KAPA‘A — Kaua‘i High School tennis coach Jennifer Hreljac was thrilled when the dust settled on the final day of the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation qualifying tournament at the Kapa‘a High School tennis courts.
Kaua‘i High School finished by winning the girls doubles and boys doubles, as well as being a semifinalist in girls singles, at the qualifying tournament that started Thursday at tennis courts in Wailua Houselots Park, Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex in Kapa‘a and Kapa‘a High.
The tournament’s top seeded team of Savannah Hubbard and Maddison Hubbard, of Kaua‘i High, repeated as KIF girls doubles champions after defeating fellow Red Raiders Mia Marty and Taylee Yoshimoto, who were unseeded, in the qualifying tournament.
Marty and Yoshimoto beat the No. 2 seed team of Chloe Hannsz and Rain Hannsz, 6-4, 6-2 (11-9), to open play and advance to down the Island School pair of Katie Brown and Brooklyn Mackey, seeded No. 3 in the tournament, before falling to the Hubbards, 2-6, 6-2, 4-6. The Hubbard sisters and Marty, the catcher for the Red Raiders softball team, and Yoshimoto will advance to the state tournament as KIF representatives.
The boys doubles team also belonged to Kaua‘i High. he top seeded pair of Dillon Fulks and Tanner Hubbard defeated fellow Red Raiders No. 2 seeded Isaac Mirey and Keyan Fort, 6-2, 6-0 in the Friday finals.
Boys singles belonged to Island School, when the top seed Michael Fitzgerald downed No. 2 seed Mark Fitzgerald, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, for the right for both Fitzgerald brothers to advance to the state tournament. A longtime tennis supporter commented on how the Fitzgerald boys can participate in this year’s state tournament after having to choose to participate between tennis and boys volleyball after Island School won the KIF title in 2022.
Kapa‘a High captured the girls singles crown. Top seeded Toni Umalla downed No. 2 seed Grace Aguilera, of Kaua‘i High, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
