LIHU‘E — Four Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation swimmers won medals during the M. Mark Takai Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Swimming and Diving Championships that wrapped up March 4 at the Kamehameha Schools-Hawai‘i aquatics facility.
Chloe Inouye, a sophomore at Island School, led the group of medal winners with a gold medal and a third-place finish. Kai Mottley, a Kaua‘i High senior, grabbed a second-place and third-place medal.
Tyler Tanaka, a Kapa‘a High senior, snared third-place and fifth-place awards.
Kamaira Silva, a junior at Kaua‘i High, finished with a fourth-place medal.
Inouye, who set two of three new KIF records during the KIF Championship meet, took gold in the 100-yard breaststroke by touching the wall at 1 minute, 4.53 seconds. She followed that performance with a third-place finish in the 100 freestyle on a 52.61 swim, just a tick ahead of Iolani senior Jennifer Reiter.
“It was a nail-biting experience getting to watch Chloe bring back to Kaua‘i an HHSAA State Swimming Championship in the women’s 100 breaststroke finals,” said Island School coach John Norman.
“The 100 breaststroke finals came down to the final lap with three swimmers hitting the final wall almost all at the same time. It was only after her pull-out that she managed to pull slightly ahead of her competition when she just switched into another gear, something like you would think you could only see in the movies, because Chloe just blasted past the competition for this incredible finish for the win. Wow, that was an awesome race. Congratulations to Chloe and all of the KIF HHSAA state champs swimmers.”
Curt Colby, who coaches with the Kaua‘i High program and Swim Kaua‘i Aquatics, said Inouye’s breaststroke time broke the SKA team record for that event.
Mottley secured the silver medal in the 100 butterfly, where he stopped the clock at 51.54, nearly a second better than his preliminary swim in the event. He went on to secure third place in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:43.60, nearly three seconds ahead of his preliminary swim.
Colby said Tanaka secured a personal best in the Kapa‘a High senior’s third-place finish in the 500 freestyle, where he touched at 4:48.72. Tanaka also finished fifth in the 100 breaststroke on a 1:00.57 swim.
Silva finished in fourth place in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:59.10.
Overall at the state swim, the Island School girls team finished in a tie for seventh place with Kalani High School at nine points each. The Kaua‘i High girls finished in a three-way tie for 16th place with Moanalua High School and Kihei Charter School at two points apiece. Punahou School girls topped the overall team with 77 points, followed by Kealakehe High School with 28 points.
The Kaua‘i High School boys finished in a tie for eighth place with Moloka‘i High School at seven points. Kapa‘a High School boys finished in a three-way tie for 12th place with Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy and Kealakehe High School at four points each.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
