11 schools plan to sail in inaugural ILH season
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
Principals of the private-school Interscholastic League of Honolulu yesterday approved ocean sailing as a league sport beginning next spring.
The vote was 17-0 with two abstentions.
The ILH is the first high school league in the nation to officially sanction sailing.
A number of high schools in California and on the eastern coast of the U.S. have sailing teams, but they compete in championships conducted by the Interscholastic Sailing Association, not in sanctioned high school championships.
"We have completed the cycle of ocean team sports," said Punahou athletic director Tom Holden, who prepared the proposal for athletic directors and principals. "We have kayaking, outrigger canoe paddling and sailing."
ILH athletic directors approved sailing on May 2.
Two-person teams will race in 420s (15-foot sailboats with two sails).
Eleven of the ILH's 24 schools have "declared" they will have sailing teams next year.
Rob Hurd, director of sailing at Tabor Academy in Massachusetts, noted that, "In 1930, Tabor's Headmaster Lillard founded high school sailing in the U.S. Now Hawai'i, about as far away from Cape Cod as one could be and still be in the United States, is taking our sport to another level."
Goodwill Judo meet at 'Aiea tomorrow
What could be a preview of the next state high school championship sport will take place tomorrow at 'Aiea High School gym.
Judo champions and medal winners from O'ahu's public and private school leagues and from the Big Island will compete in a Goodwill Tournament, starting at 11 a.m.
Sponsorship by three leagues is required for the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association to hold a championship. Roy Miyoga, judo adviser for the O'ahu Interscholastic Association, said the OIA, Interscholastic League of Honolulu and Big Island Interscholastic Federation will begin the process of obtaining HHSAA sanction at the annual meeting of the state's high school athletic directors June 6-8 on Kaua'i.
Discrepancies in some of the weight limits has caused some adjustments for tomorrow's event. For instance, the OIA has a 180-pound division for boys and the closest weight in the ILH is 198. Tournament organizers compromised at 188 pounds.
Four wrestlers from the OIA, which has many more teams, and two each from the ILH and BIIF are eligible to participate. There will be 10 weight divisions each for boys and girls.
Admission will be $2 for high school students and adults and $1 for first-through-eighth graders.
Assets' Villa named AD at Mid-Pacific
Bill Villa has been selected athletic director at Mid-Pacific Institute, the school announced yesterday.
Villa, who has been athletic director at Assets School since 1993, will replace Don Botelho, who will retire in August after 26 years.
Botelho will continue as football coach of Pac-Five, which is a conglomeration of players from several smaller private schools.
"We are very enthusiastic to have Bill join the MPI family," high school principal Rich Schaffer said in a statement. "In addition to his vast experience in the ILH, as an athlete, a coach and an AD, Bill espouses a philosophy of sports which mirrors my own and strongly supports the MPI mission."
Villa, 49, earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Phoenix (Hawai'i Campus) and is a Kamehameha Schools graduate.
The Kailua resident recently served as the Interscholastic League of Honolulu's girls basketball coordinator.
ILH will continue with four at helm
ILH president Tony Ramos said that the principals decided to continue with four athletic directors sharing the work of executive secretary "until further notice."
After Clay Benham, executive secretary of the private-school league since it was formed in 1970, died on April 29, ILH principals appointed athletic directors Blane Gaison of Kamehameha, Jim Bukes of University, John Hom of Pac-Five, and Don Botelho of Mid-Pacific.
"We will not be in a hurry to fill that position," Ramos said.
