Records could fall by the dozen at state swim meet

By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer

New names could be attached to nearly half the 24 swimming and diving records by the time the Local Motion state high school championships end Saturday at Kailua, Kona.

	Local Motion State Swimming and Diving Championships
•	WHAT: Hawai'i High School Athletic Association's 45th annual championship meets
•	WHERE: Kailua-Kona Aquatic Complex, Big Island
•	WHEN: Friday—diving preliminary round, 9 a.m.; swimming trial heats, 3:30 p.m. Saturday—diving semifinals and finals, 8:30 a.m.; swimming finals, 1 p.m.
•	Admission: $7 adults, $5 students (grades kindergarten through 12)
•	Results on the Web: www.sportsHigh.com www.hhsaa.org

Punahou, winner of 39 of 44 boys' championships and 41 of 44 girls' titles, is under siege, Punahou coach Kenny Chew says.

"Waiakea, Lahainaluna and Iolani all look strong in girls," Chew said. "On the boys' side, Iolani is tough, swimming fast."

Iolani's boys set or tied six meet records and won all 11 swimming events as they more than doubled Punahou, 130 to 53, in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu private-school championships Feb. 9.

"It could be one of the best meets for swimming in a long time," Chew said. "In a bunch of events the top entries are so close together, it will be very interesting to see who makes it into the top eight for the finals and then into the top five to score points."

These might be meet highlights:

BOYS

Punahou's hopes to repeat as state champion would be enhanced if All-America senior Nick Borreca is able to participate. Borreca has not competed since Christmas because of mononucleosis.

He resumed light workouts last week and he may swim the 50 freestyle and some relay legs. "We would really like him to swim relays if it's OK with his doctor," Chew said. Relays score double the points of individual events.

Borreca was awarded a scholarship by the University of Florida in November after setting or helping set four state meet records last season. He has won six individual-event state championships and earned five All-America designations in the past three years.

Though Iolani outscored Punahou by 77 points in the league meet, Iolani coach Brian Lee is not getting his trophy polish out yet. "We have won the ILH boys four or five times since 1995, but only states once," he pointed out.

Based on season-best times, Iolani could set six meet records, including two each by junior Hongzhe Sun, a two-event U.S. Open champion, and sophomore Mark Eckert Jr., also nationally ranked at age 15.

The boys' records threatened, with the record, the person or team that threatens it, and the qualifying time of the potential record-breaker:

• 200 medley relay: 1:36.98 (threatened by Iolani, 1:36.90)

• 200 freestyle: 1:40.78 (Mark Eckert Jr., Iolani, 1:41.79)

• 100 butterfly: 50.85 (Hongzhe Sun, Iolani, 50.08)

• 500 freestyle: 4:31.00 (Eckert, 4:32.89)

• 200 freestyle relay: 1:27.09 (Iolani, 1:27.06)

• 100 backstroke: 49.95 (Sun, 50.33)

GIRLS

Hilo's Waiakea High, with the fastest times this season in four events and 13 entries ranked in the top three, could bring the state girls championship to a Neighbor Island for the first time.

Punahou has won 41 titles, Iolani two and Kailua one.

Waiakea senior Nicole Okuna is a two-time defending champion and top seed in the 100-yard butterfly and teammate Cassie Ka'apu-Lyons is defending champ and top seed in the 100 breaststroke. Waiakea is also defending champ in the 200 medley relay and the entire team returns.

Tamara Binek was runner-up in both sprints last year and is ranked 1 and 2 this time. Veterans Marlene Yafuso and Jessica Bartolome could score high in two events and help relays.

But Punahou will be the team to beat until it is beaten. The Buffanblu could have a double gold-medal winner in senior free-styler Kristen Simunovich. She won the 100 free and swam on two winning relay teams last season.

Kaiser's Ashley Swart, who has signed with the University of San Diego, is a threat to meet records in the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle. She won both last year and also won the 500 in 2000.

Iolani senior Kim Ono has the 100 backstroke record in her sights and is also seeded first in the 200 freestyle.

Lahainaluna senior Jessica Nohara is defending champion, but seeded second, in both the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke. Same for Maui's Chelsea Nagata in the 50 freestyle.

Girls meet records that are threatened:

• 1-meter diving: 452.40 points (threatened by Sarah Delara, Maui, 447.05)

• 200 medley relay: 1:49.51 (Waiakea, 1:49.95)

• 200 individual medley: 2:04.66 (Ashley Swart, Kaiser, 2:06.49)

• 500 freestyle: 4:57.33 (Swart, 4:56.76)

• 100 backstroke: 57.97 (Kim Ono, Iolani, 58.85)