Punahou, Kamehameha, Lahainaluna are winners
By Seabrook Mow
Special to The Advertiser
A season of hard work with an emphasis of lokahi — working together — proved to be the winning formula in the inaugural state high school canoe paddling championships at Ke'ehi Lagoon yesterday.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
The two-day event culminated with the Punahou boys, Kamehameha girls and Lahainaluna mixed teams winning their respective classes in the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Canoe Paddling Championships.
The Kamehameha Schools' girls team powers its way to the title during the inaugural state high school championship at Ke'ehi Lagoon.
Lahainaluna's victory came by the closest of margins.
"You just got to keep it together and stay solid," said Kaipo Kekona, a Lahainaluna senior as his Luna team barely edged out cross-town rival King Kekaulike by a paddle length in the mixed final.
The official result was Lahainaluna winning with a time of 4:04.38, followed by King Kekaulike at 4:04.63.
"We made 'em; we top now," Kekona said.
But there were no hard feelings between the teams, as they huddled around each other and screamed out in unity, "Maui!"
In the boys final, Punahou's win brought a climactic end to a mismatched team comprised of varsity I and II members.
This past season Punahou's division II team went undefeated and won the division II Interscholastic League of Honolulu championships.
"We always wanted to get at the other varsity I crews, but we never got to," said co-captain Kapono Brown, a senior and former division II paddler.
Brown and crew got exactly what they wanted as they proved themselves among division I caliber paddlers by turning in a dominating race time of 3:43.31. Lahainaluna was a distant second at 3:49.67, and Mid-Pacific finished third at 3:52.67.
"We're definitely not the biggest guys here; we're pretty much the smallest crew, but (team) chemistry worked better then anything else," said Brown.
"It feels just so awesome (to win). After we barely put the team together," said team co-captain Keith Beers, a junior, and former division II paddler.
In the girls final, Kamehameha raced from the middle of the pack to pull ahead and beat Iolani.
Kamehameha turned in a time of 4:13.57, while Iolani finished a second behind at 4:14.82. Punahou placed third in a time of 4:25.26.
"It was like, 'Oh my gosh, the race was closer than I thought it'll be,' " said Tehina Wright, a junior.
With the biggest smile Kamehameha senior Brooke Calpito said, "This is definitely my senior year highlight."
Twenty-four schools competed in the two-day tournament that started with preliminary, quarterfinal and semifinal races Friday.
Although the Legislature designated outrigger canoe paddling as the state's official team sports in 1986, it wasn't until 1999 that the O'ahu public schools introduced it as a club sport.
It became an official high school sport this year with all five leagues statewide — one each on the Big Island, Kaua'i and Maui and two on O'ahu — taking part.
