WAIKOLOA — Another Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) golf season began Friday morning at Waikoloa Village Course, and many familiar top finishers from last season made noise.
Kealakehe won the boys team competition with a +37 team score, while Hilo carded a team +53 in the girls field to place first.
Waiakea’s Jake Otani, one of the central contributors to last season’s boys state title team, finished first overall in the boys field with a score of 77 (+5). Otani is expected to be the Warriors’ top golfer this season after the back-to-back state champions lost Ryder Ng and Noah Otani to graduation. Jake Otani placed 14th overall in last May’s state tournament — shooting 73 and 78 across the two-day event.
Otani’s teammate, Noah Miyazono, tied for second with a 79. Miyazono placed 36th in the 2024 state championship and 10th in the BIIF Championship. Olin Sakamoro (+15), Kysen Taniguchi (+15) and Skyler Miyashiro (+18) rounded out the rest of Waiakea’s golfers who placed in the top 20. The Warriors placed second in the team competition, shooting +67.
The winning Waverider boys were led by Ulukoa Kailiwai, who finished tied for second overall in the individual competition with a score of 79 (+7). Teammates Malakai Akeo and Xander Broderson tied for fourth after carding an 81 (+9). Broderson is expected to take a big leap this season after being a key factor in Kealakehe’s success in 2024.
Noah Okazaki, who placed 35th at states last season and seventh in BIIFs, finished tied for ninth after shooting an 84 (+12).
Hilo placed third in the boys competition after carding a +51 as a unit. Tyler Maag, who finished 71st overall at states last season and fourth in BIIFs, was the Vikings’ top individual finisher — shooting an 82 and tying for seventh place. Aidan Puleo (+12), Kaiden Ambrosio (+13), Iakona Manuia (+16) and Justice Drummondo (+23) rounded out the rest of Hilo’s team that placed in the top 20.
Hawaii Preparatory Academy placed fourth in the boys field with a score (+63), led by star Parker Smithson tying in fourth with an 81 (+9). Smithson placed 55th at states and 11th in the BIIF championship match last season. Teammate Matty Inaba, who placed 27th at states in 2024, tied for seventh with a +10. Keegan Hennessy was the other Ka Makani player that placed in the top 20, carding an 89 (+17).
Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i came in fifth with a +114, led by Diesel DeMello with a 95. DeMello tied for 18th place. Kohala placed sixth as a team, led by Paxton Carvalho in 26th place with a +40.
In the girls field, HPA’s Khloe Nakagawa carded an 84 (+12) to win the individual competition by a single stroke. Teammate Helly Hughes tied for ninth with a 96.
The winning Hilo Lady Vikings were led by Lauren Kozohara in second with an 85 (+13). Kozohara placed 34th overall at states last May, carding a 169 across three rounds.
KSH’s Addison Arbles (+18), Hilo’s Nalei Ramos (+19) and Waiakea’s Jordyn Kawachi (+20) rounded out the rest of the top five.
Regular season play will resume at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Volcano Golf Course.
