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Posted at 11:02 a.m., Sunday, January 20, 2008

Preps: Lahainaluna, Seabury win MIL swim meet

By Mary Beth Bishop
The Maui News

KIHEI, Maui — The Gill sisters — Mariah, Hailey and Koral — know what it takes to win, and the Lahainaluna High School girls swim team is happy to have them on board.

Yesterday, they each won individual and relay titles at the Maui Invitational, helping the Lunas take the team championship.

"We're pretty focused and dedicated to what we do — we take things seriously, we don't really like to jump around from thing to thing,'' said junior Hailey Gill, the middle sister, said to The Maui News.

"What we've always been taught is if you're going to do something, give it your best.''

Hailey Gill finished first in the 50-yard freestyle in 26.05 seconds, and also helped the Lunas' 200 medley relay team win in 1:57.43.

Younger sister Koral, a freshman, also competed in the 200 medley relay and took first in the 200 individual medley, with a time of 2:19.81, and the 100 butterfly, with a time of 1:04.37.

Freshman Kamaehu Alboro and sophomore Kaili Faust also competed on the 200 medley relay team.

"The relay that we did today, the 200 medley, we did our best time and we did really good and that one we're really excited about because it's all underclassmen (except for Hailey Gill),'' Koral Gill said. "Me and these two other girls, we're all underclassmen, and we have many more years to get better, and so we're excited about that relay for the (MIL championships).''

Hailey Gill was second to Koral in the 100 butterfly, and was the 100 freestyle runner-up.

Senior Mariah Gill, who won the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:07.70 and was second to Hailey in the 50 freestyle, said she enjoyed the invitational format.

The event had two distinct meets — one on Friday, and one yesterday.

"I've really had fun today — it's been a fun meet,'' Mariah Gill said. "Last night was really fun. It's been exciting — our team's really good and it's the biggest high school team, definitely here, in a long time.''

Mariah Gill teamed with Natalie Austin, Michelle Fuller and Alana Hendrickson to win the 400 freestyle relay in 4:02.83.

Koral Gill was second to Alboro in the 100 backstroke, and Mariah Gill was third.

Lahainaluna finished with 97 team points yesterday, 46 ahead of runner-up Baldwin.

On the boys' side, Seabury Hall's Zach Johnson won two individual events and was part of two first-place relay teams.

Johnson won the 100 backstroke in 58.05, and the 100 breaststroke in 1:06.46.

Johnson, James Matsui, Michael Brown and Ridge Altman won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:36.87, and Johnson, Matsui, Altman and Ben Brandes won the 200 medley relay in 1:47.66.

"On the back, I beat my times last week, and I tried for my best time in the breast but I was a little off,'' Johnson said. "It was a good swim for me. The guys are really strong swimmers, good guys, and we had a good relay. I was really glad.''

The Spartans won the boys team title with 52 points, and the Bears finished second with 45.

Lahainaluna's Jack Pope set a meet record in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:45.42, breaking the mark of 1:45.61 set by Randall Tom in 2004.

Pope set the county record for the event (1:42.98) in 2007.

For more Maui news, visit The Maui News.