Kauai places 2nd in Junior Lifeguard State Championships

Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island

Vying for Queen of the Beach honors, Kauai’s Kelta O’Rourke, left, and Oahu’s Preeya Prasad dive for the flag during the girls 15-17 division beach flags event Saturday during the Junior Lifeguards State Championships at Kalapaki Beach.

Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island

Oahu’s Makoa Van Gieson and Big Island’s Kyle Weyrick tangle with the shore break in the boys 12-14 Iron Guard Saturday during the Junior Lifeguards State Championships at Kalapaki Beach.

Nick Celario / The Garden Island

Kauai Junior Lifeguards coach Eugene Ancheta congratulates Keanu Brown after Kauai won the boys 15-17 paddleboard relay event during the Junior Lifeguard State Championships on Saturday at Kalapaki Beach.

Nick Celario / The Garden Island

Kauai’s Tavehi Dubocage, left, graps the flag ahead of Oahu’s Krista Cox to win the girls 12-14 beach flags event during the Junior Lifeguard State Championships on Saturday at Kalapaki Beach.

Nick Celario / The Garden Island

Kauai’s Cole Frye is congratulated by a Team Oahu coach after winning the boys 15-17 Iron Guard event during the Junior Lifeguard State Championships on Saturday at Kalapaki Beach.

Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island

Oahu’s Preeya Prasad is announced the winner of beach flags, girls 15-17 division, after her grab is on the midway tape while her opponent, Kauai’s Kelta O’Rourke, is close but not on the tape Saturday during the Junior Lifeguards State Championships at Kalapaki Beach.

LIHUE — Team Kauai placed second in the Junior Lifeguard State Championships on Saturday at Kalapaki Beach.

The Kauai Junior Lifeguards totaled 137 points. Team Oahu won the state title with 187 points.

About 200 competitors from Kauai, Oahu, Maui and Big Island took part Saturday.

“I’m very proud of my team. They fought their hearts out,” said Kauai Junior Lifeguards coach Eugene Ancheta. “I told them, ‘Just keep your heads held up high, and just keep moving on.’ There’s always next year for the ones that are still of age. … Some of them are not happy with their performance, but there’s some of them that did really well. Yeah, always proud of them no matter how they do.”

Among the first-place event finishers for Kauai was Cole Frye, 17, of Kilauea.

He placed first in the boys 15-17 division of the Iron Guard event, which has run, swim and paddleboard elements.

“I’m so tired right now,” Frye said after winning his event. “My friend, I don’t know. He was struggling. He did a whole bunch of events, so I just captained for him. And it ended up working out. I’m stoked.”

Kauai also placed first in the boys 15-17 paddleboard relay event.

“It felt good. Oahu brought it this year. It feels good to get at least one or two wins,” said Keanu Brown, 16, a team member of Kauai’s boys 15-17 paddleboard relay team, after the win.

Also competing for Kauai was Kelta O’Rourke, 18, of Kilauea.

O’Rourke placed second in three events — girls 15-17 paddleboard relay, girls 15-17 Iron Guard and girls 15-17 beach flags.

“It went good. It’s always good to do the teamwork events,” O’Rouke said after finishing the paddleboard relay. “It brings the team together. We did good. We were hoping for the win, but we were working together. That’s all that matters.”

Team Oahu coach Bryan Phillips said a regional championship was held on Oahu to select the island’s state championship team.

Phillips said he’s delighted with every kids’ effort throughout the summer.

“We’re just super proud of Team Oahu and all the Junior Lifeguards from across the state,” Phillips said. “An amazing job. It was highly competitive with great sportsmanship. We’re just very pleased, and also a huge thanks to the Kauai Junior Lifeguard association, Uncle Kalani (Vierra, chief of Kauai Fire Department’s Ocean Safety Bureau) and all the work they’ve done.”

He added: “And also thanks to the Hawaii Tourism Authority for supporting the whole state of Hawaii for Junior Lifeguards. They’ve been a huge contributor. Many, many mahalos. Without them, this wouldn’t be possible.”

Results

Team: 1. Oahu, 187 points; 2. Kauai, 137 points; 3. Maui, 106 points; 4. Big Island, 60 points

1.2 mile run

– Girls 12-14: 1. Xochi Gervais (Big Island); 2. Tulip Hori (Maui); 3. Emma Burgess (Kauai); 4. Kailey Bogart (Oahu); 5. Tavehi Dubocage (Kauai); 6. Kali Brigante (Kauai)

– Boys 12-14: 1. Kyle Weyrick (Big Island); 2. Damon Johnson (Kauai); 3. Enzo Queirolo (Maui); 4. Noah Anderson (Oahu); 5. Bodhi Auchenbach (Maui); 6. Kamaina Cantere (Maui)

– Girls 15-17: 1. Bella Branon (Oahu); 2. Juliana Tampus (Kauai); 3. Nahe Edwards (Kauai); 4. Harley Kell (Big Island); 5. Olivia Lutkevich (Kauai); 6. Mary Campbell (Big Island)

– Boys 15-17: 1. Shane Taylor (Maui); 2. Kellen O’Rourke (Kauai); 3. Dutch Fairbanks (Kauai); 4. Kade Ketcheson (Big Island); 5. Rykez Morris (Oahu); 6. Chayton Troesh-Worrell (Maui)

250-meter swim

– Girls 12-14: 1. Kaimakana Flanagan (Oahu); 2. Yuna Lee (Maui); 3. Naomi Nakaya (Oahu); 4. Keanuenue Desoto (Oahu); 5. Kamaira Silva (Kauai); 6. Makenzie Watts (Oahu)

– Boys 12-14: 1. Maison Alexander (Maui); 2. Mathew Iverson (Maui); 3. Kai Norman (Kauai); 4. Kyle Weyrick (Big Island); 5. Kai Mottley (Kauai); 6. Shion Crawford (Oahu)

– Girls 15-17: 1. Kaimakana Flanagan (Oahu); 2. Kylie Carter (Maui); 3. Makenzie Watts (Oahu); 4. Maddie Hoesel (Kauai); 5. Jaden Hall (Big Island); 6. Naomi Nakaya (Oahu)

– Boys 15-17: 1. Makena Ginoza (Oahu); 2. Micah Ginoza (Oahu); 3. Devin Kahn Alejado (Oahu); 4. Kobe Lilio (Maui); 5. Griffin Zachmeier (Oahu); 6. Henry Scherer (Kauai)

Run, swim, run

– Girls 12-14: 1. Kaimakana Flanagan (Oahu); 2. Yuna Lee (Maui); 3. Xochi Gervais (Big Island); 4. Henna Chong-Tim (Oahu); 5. Melia Lee (Maui); 6. Jaden Hall (Big Island)

– Boys 12-14: Cole Alcos (Oahu); 2. Maison Alexander (Maui); 3. Shion Crawford (Oahu); 4. Mathew Iverson (Maui); 5. Kai Norman (Kauai); 6. Kyle Weyrick (Big Island)

– Girls 15-17: 1. Julia Safford (Kauai); 2. Aryana Johnson (Maui); 3. Juliana Tampus (Kauai); 4. Kylie Carter (Maui); 5. Alana Cayabyab (Kauai); 6. Makenzie Watts (Oahu)

– Boys 15-17: 1. Devin Kahn Alejado (Oahu); 2. Dutch Fairbanks (Kauai); 3. Micah Ginoza (Oahu); 4. Henry Sherer (Kauai); 5. Keanu Brown (Kauai); 6. Jackson Green (Maui)

Iron Guard

– Girls 12-14: 1. Keanuenue Desoto (Oahu); 2. Xochi Gervais (Big Island); 3. Tulip Hori (Maui); 4. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (Oahu); 5. Kamaira Silva (Kauai); 6. Jaden Hall (Big Island)

– Boys 12-14: 1. Shion Crawford (Oahu); 2. Makoa Van Gieson (Oahu); 3. Kyle Weyrick (Big Island); 4. Maison Alexander (Maui); 5. Kai Norman (Kauai); 6. Mathew Iverson (Maui)

– Girls 15-17: 1. Kaimakana Flanagan (Oahu); 2. Kelta O’Rourke (Kauai); 3. Juliana Tampus (Kauai); 4. Yuna Lee (Maui); 5. Joanna Dowdy (Big Island); 6. Naomi Nakaya (Oahu)

– Boys 15-17: 1. Cole Frye (Kauai); 2. Makena Ginoza (Oahu); 3. Griffin Zachmeier (Oahu); 4. Dutch Fairbanks (Kauai); 5. Jackson Green (Maui); 6. Shane Taylor (Maui)

Paddleboard relay

– Girls 12-14: 1. Oahu; 2. Kauai; 3. Maui; 4. Big Island

– Boys 12-14: 1. Oahu; 2. Kauai; 3. Big Island; 4. Maui

– Girls 15-17: 1. Oahu; 2. Kauai; 3. Big Island; 4. Maui

– Boys 15-17: 1. Kauai; 2. Maui; 3. Oahu; 4. Big Island

Beach flags

– Girls 12-14: 1. Tavehi Dubocage (Kauai); 2. Krista Cox (Oahu); 3. Lily Ahrnsbrak (Maui); 4. Miah Paraoan (Oahu); 5. Ila Henry (Big Island); 6. Abigail Balmus (Maui)

– Boys 12-14: 1. Royce Robles (Oahu); 2. Kyan Ka’awa (Oahu); 3. Kainoa Petitt (Kauai); 4. Max Jonah (Kauai); 5. Nahoa Davis (Kauai); 6. Pa’akai Aipia-Flood (Oahu)

– Girls 15-17: 1. Preeya Prasad (Oahu); 2. Kelta O’Rourke (Kauai); 3. Kaylen Ka’awa (Oahu); 4. Ashley Taoka (Maui); 5. Kelsey Ortiz (Kauai); 6. Tyra Gallano (Oahu)

– Boys 15-17: 1. Kyson Terukiua (Oahu); 2. Ezra Sheridan (Oahu); 3. Julian Parks (Big Island); 4. Kellen O’Rourke (Kauai); 5. Jason Geffe (Maui); 6. Keanu Brown (Kauai)

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Nick Celario, sports writer, can be reached at 245-0437 or ncelario@thegardenisland.com.

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