As expected, all the favorites — the Keaau girls, Kamehameha boys and Hawaii Prep mixed crews — won at the BIIF canoe paddling championships on Saturday at Hilo Bay, where Kealakehe was the only one to qualify all three crews for the state championships.
It was a typical Hilo day of late: sunshine all over the beach, moderate wind, fairly choppy water and good competition all around to finish among the top three to earn a spot to the state championships, which will be held March 5 at Keehi Lagoon on Oahu.
It’s no surprise that Keaau (Delilah Martin, Lexie Prudholm, Kysha Carvalho, Adelaide Stebbins, Kassidy Lucas, Cother-McKeague La’a) won the half-mile race in 4 minutes, 17.86 seconds, ahead of Hawaii Prep, 4:26.97; Kealakehe, 4:36.48; Waiakea, 4:45.25; Kamehameha, 4:47.23; and Parker, 4:55.44.
“They put in a lot of work the last couple of weeks,” said Keaau coach Anna Golden Kaaua, who coaches with her husband, Grant Kaaua. “They worked on what they needed to six and put it all together and made it happen.”
The Cougars also captured a BIIF title in 2020. Prudholm and La’a both earned their second gold medals. They were sophomore paddlers on the 2020 crew.
“The girls wanted it. We’ve been pushing them hard at practice,” Grant Kaaua said. “That second quarter-mile they turned it on and really showed their determination. I’m really happy for Lexie and Cother, our seniors who were on our last championship crew when they were sophomores.”
Last week, the Kamehameha boys made their debut after battling COVID-19 issues all season. The Warriors (Nauhi Lewis, Tyler O’Brien, Noah Pila, Niau Paulos, Kamau Beaudet, Umi Young) took gold in 3:49.96, followed by Kealakehe, 3:53.40; Hilo, 3:56.11; Keaau, 4:03.68; HPA, 4:24.85; and Waiakea, 4:57.28, which drew a disqualification.
“They worked hard, and everything worked out for them,” Kamehameha coach Keahi Warfield said. “Like I said before, no expectations. They just had to put it together and hold on. It’s nice to have a little bit of extra time to settle down and get ready for states. All the kids did really well. I’m pleased with their performance but back to the drawing board.”
Two Warriors, Pila and Paulos, will try out on Feb. 26 on Oahu for the International Va’a Federation World Sprint Championship, which will be held Aug. 7-16 in England.
It’s Kamehameha’s first BIIF crown since the girls took the title in 2016.
Since canoe paddling started in 2002, no school has pulled off the elusive BIIF sweep, winning all three titles.
If the paddling numbers approach pre-COVID levels, it’ll be harder to do because of the heats.
But HPA is getting good at figuring out the right mix. HPA placed second in the girls, but Ka Makani (Della Stallsmith, Te’a Kanuha, Tain Lawson, Nathan Roberts, Kacen Hamada, Ollie Hope) seized the mixed title in 4:06.07, followed by Keaau, 4:07.84; Kealakehe, 4:11.74; Hilo, 4:23.41; Kamehameha, 4:23.66; Parker, 4:29.19; and Waiakea, 4:31.79.
Ka Makani claimed the girls and mixed championships in 2020 and the boys and mixed in 2019.
There was a heat for the first race of the day, which is a big curveball to the whole game plan for attempting a sweep.
“In the mixed race, it was the first time we had heats, so you had to juggle things around and make sure we didn’t burn our paddlers out,” HPA coach Mesepa Tanoai said. “After the heat and then the girls, it was a different mindset. I saved my boys because they had to paddle twice, and make sure our girls could handle racing three times. It was challenging but well worth it. We were up with Keaau, and luckily we were able to get that first place.
“I’m glad for my seniors, which is the most I’ve ever had. I’m glad for them to get this final in their final competition for this island. Now we just focus on states, go and have fun and try to get the best finish that we can.”
Kealakehe got a state qualification sweep, earning lanes for the girls, boys and mixed crews.
“We’re really happy with that. In some of the races, we had hoped to do a little bit better,” Kealakehe coach Mike Atwood said. “To be able to send those three crews and the paddlers who worked hard during the season to get there it’s a reward in itself. We knew the competition was going to be good. We didn’t get a chance to see the Kamehameha boys or Keaau girls too much this season.
“The competition is only a good thing because we realized what we have to work toward. At states, it’s going to be even better than that. We’re happy, and we’re proud of all of your kids and coaches.