NAWILIWILI — The Waimea High School varsity girls team may have been first to the buoy on Saturday, but the Island School team beat the Menehune to the finish line during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation long distance outrigger canoe paddling regatta at Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor.
This was just one of three victories piled up by the Island School teams, who successfully navigated the junior varsity girls, varsity girls, and varsity mixed races.
Kapa‘a High School finished the day with two first finishes — junior varsity boys, and varsity boys — with Waimea taking a first finish in the junior varsity mixed race.
This sets up the standings in KIF paddling as the officials crew wrap up the long distance phase of the season and move to the sprints regatta, which start on Saturday at Wailua River. The first races are scheduled to hit the water at 9 a.m.
Entering the varsity girls race, both Waimea and Island School teams were tied at a win and a loss apiece. The Jan. 6 race would serve as the tie-breaker, midway through the season that arrived midway through winter break.
This was a concern for one of the Menehune coaching staff, who noted that his Ni‘ihau paddlers were back on Ni‘ihau after their families called them home for the break.
Taimana Kjeldsen, Kiana Ortiz, Chloe Inouye, Nula Brown, McKenzie Kerry and Mahina Dameron made up the Voyager varsity girls team.
Kjeldsen, Inouye and Dameron had earlier in the day participated in the KIF qualifying swim meet at the YMCA pool that opened the season. In addition to participating, the trio of Voyager athletes earned qualifying spots to the state meet before arriving to paddle in Nawiliwili.
Coming from a position of challenging the Menehune at the turn, the Voyager wahine dug deep and finished the race on a paddle that was recorded at 28 minutes, 32.14 seconds, or about 18 ticks ahead of the Menehune team that stopped the clocks at 28:50,23.
Adding fuel for the future, the Island School JV girls team, including Bella Miyake, Ruby Swartz, Ilihia Ventura, Kealohilani Evparziale, Madison Edd, and Maile Havas finished first in their respective race on a 14:25.98 run over Kapa‘a’s in a 14:39.45 paddle.
Results (by lane)
• JV girls: Waimea (16:59.11), Kaua‘i (15:19.81), Kapa‘a (14:39.45), IS (14:25.98).
• B crews: Kapa‘a (16:17.15), IS unofficial (15:43.17), Kaua‘i (16:53.04).
• JV boys: Kapa‘a (13:55.97), Kaua‘i (14:29.17).
• JV Mixed: Kapa‘a (14:18.36), IS (14:04.40), Waimea (13:44.45), Kaua‘i (14:25.09).
• B crews: Kapa‘a (15:16.02).
• Varsity girls: Kapa‘a (30:28.80), IS (28:32.14), Kaua‘i (30:37.14), Waimea (28:50.23), Kanuikapono (37:24.64).
• B crews: Waimea (35:17.37), Kaua‘i (33:51.21)
• Varsity boys: IS (25:44.21), Waimea (26:55.89), Kaua‘i (27:18.70), Kapa‘a (32:40.52), Kanuikapono (32:40:52).
• B crews: Kapa‘a (28:33.55), Kaua‘i (27:19.68).
• Varsity mixed: IS (25:50.56), Waimea (26:03.73), Kanuikapono (scratch), Kapa‘a (28:19.57), Kaua‘i (30:19.57).
• B crews: Kapa‘a (13:20.79), IS unofficial (13:03.79).
