Manuma sisters turning Kapolei softball into giant family affair

• State berths still to be decided

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Manuma sisters, from left, sophomore Anita, senior Valana, and junior Malamaisaua — have taken the Hurricanes to new heights. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

Valana, Malamaisaua and Anita have helped Kapolei High School win its first O'ahu Interscholastic Association Western Division title and will lead the Hurricanes (9-1) into today's league quarterfinal game against Roosevelt (8-2).

Valana, 18, is a senior shortstop, Malamaisaua, 16, is a junior first baseman and Anita, 15, is a sophomore left fielder/catcher.

Valana, who has signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Hawai'i at Manoa next year on a full scholarship, batted .333 in the regular season. Malamaisaua leads the team with a .609 average, two home runs and 10 RBIs. And Anita is hitting .480 with seven RBIs.

"And they're all good students who get along well with their teammates and classmates," said Kapolei coach Tony Saffrey. "In practice and in the dugout, they fight like sisters, but in a comical sense. It's all in good fun. And that sense of family has carried over to the rest of the team — I've never seen anybody blame anybody. Now all 17 of them are like sisters."

It took a while for the Manumas to come together at Kapolei. They started out playing baseball in Lakeside (Salt Lake) Little League when Valana was in the fourth grade, then switched to softball a year later.

But first they needed to find a team, and had to go to Kapahulu to find one called Na Kolohe.

"We had just started playing softball, so nobody wanted us," Anita said. "(Na Kolohe) needed girls, so we went there."

That, however, was only the beginning of a softball odyssey that took them from Kapahulu to Pearl City (Sharks), Aliamanu (Onipa'a) and Wai'anae (Blasters) on the youth league circuit.

Things did not settle down once Valana got to high school, either. Valana started at Waipahu and Malamaisaua followed a year later. Anita, meanwhile, was at St. Francis and played her freshman season for the Hawai'i Baptist/St. Andrew's/St. Francis combination team last year as Valana and Malamaisaua transferred to Kapolei.

The family had moved from Village Park to Makakilo in 2002.

Finally, Anita transferred to Kapolei last fall and the sisters became teammates again.

"We decided to do it as a family," Valana said. "I told (the other two) we have a good chance here because this team is full of talent."

The one constant through all the shuffling was their workouts with their dad, Viavia, at Aliamanu Park: taking grounders; batting practice; pitching.

"Our dad and his brother, Lene, would work out with us for choke (many) hours," Anita said. "They taught us how to bat and play all the positions, and how to pitch."

Saffrey said that training has carried over into their practices at Kapolei.

"The one thing all three girls always had was the work ethic," Saffrey said. "Their dad always has them swinging the bat or lifting. If they're not doing it here, they're doing it at home. They would work out seven days a week if they could."

The sisters' sense of family and ability to get along with others probably comes naturally, since they have four other siblings. Brother Keoni has graduated from high school, but sister Makerita is an eighth grader, brother Viavia Jr. is in the seventh grade and baby sister Katie is a sixth grader.

"Makerita is a brainiac, and she's into music," Anita said. "She doesn't play softball; she helps my mom with all the chores and does everything while we're on the field."

The sisters, though, would not rule out Makerita taking up the sport once she enrolls at Kapolei. And Katie already plays the game.

Anita, who often stayed with relatives while attending St. Francis in Manoa, has seen the benefits of playing with her older sisters.

"It's brought me closer to my family," she said.

Now, that family also includes 14 other teammates who share a talent and love for the game. The Hurricanes broke onto the scene last year when they advanced to the state quarterfinals with no seniors.

This season, their only loss was a 1-0 heartbreaker to Mililani, with the winning run coming in the bottom of the sixth inning.

"This year we're closer and more confident," Valana said. "After last year, we said we'd be ready this time. Our goal is to take the OIAs and the states. We're going to play every game like it's our last."

It soon will be the last game for these three Manumas together, unless the other two follow Valana to UH. Saffrey said any coach would be lucky to have them.

"They're always well grounded and they have good family values," he said. "No matter where they go, they enlighten the program."

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.

State berths still to be decided

With the state softball tournaments one week away, several berths have been filled, but a bunch of others are up for grabs.

The Big Island Interscholastic Federation, Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation and Maui Interscholastic League have crowned their Division I and Division II champions.

On Saturday, Waiakea defeated Kea'au, 4-3, for the BIIF Division I title, and Honoka'a edged Konawaena by the same score for the Division II championship. On Kaua'i, Waimea finished the regular season 11-0 and will be the KIF's lone state tourney representative. The Menehunes will compete in Division I; the KIF does not have a Division II berth.

On Maui, Lahainaluna rallied past Baldwin, 8-5, to win the Division I championship. Baldwin also earned a Division I state berth. Lana'i, meanwhile, held off Kamehameha, 9-7, to win the Division II championship. The O'ahu Interscholastic Association will sort out its Division I champion and five state berths in an eight-team tournament that begins today. Kalaheo won the Division II title.

And in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, Kamehameha won the Division I tournament, and either Iolani or Punahou will claim the second berth after today's games. Also, University High or Hawai'i Baptist/St. Andrew's/St. Francis will be the Division II champ, although by league rule HBA/St.A/St.F can participate in the state tournament only if it defeats UHS using nine players from one school.