The King Kekaulike boys paddling team (left) turns their canoe in front of the Seabury Hall team during a Maui Interscholastic League Division II race at the second regatta of the season Saturday at Kahului Harbor. Eli Pace/The Maui News

A new chapter in Maui Interscholastic League paddling began Dec. 13 at Kahului Harbor, as the sport debuted a Division I and Division II racing format during the season-opening regatta.

Previously contested under a single division, MIL canoe paddling now features two divisions following a league proposal that received unanimous approval from Hawaii athletic directors. The format, which will be tested over a two-year trial period, aims to better align competition levels while expanding state opportunities.

“My whole avenue for trying to create a Division II is to be treated equal to other major sports in Hawaii,” said Seabury Hall coach Paul Luuwai, who was pivotal in the MIL proposal to the Hawaii High School Athletic Association. “It’s about respecting our sport a little bit more, so I wasn’t just advocating for our school, I was advocating for our sport.”

King Kekaulike coach Flo Michelier echoed that the move “recognizes paddling as a major sport” among the other programs that have DI and DII championships, as opposed to one tournament.

Many coaches feel the new format also opens opportunities for more participation at the state championship level. According to the HHSAA, Division I will continue with 12 qualifying teams across the state for the boys, girls and mixed races, while the Division II regatta will include 12 teams for the girls race and eight teams for the boys and mixed races.

The MIL will receive two state berths from each of the boys, girls and mixed races in each division, increasing tournament representation from a total of nine to 12 teams.

“It gives the smaller school a lot more opportunity to get there,” Kamehameha Maui coach Robert Brede said Thursday. “In the Division II, you have Molokai and Seabury that are very competitive, but it also gives a chance to other schools to step up a little bit more.”

At the opening MIL regatta in Kahului, King Kekaulike and Kamehameha Maui led the way across multiple DI varsity races. The Warriors captured the girls and mixed titles with times of 4:39.89 and 4:15.13, respectively, while Na Alii powered to first place in the boys race with a time of 4:07.95.

King Kekaulike and Kamehameha were runner-ups to each other’s wins, posing for an exciting season ahead. Lahainaluna was third in each race.

Brede knew that the first regattas of the season were going to approach quickly, which is why he encouraged his paddlers to “train early and start training hard” to develop and master technique.

“(The regatta) came up faster than expected but the results were great,” he added. “I was so happy with our results. But, you know, it puts a target on our backs, so we can’t stop trying to thrive. … We can’t let our guard down and we will just continue to accomplish what we can accomplish every week at every regatta because our ultimate goal is to qualify for states.”

Kona winds blowing up to 15 mph made for irregular racing conditions at the harbor that Saturday morning, but Michelier said later in the week that it made the flag turns similar to what his paddlers experience on the Lahaina course.

“Although there is always room for improvement, I am happy with the performance of all the crews from Kekaulike at the first regatta,” Michelier said. “There is healthy competition from the other MIL schools, which is good. It helps us push each other to get better. We will continue to work on our fundamentals of paddling.”

After finishing third at the state championships in the boys and girls races last year, Michelier said the goals for Na Alii remain the same: “push to be MIL champs, qualify for states and most importantly have fun and promote healthy competition.”

Molokai started the season strong by sweeping the top DII varsity positions in both the boys and mixed races, while Seabury Hall claimed the girls victory. The Farmers’ and Spartans’ times in the boys race edged the DI leader King Kekaulike.

“We knew they were going to be a challenge this season,” said Spartans coach Luuwai, whose boys and mixed teams finished a close second behind Molokai. “We’re young, but you know, we’re going to compete and I’m pretty excited with the group I have.”

Seabury Hall has been one of the MIL’s most consistent paddling programs, winning more than 30 canoe division titles since 2010. The Spartans also finished as state runner-ups in the boys’ race last season.

Luuwai said the focus remains unchanged despite the new divisional format and having a young team this season.

“We’ve done well in the past decade and a half in the DI and DII, we’ve held our own,” he said. “It’s always technique, that’s always the emphasis because it can save you in the long run in any sport. … We’re young, so just really going back to the fundamentals and it’s always a work in progress. The training is the same; the goals are the same.”

In addition to competing in separate divisions each week, the MIL has added a “bragging rights” race at the end of each regatta, allowing the fastest varsity crews across divisions to line up together as teams prepare for the push toward the state championship at Ke’ehi Lagoon, Oahu, in February.

Maui Interscholastic League Regatta 1

At Kahului Harbor

Varsity Girls DI — 1. Kamehameha Maui, 4:39.89; 2. King Kekaulike, 4:47.31; 3. Lahainaluna, 5:05.83.

Varsity Boys DI — 1. King Kekaulike, 4:07.95; 2. Kamehameha Maui, 4:12.46; 3. Lahainaluna, 4:31.72.

Varsity Mix DI — 1. Kamehameha Maui, 4:15.13; 2. King Kekaulike, 4:33.48; 3. Lahainaluna, 4:36.75.

Varsity Girls DII — 1. Seabury Hall, 4:58.38; 2. Molokai, 5:13.21; 3. Kulanihakoi, 5:28.56.

Varsity Boys DII — 1. Molokai, 3:57.41; 2. Seabury Hall, 4:06.69; 3. Kihei Charter 4:28.77.

Varsity Mix DII — 1. Molokai, 4:23.88; 2. Seabury Hall, 4:35.47; 3. Kihei Charter, 4:37.17.

Maui Interscholastic League Regatta 2

At Kahului Harbor

Varsity Girls DI — 1. Kamehameha Maui, 4:18.49; 2. King Kekaulike, 4:23.24; 3. Lahainaluna, 4:37.75.

Varsity Boys DI — 1. Kamehameha Maui, 3:45.21; 2. King Kekaulike, 3:47.03; 3. Maui High, 3:56.88.

Varsity Mix DI — 1. Kamehameha Maui, 3:58.08; 2. King Kekaulike, 4:08.99; 3. Lahainaluna, 4:15.38.

Varsity Girls DII — 1. Seabury Hall, 4:26.25; 2. Molokai, 4:44.91; 3. Kihei Charter, 4:47.62.

Varsity Boys DII — 1. Molokai, 3:45.83; 2. Seabury Hall, 3:54.28; 3. Kihei Charter, 4:03.30.

Varsity Mix DII — 1. Molokai, 4:09.11; 2. Seabury Hall, 4:12.56; 3. Kihei Charter, 4:24.03.