By KEVIN JAKAHI
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
Year by year, the Keaau canoe paddling program keeps making history at the Big Island Interscholastic Federation championships.
Last season, the Cougar boys won the school’s first BIIF title. A year later, it was the girls’ turn. And even equally impressive, the boys repeated in Hilo Bay conditions that featured a few home water challenges, mainly a playful wind that churned up currents.
In what was the best half-mile race of the day, the Keaau boys had a fantastic final push and finished in 3 minutes and 48.09 seconds to rally past Kealakehe, which was a hair behind in 3:48.56, on a sun-filled Saturday built for competitive times with crews pushing each other.
“We had to keep everything clean. Everyone had to be calm. That was the main thing,” Keaau junior steersman Byron Cachola said. “We pushed and gave everything after the turn. It feels amazing to repeat with the girls winning as well.”
Kalai Ho is the crew’s first-time stroker. The sophomore Cougar was on the junior varsity last season. As someone who sets the pace, Ho pointed to intangible teamwork as a key for his canoe’s smooth and fast flow.
“You’ve got to have heart, and we have a lot of heart and pulled together,” he said. “It feels super good. We unleashed the beast again. The girls did good, too. They raced clean in their race.
“We’re a family and that helps with our smoothness, especially going through the currents. We connect and move together.”
Konawaena took third in 3:53.34 and Honokaa was fourth in 4:02.57, barely edging Parker, which clocked in at 4:02.77, to secure the last spot to the Hawaii High School Athletic Association state championships, which will be held Feb. 1 on Oahu.
Keaau coach Grant Kaaua pointed to the team’s conditioning exercises — running around the school’s campus and resistance training — as an extra benefit that showed up in a timely manner.
“The key was training hard and to peak at the right time,” he said. “The whole season was geared for this day. The boys had bad luck all year. In the Kona all-schools regatta we were DQ’d for going over our lane. The next race in Hilo, we had the last pick of lanes. It was windy and finished third. Then the next race, we were neck and neck with Kona and broke our paddle. It was our first clean race all year. Our main goal was the race clean and stay calm.”
In the girls race, the Cougars paddled cleanly and charged to a finish of 4:23.01, well ahead of the Waveriders, who had a 4:26.57 time but were disqualified for burying the flag. (Canoes are allowed to touch the flag; a DQ is enforced when the flag hits the water.)
“No mistakes. That was our main target,” said Keaau sophomore stroker Kahealani Torres, who was on the JV last year. “We’ve had trouble with our changeovers. Some girls would get tired, have short breath and be slower. But after we came back from winter break, everybody cranked it up. We got our changeovers down.
“This feels really good. It’s a great experience, especially as a sophomore. The conditions were really nice. There was a little current, but everything was nice.”
The current near the mouth of the Wailoa river can turn into a washing machine, especially when a canoe gets too close to the flag.
The Waveriders made too sharp a turn, bumped the flag and couldn’t catch it before it touched the water. There were no heats for the girls varsity, so experienced proved pretty handy.
“The kids know how to turn around on the flag,” Kaaua said. “The girls didn’t have a heat. It was a one-shot deal.”
Parker, in 4:26.94, was officially second, Kamehameha (4:37.52) third and Hilo (4:49.02) claimed fourth, the final spot to states. (Pahoa, the girls defending BIIF champion, didn’t field any crews this season.)
Since canoe paddling started in 2002, no school has made it a clean sweep. Kealakehe was the last team to come close in 2012, when the Waveriders seized the boys and girls. Hawaii Prep played spoiler, winning the mixed.
In the last race of the day, Kealakehe came out with a Mauna Kea chip on its shoulder, blasted off the line for a great start and finished even better to snag first in 4:03.28, taking its turn in the role of spoiler. Keaau was second in 4:07.77.
Parker, the mixed defending BIIF champion, was third (4:16.65), qualifying two crews for states. Honokaa (4:24.86) wrapped up the fourth state spot, also getting two crews for Keehi Lagoon in two weeks.
Instead of disappointment, Kaaua had an outlook as bright as Hilo Bay’s sunny day.
“You have to give props to Kealakehe,” he said. “They had a better start and held it. But it was a great day for us. We’re hoping to carry this momentum to states. It’s different level, and we’ve got to train really hard. The competition at states is a whole different ballgame.”
BIIF canoe
paddling championships
Saturday
Hilo Bay
Half-mile
Boys varsity
1. Keaau (Kalai Ho, Kenneth Simmons, Kainalu Kiyuna, Trevor Basford, Lopaka Cariaga, Byron Cachola), 3:48.09; 2. Kealakehe, 3:48.56; 3. Konawaena, 3:53.34; 4. Honokaa, 4:02.57; 5. Parker, 4:02.77; 6. Hilo, 4:07.24; 7. Hawaii Prep, 4:16.57; 8. Waiakea, 4:18.56.
Girls varsity
1. Keaau (Kahealani Torres, Amy McBride, Cienna Jadu, Ola Amiatuanai, Ana Hall, Netai Jadu), 4:23.01; 2. Parker, 4:26.94; 3. Kamehameha, 4:37.52; 4. Hilo, 4:49.02; 5. Waiakea, 4:51.61; 6. Kona, 4:54.80; 7. HPA, 5:08.94. DQ Kealakehe, 4:26.77.
Mixed varsity
1. Kealakehe (Leisha Nakagawa, Kau Kinin, Justyce Torres, Tristen Fujisaka, Haaheo Kaiawe, Eleashia Kealoha), 4:03.28; 2. Keaau, 4:07.77; 3. Parker, 4:16.65; 4. Honokaa, 4:24.86; 5. Kamehameha, 4:28.74; 6. Ke Kula O Ehunnuikaimalino 4:33.37; 7. HPA, 4:35.55; 8. Hilo, 4:39.61.