Na Alii, Na Pueo earn second straight wins
The King Kekaulike High School boys and Maui Prep girls each repeated their wins from two weeks ago by capturing the team titles at Maui Interscholastic League surf meet No. 2 on Saturday at Koki Beach in Hana.
After winning the season-opening meet at D.T. Fleming Beach, Na Alii looked even stronger by placing all four of their shortboarders in the top 10, and placing first and third in boys bodyboard.
For the second time, Maui Prep had no individual girls champions, but had overall team strength to get past Lahainaluna.
Trae Trippel-Grow won his first bodyboard title for King Kekaulike. The senior defeated his good friend and teammate Alex Fahland, who won the first contest at Fleming and placed third at Koki.
“I’ve been doing it for all four years,” Trippel-Grow said. “In the final the waves were pretty good. I got the good ones so it was pretty awesome to make it all the way.”
Another first-time winner for King Kekaulike was Ellie Brown, who was competing in her first MIL meet. The freshman defeated Lahainaluna’s Madison Runyon, who won the Fleming contest.
Brown put pressure on the field from the beginning, catching the first wave of the heat and posting a good score. All five of her waves scored at least a 4.0. Of the five other finalists, only Runyon had a score over 4.0.
“It was super fun,” Brown said. “It’s usually my strategy to get off to a quick start, get a couple waves under my belt. It was a bit windy, but the waves were really fun.”
Labryana Hookano had the highest scoring wave in the bodyboard final to claim her first MIL title. The Kamehameha Maui sophomore received an 8.0 for a perfect 360 on the face of a right-breaking wave.
“This is my very first win,” Hookano said. “I owe my success to my coaches, they have really helped me with everything, I came in here not knowing how to do anything. Last year, I lost almost every single heat.”
The fourth individual champion completed the round of first-time winners as Tony Nunez of Maui Prep used a strong backside attack to take the boys shortboard. His teammate, Tyler Kirby, was second, while Fleming champion Axel Rosenblad of King Kekaulike was third.
The next MIL surf meet will be April 13 at Lahaina Harbor.
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MIL MEET NO. 2
Saturday’s Results
At Koki Beach
Boys
Team–King Kekaulike 4,445; Maui Prep 3,221; Kamehameha Maui 2,461; Lahainaluna 2,288; Baldwin 2,162; Hana 2,101; Maui High 2,091; Seabury Hall 1,336; Haleakala Waldorf 1,163.
Shortboard–1. Tony Nunez, Maui Prep; 2. Tyler Kirby, Maui Prep; 3. Axel Rosenblad, King Kekaulike; 4. Kanoa Kaiwi, Hana; 5. Gabriel Girardin, Haleakala Waldorf; 6. Shane Taylor, Maui High; 7. Thomas Hobson, King Kekaulike; 8. Connor Prados, King Kekaulike; 9. Xavier de Jetley, Hana; t10. Ty Simpson-Kane, Kamehameha Maui; t10. Luc Guidroz, Seabury Hall; t10. Levi Young, King Kekaulike.
Bodyboard–1. Trae Trippel-Grow, King Kekaulike; 2. Ryan West, Lahainaluna; 3. Alex Fahland, King Kekaulike; 4. Jaden Givensel, Baldwin; 5. Ty Simpson-Kane, Kamehameha Maui; 6. Blaise Brath, Kamehameha Maui; 7. George Rocha, Lahainaluna; 8. Hunter Carpio, Baldwin; 9. Tyler Kirby, Maui Prep; t10. Jeriah Acang, Baldwin; t10. Jefferson Tabon, Maui High; t10. Haku Kanakaole, Hana.
Girls
Team–Maui Prep 3,977; Lahainaluna 3,066; Kamehameha Maui 2,958; King Kekaulike 2,730; Baldwin 2,256; Seabury Hall 1,737; Hana 1,431; Maui High 531; Haleakala Waldorf 185.
Shortboard–1. Ellie Brown, King Kekaulike; 2. Madison Runyon, Lahainaluna; 3. Kayalani Mullen, King Kekaulike; 4. Paloma Banto, Maui Prep; 5. Kira Caterina, Seabury Hall; 6. Ashley Nielson, Maui Prep; t7. Clara Asay, Hana; t7. Ashley Taoka, Maui High; t9. Breauna Higgs, Lahainaluna; t9. Labryana Hookano, Kamehameha Maui.
Bodyboard–1. Labryana Hookano, Kamehameha Maui; 2. Clara Asay, Hana; 3. Kawai Kapuni, Kamehameha Maui; 4. Ellie Brown, King Kekaulike; 5. Zoe Gonzales, Maui Prep; 6. Jordan Houglum, Maui Prep; t7. Ashley Nielson, Maui Prep; t7. Madison Runyon, Lahainaluna; 9. Bryce Worth, Lahainaluna; 10. Alaura Estrella, Kamehameha Maui.