Ozzie Reyes of Kihei Charter slams the lip in pacing his team to a runner-up finish and winning boys No. 5. Photo courtesy Dayanidhi

The King Kekaulike boys and Maui Christian Academy girls won the team titles at the opening Maui Interscholastic League surf competition Saturday at D.T. Fleming Beach Park.

Chase Burnes won the boy’s final heat of the day to lead King Kekaulike to a one-point victory over Kihei Charter, 55-54. Seabury Hall and Maui Christian tied for third with 45 points.

Na Alii was trailing by one-point going into the Boys No. 2 final. Burnes, a junior, got off to a quick start by sitting way right and picking up two scoring rights to take an early lead. Kihei Charter freshmen Aidan Haas, sitting way left, then caught the highest scoring wave of the heat to put the pressure on Burnes. Burnes then caught a left that put him back in the lead for good.

Burnes had no idea he had to beat Haas to pull out the win.

“I wasn’t really keeping track of the point system. I wasn’t really paying attention to it, but I’m glad I didn’t because it would have made me a little more nervous,” Burnes said. “I’m glad that we took it out, and we’re on top, and honored to represent King K.”

The other Na Alii champion was Teiva Keomaniboth who edged Noah Haas, Aidan’s older brother, in the Boys No. 3, by three-hundredths of a point. The other scorers for King Kekaulike were Kingston Panebianco, fourth at No. 1, Kanoa Kuailani, second at No. 4 and Ian Pegoraro, fourth at No. 5.

The boy’s No. 1 final was also a close heat with one-tenth of a point separating the top three placers in the six-person final.

Angel Jardine, a junior at Maui Christian, edged Kahlili Pineres-Schooley of Seabury Hall and Zolten Poulsen of Maui Prep. Pineres-Schooley, a freshmen, is a two-time national age group winner, and Poulsen, a junior, is the defending MIL individual champion.

Ayla Daian of King Kekaulike engages her backside rail, and claimed girls No. 2. Photo courtesy Dayanidi

“That was a really nail-biting heat for sure,” Jardine said. “The waves were like all right, but I was just trying to look for the best waves. I feel like we have a strong team this year, and I’m just stoked for this season.”

The Maui Christian girls captured their first MIL win, 58-54, over Maui Prep. This is the second season for the Eagles surf team. King Kekaulike was third, while Kulanihakoi, in their second year, was a surprising fourth.

“Oh God, they just they did so well,” said head coach Dana Anderson, a former women’s windsurfing world champion. “They’re so excited. They’ve been training hard, so proud of them. Mikaia never surfed here before, and then she won. She was nervous, but she did great and the snap that she made was pretty impressive.”

Mikaia Barnes, a freshmen won the girls No. 3, while Eagle teammates sophomore Talia Sloan took girls No. 4, and senior Sophia Bunch claimed the No. 5 division. The other Eagle scorers were Thayane Colpas, fifth at No. 1, and Lila Sloan, Talia’s twin sister, was second at No. 2.

Bunch surfed as the No. 3 all last year, but doesn’t mind surfing No. 5.

“Our girls are so good and our coaches have even said, ‘We don’t even know where to put the girls because you guys are all so close.’ We have a full stacked girls team this year, and I think all of our girls are really fired up.”

“The ways were definitely a little tricky,” added Bunch, “but I know if you got the right one, then you would get a good score. I only caught two waves and I somehow won.”

The next MIL surf meet is March 29 at Kahului Harbor, waves permitting. Hookipa Beach Park is the alternate site.

Sloane Jucker of Maui Prep air drops off the whitewater while taking the girls No. 1 division. Photo courtesy Dayanidhi

Results

Boys

Team — 1. King Kekaulike, 55; 2. Kihei Charter, 54; 3. (tie) Maui Christian Academy and Seabury Hall, 45. 5. Maui Prep, 44; 6. Baldwin, 40; 7. Hana, 34; 8. Kamehameha, 31; 9. Kulanihakoi, 14; 10. Lahainaluna, 6; 11. Maui High 4.

Individual

No. 1 — 1. Angel Jardine, Maui Christian, 12.53; 2. Kahlil Pineres-Schooley, Seabury Hall, 12.44; 3. Zolten Poulsen, Maui Prep, 12.43; 4. Kingston Panebianco, King Kekaulike, 10.83;

5. Kanoa Gaffney, Hana, 10.47; 6. Duke Stanton, Baldwin, 9.30.

No. 2 — 1. Chase Burnes, King Kekaulike, 13.00; 2. Aiden Haas, Kihei Charter, 12.33; 3. Keano Jardine, Maui Christian, 11.63; 4. Blake Gebb, Seabury Hall, 11.27; 5. Rex Ang, Baldwin, 10.60;

6. Ezra Offergeld, Maui Prep, 9.83.

No. 3 — 1. Teiva Keomaniboth, King Kekaulike, 12.27; 2. Noah Haas, Kihei Charter, 12.23;

3. Desmond Connelly, Seabury Hall, 9.63; 4. Noah Dvorak, Seabury Hall, 8.27; 5. Huy Vu, Baldwin, 8.20; 6. T.J. Hehemann, Maui Prep, 7.07.

No. 4 — 1. Jayden Craig, Kihei Charter, 15.50; 2. Kanoa Kuailani, King Kekaulike, 12.60;

3. Makaiah Clark, Maui Prep, 10.40; 4. Ayden Truong, Baldwin, 9.83; 5. Maxwell Aaron, Hana, 7.00; 6. Mikaia Sakuma, Kamehameha, 5.07.

No. 5 — 1. Ozzi Reyes, Kihei Charter, 12.13; 2. Sage Ryden, Seabury Hall, 10.83; 3. Noah Richard, Maui Prep, 9.90; 4. Ian Pegoraro, King Kekaulike, 8.66; 5. Dylan Moiina, Baldwin, 8.63;

6. Jack Hill, Maui Christian, 5.10.

Girls

Team — 1. Maui Christian Academy, 58; 2. Maui Preparatory Academy, 54; 3. King Kekaulike, 46; 4. Kulanihakoi, 38; 5. Haleakala Waldorf, 33; 6. Baldwin, 32; 7. Seabury Hall, 31; 8. Lahainaluna, 28; 9. Kihei Charter, 21; 10. Maui High, 7; 11. Kamehameha, 6.

No. 1 — 1. Sloane Jucker, Maui Prep, 11.40; 2. Chrislyn Simpson-Kane, King Kekaulike, 9.90;

3. Ruby Littleton-Fleck, Kulanihakoi, 7.50; 4. Gianna Pogni, Lahainaluna, 5.90; 5. Thayanne Colpas, Maui Christian, 5.83; 6. Peyton Prouty, Seabury Hall, 5.00.

No. 2 — 1. Ayla Daian, King Kekaulike, 11.80; 2. Lila Sloan, Maui Christian, 10.00; 3. Imani Caserta, Maui Prep, 9.30; 4. Makena Heustis, Haleakala, 7.33; 5. Layla James, Kihei Charter, 5.50; 6. Alexa Johnson, Kulanihakoi, 5.10.

No. 3 — 1. Mikaia Barnes, Maui Christian, 12.63; 2. Bella Kuailani, King Kekaulike, 12.34; 3. Zoey Offergeld, Maui Prep, 9.40; 4. Zenara Dattola, Kihei Charter, 8.50; 5. Talei Laury-Schaefer, Haleakala, 7.66; 6. Marley Shea-Apolo, Baldwin, 5.97.

No. 4 — 1. Talia Sloan, Maui Christian, 10.10; 2. Scout Smith, Maui Prep, 7.96; 3. Maddison Hughes, Haleakala, 4.83; 4. Gisele Miller, Lahainaluna, 3.67; 5. Hana Freet, Seabury Hall, 2.50; 6. Sammie Citrawireja, Baldwin, 0.00.

No. 5 — 1. Sophia Bunch, Maui Christian, 8.64; 2. Kaja Przeciechowska, King Kekaulike, 7.44; 3. Alyssa Condrey, Maui Prep, 5.83; 4. Bella Molina, Kulanihakoi, 5.07; 5. Isabella Salamone, Haleakala, 3.50; 6. Ginger Hill, Maui High, 1.50.

Angel Jardine of Maui Christian does a floater off the breaking wave in winning the boys No. 1 division at the Maui Interscholastic League surf contest Saturday at D.T. Fleming Beach. Photo courtesy Dayanidhi

Chase Burnes of King Kekaulike foam climbs on the breaking wave to lead his boy’s team to victory in the first MIL contest of the season. Photo courtesy Dayanidhi

Sophia Bunch of Maui Christian finishes her walk through the victory tunnel after her win at No. 5. Photo courtesy Kim Ball