Girls water polo bids for state tournament
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
Girls water polo will be nominated as Hawai'i's 32nd state high school championship for next season.
The O'ahu Interscholastic Association this spring became the third league in the state to sponsor girls water polo — the Interscholastic League of Honolulu has had it for seven years, and the Big Island officially sanctioned it last year. The Hawai'i High School Athletic Association requires three of its five leagues to sponsor a sport for a state championship to be held.
Castle High athletics director Richard Haru, the OIA's girls water polo adviser, said the 11-school league has been successful in its first season, and plans were being made to apply for a state championship at the annual meeting of the state's high school athletic directors in June.
Ken Smith, who has coached Punahou to all six ILH championships, said he would be delighted to have his first chance to compete for a state title.
"Girls seem to love the physical and aggressive nature of the game," Smith said.
FOOTBALL
• Maui Merger: Spartans and Trojans, mortal enemies in history, will be teammates next fall when Seabury Hall and St. Anthony join forces to form one football team in the Maui Interscholastic League.
Seabury Hall, a 261-student school in upcountry Makawao that has never had a football team, will join with 270-student St, Anthony of Wailuku, which had 25 varsity football players last season, 16 of whom graduate next month.
The program is similar in concept to the Pac-Five conglomerate that brings together students from as many as 14 private schools on O'ahu to form a single team in several sports. In fact, "Pac" will be in the combined team's name, although exactly how hasn't been determined, St. Anthony athletics director Dan Molin said.
Seabury Hall athletics director Steve Colflesh said they "would talk with" officials at Ka'ahumanu Hou about joining as well. The tiny school in Kahului is voted out of MIL football annually because it doesn't have enough players to compete safely.
Colflesh said that 20 Seabury boys in grades 9 through 11 indicated they would like to play football, and two girls inquired. "We have some soccer players who are good athletes," he said.
"It's a good opportunity for both schools," St. Anthony's Molin said. "There are some great athletes at Seabury who haven't played (football) in three or four years or have never played. It will be a few years before these guys are competitive."
Maui principals approved the combined team at their quarterly meeting on Friday.
POSITIONS OPEN
• Iolani — head girls soccer coach. Send resumes to Judith Hiramoto, athletic director, Iolani School Athletic Department, 563 Kamoku St., Honolulu 96826. Deadline May 12.
• Maryknoll — boys and girls volleyball coaches for varsity, junior varsity and intermediate teams. Send resumes to Pattie Heatherly, athletic director, Maryknoll Schools, 1526 Alexander St., Honolulu 96822.
• Mililani — head varsity girls volleyball coach. Send resumes to Athletic Director Glenn Nitta, 95-1200 Meheula Parkway, Mililani 96789 or telephone 627-7369. Deadline Friday.
• Punahou — head varsity cheerleading. Contact Tom Holden, Punahou Athletic Director, at 944-5744. Deadline Friday.
