Hawaii High School Athletic Association state regatta, Feb. 1 at the Keehi Lagoon on Oahu.
OTHER RESULTS FROM SATURDAY:
• Waimea High School, winning the Varsity Mixed finals on a paddle of 4 minutes, 2 seconds, finished the season with 18 points in the Mixed Division, 11 points in the Varsity Boys, second below Kapaa in those two divisions, and 11 points in the JV Mixed.
The Warrior Varsity Boys, including crew members Drew Lopez, Dylan Lemn, Maka Ahloo, Nick Hantz, Myles Mendoza and Riley Dabin, asserted itself with first finishes in both the preliminary heat (3:38.43) and the finals (3:48.16).
Waimea crossed the line four seconds later at 3:52.17 with Kauai coming third at 3:59.68.
• During the Varsity Mixed races, including crew members Kekai Gonsalves, Myles Mendoza, Lemn, Ahloo, Reina Jimenez and Autumn Begley, Kapaa topped the preliminary run on a 3:55.77 paddle, but switching out in the finals, Kapaa settled for second place, crossing five seconds back of Waimea on a 4:06.80 run over the half-mile course. Waimea topped the finals on a 4:01.55 run with Kauai crossing on a 4:20.05 paddle.
• Kauai’s Varsity Girls, with Shea Mercer-Cayabyab, Nicole Carney, Brandy Racca, Brandy Afos, Brooke Nakamura-Nawai and Robin Leong, controlled both the preliminaries and finals in that division, coming out of the turn first in the prelims en route to a 4:13.79 finish to Kapaa’s 4:16.67 run.
The Red Raider wahine, coached by Lori Parraga, completed its day on a first finish at 4:16.19, nearly three seconds ahead of Kapaa (4:19.67) and Waimea (4:25.00).
• Kapaa’s winning JV Boys team, including Aukai Kessler, Justin Donios, Kelepi Loketi, Trestin Alfiler, Sequoia Logan and Shawn Yamane, crossed the line on a 3:47.98 paddle, just two seconds ahead of Kauai (3:49.15).
