Photos by Rebecca Breyer | The Honolulu Advertiser

The halau, under kumu hula Karl Veto Baker and Michael Casupang, shed tears as they accepted the Auntie Aggie Cope and Lokalia Montgomery perpetual trophy, a check for $2,000 and the promise of a trip to Japan for a sister festival that is held there each year.

Later, Casupang said, "We're just honored to be here and to be able to represent our kumu, Robert Cazimero, to be able to continue the legacy through our students ... continue our style and our spirit."

Manu Boyd, hula brother of Baker and Casupang, said he thought it might be their year when he saw their dances performed on Easter Sunday at an exhibition on O'ahu for family and friends. "I am so proud of them. They worked really hard in securing the commitment of their students. ... The commitment was over the top and they have reached the summit, as their (halau) name indicates."

"Wekiu" means "heights" or "summit."

Cazimero must be feeling rather proud, too: Boyd's halau secured third place in the women's modern-style hula division.

In other interesting developments:

i Two young kumu hula who were hula siblings at Kamehameha Schools, Snowbird Bento and Kaleo Trinidad, both won awards in only their second outings here as kumu hula.

i Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu, the California kumu hula widely considered by traditionalists as a rebel who flouts hula convention, came in fourth in the men's contemporary hula division with a rousing dance to an old-style mele about a district of O'ahu where crown flower once grew in profusion. Many had thought he'd never win here.

i A Neighbor Island halau took an award, which doesn't often happen: Halau Na Lei Kaumaka O Uka of Kula, Maui, won second in wahine kahiko.

Here are the winners of the 44th annual Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition Edith Kanaka'ole Stadium:

i Group competition, Friday and Saturday nights:

Overall winner: Halau I Ka Wekiu, Honolulu, O'ahu; na kumu hula Karl Veto Baker and Michael Nalanikila'ekolu Casupang; 1,179 points.

Group wahine winners (overall):

Winner — Hula Halau 'O Kamuela, Kalihi and Waimanalo, O'ahu; na kumu hula Kau'ionalani Kamana'o and Kunewa Mook; 1,178 points.

2nd place — Halau Mohala 'Ilima, Ka'ohao, O'ahu; kumu hula Mapuana de Silva; 1,168 points.

3rd place — Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, Kapalama, O'ahu; kumu Kaleo Trinidad; 1,160 points

Group kane winners (overall):

Winner — Halau I Ka Wekiu, Honolulu, O'ahu; na kumu hula Karl Veto Baker and Michael Nalanikila'ekolu Casupang; 1,179 points.

2nd place — Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, Kapalama, O'ahu; kumu Kaleo Trinidad; 1,132 points

3rd place — Ka Pa Hula O Ka Lei Lehua, Honolulu, O'ahu; kumu hula Snowbird Puananiopaoakalani Bento; 1,109 points.

Group wahine winners (kahiko) :

Winner — Hula Halau 'O Kamuela, Kalihi and Waimanalo, O'ahu; na kumu hula Kau'ionalani Kamana'o and Kunewa Mook; 591 (tie, broken by tie-breaker points — 822 points).

2nd place — Halau Na Lei Kaumaka O Uka, Kula, Maui; na kumu hula Napua Greig and Kahulu Maluo-Huber; 591 points.

3rd place — Halau Mohala 'Ilima, Ka'ohao, O'ahu; kumu hula Mapuana de Silva; 585 points.

4th place — Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, Kapalama, O'ahu; kumu Kaleo Trinidad; 582 points

5th place — Ka Pa Hula 'O Kauanoe O Wa'ahila, Kaimuki, O'ahu; kumu hula Maelia Loebenstein-Carter; 581 points.

Group kane winners (kahiko):

Winner — Halau I Ka Wekiu, Honolulu, O'ahu; na kumu hula Karl Veto Baker and Michael Nalanikila'ekolu Casupang; 568 points.

2nd place — Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, Kapalama, O'ahu; kumu Kaleo Trinidad; 555 points.

3rd place — Ka Pa Hula O Ka Lei Lehua, Honolulu, O'ahu; kumu hula Snowbird Puananiopaoakalani Bento; 554 points.

4th place — Halau O Ka Hanu Lehua, Honolulu, O'ahu, and Kahului, Maui; Carlson Kamaka Kukona III; 534 points.

Group wahine winners ('auana)

Winner — Hula Halau 'O Kamuela, Kalihi and Waimanalo, O'ahu; na kumu hula Kau'ionalani Kamana'o and Kunewa Mook; 587 points.

2nd place — Halau Mohala 'Ilima, Ka'ohao, O'ahu; kumu hula Mapuana de Silva; 583 points.

3rd place — Halau O Ke 'A'ali'i Ku Makani, Kane'ohe, O'ahu; kumu hula Manu Boyd; 582 points.

4th place — Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, Kapalama, O'ahu; kumu Kaleo Trinidad; 578 points.

5th place — Keolalaulani Halau 'Olapa O Laka, He'eia, O'ahu; kumu hula Aloha Dalire; 577 points.

Group kane winners ('auana)

Winner — Halau I Ka Wekiu, Honolulu, O'ahu; na kumu hula Karl Veto Baker and Michael Nalanikila'ekolu Casupang; 611 points.

2nd place — Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, Kapalama, O'ahu; kumu Kaleo Trinidad; 577 points.

3rd place — Ka Pa Hula O Ka Lei Lehua, Honolulu, Hawai'i; kumu hula Snowbird Puananiopaoakalani Bento; 555 points.

4th place — Academy of Hawaiian Arts; Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu; 551 points.

i Miss Aloha Hula competition, Thursday night:

Winner — Keonilei Ku'uwehiokala Kaniaupio Fairbanks, Ka Pa Hula O Kauanoe O Wa'ahila; kumu hula Maelia Loebenstein Carter; 1,609 points.

1st runner-up — Aureana Kamali'io'iwalani Tseu, Hula Halau O Kamuela; na kumu hula Kau'i Kamana'o and Kunewa Mook; 1,527 points.

2nd runner-up — Erica Kau'ionalani Awana, Halau Mohala 'Ilima; kumu hula Mapuana de Silva; 1,512 points.

3rd runner-up — Malia Ann Marks, Halau Hula Olana; na kumu hula Howard and Olana Ai; 1,501 points.

4th runner-up — Lewalani Duarte; Keolalaulani Halau 'Olapa O Laka; kumu hula Aloha Dalire; 1,496 points.