Tribune-Herald
Tribune-Herald
Team and individual titles as well as state berths will be on the line today in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Bowling Championships at Hilo Lanes.
Action starts at 10 a.m. with the top four boys’ and girls’ teams from the final regular season standings battling for the BIIF titles and state berths.
The BIIF’s boys and girls team champions will earn state berths as well as the league’s top 14 girls and 15 boys by season average.
The BIIF’s individual champions are guaranteed state berths. The state tournament will be held Thursday and Friday on Kauai
Waiakea, under coach Tracy Nakashima, finished the boys regular season with a perfect 9-0 record and was followed in the top four by No. 2 seed Konawaena (7-2), No. 3 Hilo (7-2) and No. 4 Kealakehe (6-3). In the semifinals today, Waiakea will battle Kealakehe while Konawaena takes on Hilo. The winners advance to the championship match in the afternoon session.
Kealakehe finished the girls regular season with an 8-1 record to capture the No. 1 seed in the BIIF playoffs. The Waveriders are followed in the top four by No. 2 seed Hilo (7-2), No. 3 Waiakea (7-2) and No. 4 Konawaena (7-2). In the semifinals today, it’s Kealakehe vs. Konawaena and Hilo vs. Waiakea. The winners advance to the afternoon title match.
Konawaena’s Rodney Torres finished atop the individual boys list for scoring average during the regular season. He averaged 189.14 pins per game in 14 games. Teammate Tyler Hashimoto was second with a 179.69 average in 16 games, followed in the top five by Waiakea’s John Kaipo (177.28, 18), Kealakehe’s Harley Jarvis (177.05, 20) and Konawaena’s Stefan Kimura (175.53, 15).
They are considered the favorites today in the battle for the boys individual title, however, you can’t count out defending BIIF champion Cullen Kurohara of Hilo who seems to peak at the right time. Last year, Kurohara stunned the other contenders to claim the individual title.
Konawaena’s Melissa Simon had the girls top average, with 170.35 pins in 20 games during the regular season. She was followed in the top five by teammate Madison Staup (168.67, 18), Hilo’s Briahna Brooks (167.19, 16) and Kylie Fujiyoshi (163.25, 16) and Kealakehe’s Tiffany Kurozawa (160.06, 18).
Simon is the favorite going into the individual championships, but any of the top contenders are good enough to pull off an upset.