LIHUE — The Waimea High girls and Kapaa High boys took the first matches Thursday night when the Kauai Interscholastic Federation opened its bowling season at the Kauai Bowl.
Led by Chloe Kamakea, rolling a high-game 169, the Menehune girls captured the first and second games of the three-game series on rolls of 633 and 669, respectively. The Menehune accumulated a 1,939 pinfall for top honors on the night.
Sommer Luis had the highest pinfall on the night at 235. That sparked the Kauai girls to take the third game on a 701 pinfall, sufficient to claim the runner-up spot with a 1,970 pinfall.
Kapaa, getting the services of Kevin Gusman as its coach following the closing of St. Francis School on Oahu, finished in third place with a 1,836 pinfall. The Warriors were led by Dana Murata who ended with a high-game 204.
Jana Sheatz topped the Kauai Christian Academy girls’ performance with a high-game 154 to lead the Kilauea-based school to fourth place with a 1,528 pinfall.
Murata, who finished with a 177 average on the night, topped the girls individual average standings, followed by Luis (169) and Kamakea (146). Other female individualists include Taylor Kusaka (Kau, 133), Naomi Toki (Wai, 130), Tavia Rapozo (Kau, 137), Alysha Palacio (Wai, 134), Sheatz (KCA, 124), Crystal Kamakea (Wai, 122), and Jennifer Hayakawa (Kap, 115).
Kapaa saw Zylan Pa-Conant rack up a high-game 239 to help the Warrior men take the second game on a 931 pinfall. This counted toward Kapaa’s 2,548 pinfall for the top spot on the night.
Deiton Otoman posted a high-game 199 for the Waimea boys, who finished by taking the first match on an 812 pinfall toward their evening total of a 2,444 pinfall and second place.
Kaikoa Carvalho led the Kauai High boys with a high-game 223, helping the Red Raiders take the third match with an 853 pinfall total. The game total counted toward the Red Raider men’s 2,430 pinfall for third place.
Kauai Christian Academy rolled with just four male bowlers, its top performer Kevin Diehl rolling a high-game 128.
The Red Raider boys, despite finishing in third as a team, took five of the 10 individual average spots, led by Carvalho with a 210 average. He is followed by Kapaa’s Pa-Conant, at 207.
Randy Negrillo fills in the No. 3 spot for Kauai with a 199 average, followed by Kalani Young (Kap, 197), Shayden Peralta (Kau, 187), Otoman (Wai, 178), Gian Panoy (Kau, 171), Kyllie Sasaki (Kau, 167), Kobe Aguilar (Wai, 167), and Callum Meredith (Kap, 163).
Kevin Kiehl finished with a 116 average to get the high average for the KCA boys.
“We can already tell it’s going to be another nail-biting season,” said Todd Ozaki, a Waimea coach.
The next KIF bowling games are Thurday, with the first rolls at 5:30 p.m. at Kauai Bowl.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
