NAWILIWILI — The Kapaa High School junior varsity teams topped two of the three races, and the Waimea High School varsity teams took two wins Saturday when the Kauai Interscholastic Federation opened its paddling regatta calendar.
The first three regattas are distance races with the new course being held at the Nawiliwili Harbor this year. The previous distance regattas were held at Wailua River, where the final three regattas, the sprints, will take place.
Prior to the starting flags, the participating KIF schools hosted a special paddle out memorial for Max Jonah, one of the victims of a recent Anahola crash.
Canoes started from the new start/finish line that paralleled the levy separating the moored boats in the Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor and crossed the mouth of the Hule‘ia River, hugging the coastline behind the boats moored in the channel before making a turn at the sea wall and returning for the two-mile run.
The Kauai JV girls opened the race on a two-mile run that stopped the clocks at 12 minutes, 32.99 seconds, staying ahead of the challenge put on by the Kapaa JV girls who crossed eight ticks back at 12:40:54. Waimea rounded out the field on a 13:58:22 run.
Kapaa rebounded to take wins in the JV boys race on a 10:45:40 run, and secured the top spot in the JV mixed races on an 11:38:14 run.
The Warriors, defending champions from the 2019 season, continued to power through the Varsity Girls race on a 35:15:33 run, and the Varsity Boys race with a 31:36:40 run over the two-mile course.
The run for a sweep came to an end in the Varsity Mixed race when the Waimea crew beat out the Warriors by 13 seconds, the Menehune taking the high end at 21:43:93 to Kapaa’s 21:56:46 run.
The next KIF paddling regatta will take place Saturday at the Nawiliwili Harbor with the first races scheduled to start at noon because of testing. Spectators can view the race from the levy.
Results
• Junior Varsity Girls: KapA 12:40:54, KauA 12:32:99, Wai 13:58:22
• Junior Varsity Boys: WaiA 10:51:50, Kap 10:45:40, KauA 11:12:18, WaiB 12:07:61
• Junior Varsity Mixed: WaiA 11:49:62, KapA 11:38:14, KauA 11:59:29, KapB 11:59:82, KauB 12:12:6,0, WaiB 12:08:15, KapC 12:00:58
• Varsity Girls: KapA 35:15:33, WaiA 36:26:46, KauA 36:11:27, KauB 13:18:68, KapB 13:31:63 (1 min. added)
• Varsity Boys: KapA 31:36:60, KauA 34:04:968, Kap a 31:36:60, Island 33:09:49, WaiB 11:41:49, KapB 11:58:52, Island 11:59:13 (1 min. added to all ‘b’)
• Varsity Mixed: WaiA 21:43:93, KauA 23:01:04, KapA 21:56:46
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
