Posted on: Saturday, June 14, 2003

Girls water polo tourney gets OK

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

K'ANAPALI, Maui — In addition to approving a state football tournament for smaller schools, yesterday's general assembly of the Hawai'i Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association conference voted on several other key recommendations.

One key proposal, a shot clock for girls basketball, was withdrawn after it was learned Thursday that there could be minor sanctions imposed on Hawai'i by the national federation if the recommendation was approved. The federation does not promote shot clocks as one of its guidelines.

And in addition to football, classification was addressed in other sports. To satisfy gender equity concerns related to adding a Division II football tournament, a proposal to classify a girls sport to be named later passed by a 63-0 vote. But another proposal to classify boys and girls basketball and volleyball ended in a roll-call vote, 40-40, with one abstention. Under HIADA rules, that means a return to status quo.

Here is a look at some other results from the general assembly vote. Anything passed at the athletic directors' meeting faces final approval by the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association executive board meeting on June 25.

• Charter schools — A recommendation to allow students from public charter schools, Anuenue (a Hawaiian immersion school), a McKinley-based "E-School" (on-line education) and the Hawai'i Center for the Deaf and the Blind to play for their area schools in state tournaments passed, 55-6, with one abstention.

• Pac-Five — A proposal to allow Pac-Five, and similar "combination teams," to play in state tournaments was defeated, 41-25.

• Girls water polo — A recommendation for an inaugural state tournament passed, 65-0.

• Volleyball (boys and girls) — A proposal to change the scoring system from sideouts to rally scoring and allow let serves passed, 65-0.

• Volleyball site — A proposal to add Maui to the rotation of state tournament sites was approved, 60-0.

• Boys tennis — The HHSAA board in April mandated the boys tennis season to be moved to the fall season to address gender equity concerns about girls sports (softball, basketball) being played "out of season" compared to the rest of the nation. But the general assembly yesterday voted 41-24 in favor of moving it back to the spring where it has been traditionally.

• Girls cross country — A recommendation to change the distance for state tournaments from two miles to 2.5 was defeated, 35-30, with two abstentions.

• Track and field — A recommendation to change the scoring system to 10-8-6-4-2-1 for both individual and relay events passed, 58-4, with two abstentions. Previously, less points were given for individual events.

• Seeding — A proposal for a detailed restructuring of state tournament brackets in team sports was passed, 55-0 with two abstentions.

• Cheerleading — A proposal to limit the state cheerleading tournament to one division passed, 57-3. The past two tournaments were separated into three divisions.

• Girls wrestling — A proposal to eliminate the 121-pound weight class and add 120-pound and 125-pound classes was approved, 53-11.

• Boys wrestling — A recommendation to allow two wrestlers per weight class from the same school in the state tournament, with only one scoring points, was defeated, 41-16, with seven abstentions.

• Officiating — A proposal to have all football officials fall under the jurisdiction of the HHSAA beginning in 2004 passed, 65-0.

• Football band noise — A recommendation to ban all band noise once the referee starts the play clock passed, 62-1.

• Air riflery site — A recommendation to move all future state tournaments to O'ahu only was defeated, 57-23.

• Judo site — A proposal to move all future state tournaments to O'ahu only was defeated, 50-10, with one abstention.

• Judo — A proposal to allow for three entries in each weight class per school passed, 29-20, with 17 abstentions.

• Transportation — A recommendation to have the HHSAA block off airline seats, hotel rooms and ground transportation for all state tournaments was defeated, 38-27. Each school that needs to travel to a state tournament will continue to make its own arrangements.