HANALEI — The Namolokama Canoe Club saw their first top finish come in the women’s open four event at the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championship Regatta at Hanalei Bay yesterday. The quartet of Erin Struxness, Catherine Curtis, Loretta Toth
HANALEI — The Namolokama Canoe Club saw their first top finish come in the women’s open four event at the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championship Regatta at Hanalei Bay yesterday.
The quartet of Erin Struxness, Catherine Curtis, Loretta Toth and Kristin Foster finished the 1/2-mile race with a time of 4:30.20. It was the first of Namolokama’s three top finishes.
Directly following that victory, John Deblin, Christopher Simpson, Eric Rafter and Mark Frazier came up with the win in the men’s open four with a time of 3:48.38.
Namolokama capped off the day with the win in the mixed open 6 division. Alana Goo, Annie Sheehan, Joanna Zietz, Willia Keahiolalo, Michael Scott and Hipolito Princena beat out the competition with a time of 3:47.63.
Namolokama also came in second place in the golden men’s masters 55.
Namolokama finished second in its AA Division — the division with seven to 12 entries.
The Hanalei Canoe Club competed with 14 crews — the most out of the Kaua‘i clubs — and came up with eight top 10 finishes but still came in last place in the AAA Division.
“We did well as far as the island of Kaua‘i is concerned,” said Don Jones of Hanalei. “But this is such a different competition. There’s a much bigger pool (on O‘ahu) and it’s so much harder.”
Hanalei’s girls 18 and under team finished fourth with a time of 4:29.92.
“This is a good year for them,” he said. “I think if they keep progressing at the rate they are going, they will be a good team.”
Hanalei’s highest finish came from its golden women’s masters 55 team.
They finished third with a time of 4:43.61.
The Kaiola Canoe Club finished with 62 points in the AA Division. Other teams in that division were Niumalu (46) and Pu‘uwai (45.)
