Spring sports at Kahuku High are just about over, and soon this ongoing series of articles will cease for summer vacation. As the various seasons wane, Joe Whitford, the school's Athletic Director, shared the following updates plus several important announcements about upcoming changes next year:

Track and Field

"Our girls won the East Division, and finished third in the OIA, so we'll be well represented in the state competition," he said. "We don't have the numbers we've had in the past, but of course we have sophomore Zhane Santiago who won the 100m [15.2] and 300m hurdles [48.87], the triple jump [36' 10.5"] and the long jump [6' 10.75"]."

Zhane, who won the same three events in the OIA last year, set a triple jump record this year.

Whitford added that the boys, who two years ago won the state championship, didn't do very well this year, with only Nehoa Akina placing fourth in the long jump. Other OIA track and field results for the Kahuku girls included:

A fourth-place finish in the 4X100 relay; Jahsana Banks, 6th, 400; Tajana Santiago, 6th in the 300 hurdles, and 4th in the triple jump; a third-place finish in the 4X400; and Alyshia Cummings, 5th, long jump.

Boys volleyball

"Our boys volleyball team finished second in the OIA East, behind Roosevelt; however in the OIA playoffs we lost to Leilehua, and then to Castle in five sets, which eliminated us from the state tournament," Whitford said.

Baseball

"Our baseball team tied for first in their league, and finished fourth in the OIA White Division playoffs, so they'll be going to state," Whitford continued. "We will have some issues, however, as we don't have some of our top players."

Judo

Whitford reported that the Kahuku girls judo team "won the OIA team championship, and are headed for states." He added that this year's team is "relatively young, but very competitive."

Water polo

In the wake of their first-ever OIA loss and six straight OIA championships, the Kahuku High girls water polo team had to be content this season with a second-place finish on a 12-2 record after falling again to Roosevelt, 7-5, in the OIA finals.

"They're very good this year, with lots of senior players. Remember, we start three sophomores, a freshman, a junior and two seniors," Whitford said, "so we should be back to where we were in the future."

Change in 2009-2010 school calendar
means practices start in mid-July,
some sports schedules to overlap,
other changes

Whitford explained that a change in the 2009–2010 school calendar means that public schools will finish approximately the middle of May, "forcing our sports programs to move back two weeks earlier. For example, the practice for all the Fall sports will start on July 15, as opposed to the first week in August: School will not even be in session then, and all of our teams will be practicing."

"This also means the last weekend of spring tournaments and state finals next school year will be about May 1st," he emphasized. "This is only for the DOE [Hawaii State Department of Education], but all the other leagues have to comply to participate in state tournaments."

Whitford said this could lead to the problem of overlapping schedules for some Kahuku High sports: "Let's say we go all the way in football next school year, that means their last week in state playoffs would be December 3; but basketball and boys soccer starts November 1 under the new schedule."

Whitford emphasized that the new school year starts at the same time, but taking away "one week of Christmas vacation and one week of spring break created the mid-May ending. Christmas has been three — that's going to be reduced to two; and spring break has been two — that's going to be reduced to one."

"Actually, next year's schedule has been out for about a year now, but I know some people haven't paid any attention to it," he added. "The change puts more pressure on our coaches, especially basketball and other boys' sports; but there's nothing we can do about it. Their season will start the second or third week of December, which will impact pre-season tournaments."

He also said the respective coaches of fall sports are already in the process of putting together team rosters, "because the kids have to get their parents' permission and physicals in time to practice."

Girls volleyball: "I've already told the girls volleyball coach that the total of the three teams — varsity one and two, plus JV — cannot exceed 42 players, because we're not going to hire two buses to transport them."

Football: "I've also put a stipulation on the football team that they must stay around 70 players each, or two buses to transport them…plus the cheerleading squad," Whitford said.

Cheerleading: "I've already told the cheerleading coach we're not going to have a separate bus just for them. These are ways we're trying to minimize the cost of transportation."

Parents must provide Saturday transportation: Whitford said he's working with the principal so that parents must transport their children who play on teams to the venues for Saturday games — "except football. This is another way we can save on transportation."

"We're the farthest from any venue, so we're taking a chance that some parents might run into traffic, accidents, road closures; but we hope things like that don't happen," he said.

"We don't have the money for transportation, but we've already decided we're not going to cut any sports. This is what we have figured out so far to make up the difference."

Following a recent meeting, Whitford said all of school athletic directors are pushing to "reduce state tournament sizes — only because of costs. Right now we have 24 teams participating in some state tournaments, and it should be only 16. The other leagues are totally against it, but we're concerned about the economy."

In other sports news from around Koolauloa:

• The Red Raiders U19 rugby team — comprised of Kahuku High students and coached by Siuaki Livai — defeated a UH team 17-3 to capture the High School Rugby State Championship on May 2. Two of the team's players — Lauhingoa Mafile'o and Morris Lopaka — were selected to play for the USA U18 team. Also Michael Tuia and Ilaisia Tukuafu will play with the USA 7s team.

• BYU–Hawaii's top-ranked and unbeaten women's tennis team recently won their NCAA II West Regional matches in Laie, and are heading for the nationals in Altamonte Springs, Florida, where they hope to capture their eighth title in the past 11 years — all under the direction of head coach Dr. David Porter of Laie. The team has only accrued three losses, compared with almost 350 wins, since joining the NCAA II in 1999.

— By Mike Foley