WAILUA — Island School made history Saturday at the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation paddling championships when the Voyagers captured not only the varsity boys’ trophy paddle but also added a win in the varsity mixed division.
Following the finals of the varsity divisions, Island School put up 26 points in varsity boys, and 22 points for the varsity mixed, just a point ahead of Kapa‘a High School, which finished the season at 21 points. Waimea High’s team finished with 16 points and Kaua‘i High had two points.
In the varsity boys division, Waimea High School finished with 21 points, followed by Kapa‘a at 13 points.
“The mixed and bBoys varsity were KIF champs, today,” said Island School coach Luke Evslin. “As a small school, we always really struggle with athletics. This was our biggest team ever, with 15 total athletes ranging from grade 9 through grade 12. That’s a buffer of one or two kids per crew. And of those, we had four athletes also qualify to go to states for soccer, and one athlete who qualified for swimming, so we have athletes jetting away from the swim meet to make it to the canoe race in time, and then jetting away from paddling to make it to their soccer match on time. The kids are really stretched thin. But they are such an incredible group who worked hard all season, pouring their heart into the canoe. I couldn’t be more proud of them for qualifying for states.”
The Kaua‘i High School girls captured the varsity girls, and also topped the junior varsity girls divisions, finishing the season with 26 points for the varsity girls and 30 points for the JV girls.
For the varsity division, Waimea finished with 19 points, Island School at 15 points, and Kapa‘a collected six points.
Kaua‘i High School coach Lori Parraga is anticipating the state regatta at Ke‘ehi Lagoon on O‘ahu March 5.
“It has been a very challenging season this year, facing weekly COVID-close-contact issues and having girls out on isolation,” Parraga said. “But I had a great turnout of girls this year that played an important part of the success of my program. Every JV and varsity girl committed to the training program, put in the time on the water and trained in all wind and water conditions. The result of all of this was very rewarding as KIF champions. I am so very proud to have coached these girls through this challenging year. It takes a team to win — one team, one dream!”
Kapa‘a High finished the season with wins in the JV boys with 24 points, and the JV mixed division, where the Warriors put up 22 points, a mere two points ahead of Kaua‘i’s JV mixed team that finished with 20 points despite winning the Saturday regatta on the Wailua River.
Waimea High was awarded the reserve position in JV boys with 16 points, just a point better than the 15 points earned by Kaua‘i High.
The winning varsity teams will represent the KIF at the Hawaiian Airlines Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Paddling Championships that will unfold March 5 at Ke‘ehi Lagoon on O‘ahu.
Scoreboard
• JV Girls: Kaua‘i B (5:10.53), Kaua‘i A (4:28.32)
• JV Boys: Kaua‘i A (4:06.20), Kapa‘a A (3:56.85)
• JV Mixed: Kaua‘i A (4:06.14), Waimea A (4:14.12), Kapa‘a A (4:07.28); Kaua‘i B (4:35.51), Kapa‘a B (4:15.33), Waimea B (4:05.16)
Varsity finals
• Girls: Island A (4:20.94), Kaua‘i A (4:08.46), Waimea A (4:14.01)
• Boys: Kapa‘a A (4:03.63), Waimea A (3:47.92), Island A (3:50.70)
• Mixed: Waimea A (4:05.44), Island A (3:51.13), Kapa‘a A (3:53.71)
