Tre Soultz and Amber Nagata, cousins and seniors at Waiakea, kept the BIIF air riflery titles in the family Saturday, and they did it to the honor the memory of a member of their extended ohana.
Tre Soultz and Amber Nagata, cousins and seniors at Waiakea, kept the BIIF air riflery titles in the family Saturday, and they did it to the honor the memory of a member of their extended ohana.
The Warriors had just finished practice Wednesday when they got the news: Kevin Jay Ishikawa, a former teammate affectionately known as KJ, died of an apparent drowning that afternoon while swimming in the Wailuku River.
“We spent an hour, an hour and a half, just letting the kids cry and deal with it,” coach Mel Kawahara said. “I was really worried about what was going to show up today.”
The Warriors remembered Ishikawa, a 2015 Waiakea graduate, Saturday at Hilo High with stickers on their phones and guns and a logo on their T-shirts.
Any number of Waiakea shooters could have been the ones to honor their friend in victory – the Warriors placed three out of the top five in both the girls and boys competitions.
“It was just a grit thing,” Kawahara said. “Determination.”
Soultz and Nagata were truest to the mark after entering as the Nos 6 and 2 seeds, respectively.
“We’re shooting for him at BIIFs, just representing our friend,” said Soultz, who’s 536 was seven points ahead of teammate Guy Yokoe, a senior.
While the grieving process continues, the Warriors aren’t close to being done celebrating Ishikawa’s life.
“We’re shooting for him at states, too,” said Nagata, who was eight points clear of Kamehameha’s Iceley Andaya.
Waiakea, the perennial BIIF team champ, has claimed at least one individual title at every BIIF final in recent memory, but the Warriors hadn’t swept since 2012.
Soultz, a four-year participant, not only nabbed his first title, but he also was the only boys shooter to finish ahead of Nagata, claiming the “cousin rivalry.”
“It keeps it fun and more of a challenge,” Soultz said.
He had the best score in the prone and standing shoots, building a big enough lead to hold off Yokoe’s charge in the kneeling event.
Nagata trailed by one after two events, pulling ahead in the kneeling.
“Being cousins helps us motivate each other, keeping it in the bloodlines,” Nagata said. “Having my teammates there supporting me helped, too.”
Mark Nemeth delivered a rare top-five finish for St. Joseph, finishing third, and he was followed by Waiakea Dillon-Jon Gabriel and Kamehameha’s Kahekili Donner. Waiakea’s Shaye Nishimura, Kamehameha Cobi Broad and Waiakea’s Mekayla King rounded out the top five on the girls side.
Waiakea is used to gathering at the end of BIIFs and celebrating as a family. This time, there were varying degrees of reflection.
“I told them, this puts in perspective of what is important in life,” Kawahara said. “(Air riflery) is important, but a friend just died. They spent a lot of time refocusing and understanding where they are. They did really well.”
Saturday at Hilo High
BOYS
Prone-standing-kneeling–total
1. Tre Soultz, Waiakea 191-171-174–536
2. Guy Yokoe, Waiakea 182-166-181–529
3. Mark Nemeth, St. Joseph 183-168-174–525
4. Dillon-Jon Gabriel, Waiakea 186-152-178–516
5. Kahekili Donner, Kamehameha 189-158-166–513
6. Preston-Lee Ching, Kamehameha 181-159-172–512
7. Andruw Nakamura, Konawaena 175-162-174–511
8. Bradon Miyake, Waiakea 188-145-172–505
9. Logan Aruga, Kamehameha 189-138-173–500
10. Damien Saberon, Hilo 186-138-175–499
11. Devez Aniol, Kamehameha 188-134-173–495
12. Nainoa Kalaola-Maruquin, Kamehameha 178-148-168–494
13. Bryson Nakao, Waiakea 185-130-175–490
14. Devon Morimoto, Waiakea 177-148-165–490
15. Logan Sato, Waiakea 186-134-160–480
16. Isaiah Gali, Hilo 168-133-167–468
17. Jonah Kim, Hilo 169-134-161–464
18. Daniel Honda, St. Joseph 189-117-154–460
19. Brook Jones, Konawaena 176-143-138–457
20. Ethan Lee, Kamehameha 164-131-151–446
21. Kamaka Davis-Kaiwi, Konawaena 179-104-136–419
GIRLS
Prone-standing-kneeling–total
1. Amber Nagata, Waiakea 192-158-181–531
2. Iceley Andaya, Kamehameha 193-155-175–523
3. Shaye Nishimura, Waiakea 192-150-175–517
4. Cobi Broad, Kamehameha 183-152-181–516
5. Mekayla King, Waiakea 186-165-164–515
6. Ammina Galdones, Hilo 175-162-174–511
7. Janae Pacheco, Christian Liberty 179-155-168–502
8. Jeanette Tajiri, Waiakea 182-146-169–497
9. Laryssa Takiue, Waiakea 182-156-158–496
10. Tiara Pacheco, Waiakea 178-145-170–493
11. Taylor Nishimura, Waiakea 184-142-162–488
12. An Sasaki, St. Joseph 177-138-171–486
13. Anne Nakamoto, Waiakea 184-149-149–482
14. Jessica Snell, Christian Liberty 184-115-178–477
15. Meghan Wong, Kamehameha 183-130-164–477
16. Pisila Sipinga, Kamehameha 184-131-160–475
17. Bethany Maldonado, Christian Liberty 184-124-154–462
18. Eve Nagareda, Kamehameha 171-145-143–459
19. Mana Nagata, St. Joseph 170-125-156–451
20. Caysie Calpito, Konawaena 156-110-149–415
21. Alisa Leung, Hilo 167-109-128–404