KAPA‘A —Kapa‘a High School boys and girls swimming coach Marti Kitch got an opportunity to see the competitive landscape of Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation swimming from her poolside view.
For the majority of the season, the Warriors boys and girls teams were unable to practice at their home swimming pool in Kapa‘a because the pool underwent restoration work.
Waiting for their pool to be operable resulted in the Warriors sharing time with the Kaua‘i High swimming teams in the pool on the Raider campus in Lihu‘e.
Getting to see the Red Raiders swim team while evaluating her own, she got a chance to see the majority of the swimmers selected to the KIF All-Star team regularly.
“You could see everyone on both teams was working hard and doing well,” Kitch said. “I have a lot of compliments for the (Kaua‘i High coach Kelsey Tanaka) because, during that time frame, I could see how well they were doing.”
Red Raiders’ freshman Kamaira Silva was one of the KIF competitors named to the All-Star team in the most swimming events.
Silva, along with teammates Julia Safford, Alana Cayabyab and Daisy Claytor, were all named to the KIF All-Star 200-meter medley relay team.
The KIF All-Star team is voted on by the coaches.
Silva was also recognized for her achievements. She was named to the KIF All-Star team in the 50 and 100 freestyle individual events.
Her teammate, Kai Norman, also earned a lot of postseason recognition.
Norman, who was part of the 400 freestyle relay team that included Ryden Williams, Destrey Shibuya and Kai Motley, also was named as an All-Star in two individual sprints, the 50 and 100 freestyle.
Kapa‘a High’s Maddie Hoesel was named to multiple All-Star relays and individual events.
She was a member of the 200 freestyle relay team that included Lani Alo, Asha McGinnis and Chloe Zumwalt.
She was also named best in the girls’ 100-meter backstroke.
Hoesel’s teammate Tyler Tanaka won two individual all-star awards, in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley.
“I think everyone this year on Kapa‘a’s team swam through hardship,” Kitch said. “It took a high level of commitment to travel that far to practice, in traffic and, to be honest, and they are all-stars. I am very proud of each and every one of them who stuck with it and followed through in that commitment. It wasn’t easy.”
KIF Swimming All-Stars
Following are the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation swimming all-stars, as voted on by the sport’s coaches:
• Girls 200 medley relay: Kaua‘i High (Kamaira Silva, Julia Safford, Alana Cayabyab, Daisy Claytor)
• Boys 200 medley relay: Kapa‘a (Treysen Nishida, Tyler Tanaka, Ian Raquel, Braden Chang)
• Girls 200 freestyle: Malia Splittstoesser (Kaua‘i High)
• Boys 200 freestyle: Ian Raquel (Kapa‘a High)
• Girls 200 individual medley: Alana Cayabyab (Kaua‘i High)
• Boys 200 individual medley: Tyler Tanaka (Kapa‘a High)
• Girls 50 freestyle: Kamaira Silva (Kaua‘i High)
• Boys 50 freestyle: Kai Norman (Kaua‘i High)
• Girls 100 butterfly: Alana Cayabyab (Kaua‘i High)
• Boys 100 butterfly: Kai Motley (Kaua‘i High)
• Girls 100 freestyle: Kamaira Silva (Kaua‘ High)
• Boys 100 freestyle: Kai Norman (Kaua‘i High)
• Girls 500 freestyle: Olivia Lutkevich (Island School)
• Boys 500 Freestyle: Ian Raquel (Kapa’a High)
• Girls 200 freestyle relay: Kapa‘a High (Lani Alo, Asha McGinnis, Chloe Zumwalt, Maddie Hoesel)
• Boys 200 freestyle relay: Kaua‘i High (Kai Norman, Jacob Reese, Asher Griffith, Jeremy Herr)
• Girls 100 backstroke: Maddie Hoesel (Kapa‘a High)
• Boys 100 backstroke: Jacob Rich (Kaua‘i High)
• Girls 100 breaststroke: Julia Safford (Kaua‘i High)
• Boys 100 breaststroke: Tyler Tanaka (Kapa‘a High)
• Girls 400 freestyle relay: Kaua‘i High (Malia Splittstoesser, Miya Reese, Alana Cayabyab, Kamaira Silva)
• Boys 400 freestyle delay: Kaua‘i High (Ryden Williams, Kai Motley, Destrey Shibuya, Kai Norman)
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Jason Blasco, sports reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or jblasco@thegardenisland.com.
