Na Alii, Na Pueo claim MIL surf titles
Individual champions also crowned at season-ending meet at Hookipa
The King Kekaulike High School boys won their fourth straight Maui Interscholastic League surf championship while the Maui Prep girls claimed their third MIL title in five years in overhead surf at Hookipa Beach Park on Saturday.
Hookipa was the fourth and final stop of the MIL season, and there were some surprise team results. Na Alii boys had won three straight contests, but Maui Prep upset them on Saturday. Likewise, Na Pueo girls had taken the past three events, but King Kekaulike pulled a similar upset, beating them for the first time.
Scott Schellhammer, Na Alii’s first-year head coach, didn’t let their first boys loss dim his excitement.
“They’re incredible, so proud of them,” he said. “They’ve always focused on having fun first. We had depth on our roster. It was difficult just to get on our (boys) squad. Some guys gave up their spot to let everyone compete at least once.”
King Kekaulike won the girls contest despite having only three competitors — teams are allowed to enter four.
“Those girls were going both ways (bodyboard and shortboard),” Schellhammer said. “These three girls really pulled through.”
Kayalani Mullen, Tatiana Ebro and Ellie Brown all placed in the top seven in bodyboard and shortboard. Mullen won the bodyboard while Ebro was second in both disciplines.
Mullen was excited to beat Maui Prep.
“It was so sick, Taty and Ellie rip so hard,” she said. “Really stoked on the waves, the waves were so fun, especially in the morning.”
Na Alii’s Alex Fahland placed third in boys bodyboard, but took the overall MIL title.
The senior was glad to go out on a winning note.
“Glad I could end it with this,” Fahland said. “Feels good to share with the team, we’re all stoked.”
Madison Runyon won the girls shortboard for the third time this year. She claimed the overall MIL titles in shortboard and bodyboard.
Runyon was trailing Kamehameha Maui’s Labryana Hookano in the bodyboard standings, but Runyon placed third while Hookano failed to advance out of her first heat Saturday.
Runyon trailed Ebro in the shortboard final until she caught a wave with about two minutes left and rode it for a 5.07, the highest single-wave score of the heat.
“The pressure was on,” Runyon said. “I was stressing a little bit. Then that wave came to me. It’s been super fun this year, unforgettable.”
Tony Nunez of Maui Prep won the boys shortboard and the overall title. Like Runyon, he caught a wave in the closing minutes to move from fifth to first. His strong backside attack on that wave netted him a 6.93, the highest single score.
“It was a little bit nerve-racking,” Nunez said. “I got a wave right at the beginning, like the first 30 seconds. I sat around for about 12 minutes, then I got my last wave. Once I got the second wave, I knew it would be in the six range.”
Baldwin’s Hunter Carpio got his first MIL win in the bodyboard. He got off to a big lead with one of the highest scores all day, an 8.0. But then he sat as four other bodyboarders caught their second scoring waves and passed him.
“I was super stressed,” Carpio said. “I sat for about 10 minutes, I couldn’t find any waves in the middle of the heat. I finally caught a small one and did five 360s and one rollo. It worked out.”
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MIL SURFING
MIL MEET NO. 4
Saturday’s Results
At Hookipa Beach Park
Boys
Team–Maui Prep 4,069; King Kekaulike 4,007; Baldwin 2,571; Lahainaluna 2,524; Hana 1,937; Kamehameha Maui 1,810; Haleakala Waldorf 1,602; Maui High 1,060; Seabury Hall 952.
Shortboard–1. Tony Nunez, Maui Prep; 2. Ty Simpson-Kane, Kamehameha Maui; 3. Axel Rosenblad, King Kekaulike; 4. Tyler Kirby, Maui Prep; 5. Kanoa Kaiwi, Hana; 6. Gabriel Girardin, Haleakala Waldorf; 7. Kai Claydon, Lahainaluna; 8. Harrison Cramond, Maui Prep; 9. Avery Kibby, Baldwin; t10. Kannon White, Seabury Hall; t10. Jackson Green, King Kekaulike; t10. Slate Fleck, Maui Prep.
Bodyboard–1. Hunter Carpio, Baldwin; 2. Trae Trippel-Grow, King Kekaulike; 3. Alex Fahland, King Kekaulike; 4. George Rocha, Lahainaluna; 5. Jaden Givensel, Baldwin; 6. Marcus Hauen-Limkilde, King Kekaulike; 7. Slater Fleck, Maui Prep; 8. Tyler Kirby, Maui Prep; 9. Ryan West, Lahainaluna; t10. Harrison Cramond, Maui Prep; t10. Kanoa Kaiwi, Hana; t10. Jefferson Tabon, Maui High.
Girls
Team–King Kekaulike 4,650; Maui Prep 4,018; Lahainaluna 3,158; Baldwin 2,626; Kamehameha Maui 1,742; Seabury Hall 1,394; Maui High 810; Hana 778; Haleakala Waldorf 491.
Shortboard–1. Madison Runyon, Lahainaluna; 2. Tatiana Ebro, King Kekaulike; 3. Ashley Taoka, Maui High; 4. Kayalani Mullen, King Kekaulike; 5. Skyla Adriano-Howard, Baldwin; 6. Ellie Brown, King Kekaulike; t7. Ashley Nielson, Maui Prep; t7. Beauna Higgs, Lahainaluna; t9. Zoe Gonzales, Maui Prep; t9. Paloma Banto, Maui Prep.
Bodyboard–1. Kayalani Mullen, King Kekaulike; 2. Tatiana Ebro, King Kekaulike; 3. Madison Runyon, Lahainaluna; 4. Paloma Banto, Maui Prep; 5. Zoe Gonzales, Maui Prep; 6. Ashley Nielson, Maui Prep; t7. Jordan Houglum, Maui Prep; t7. Ellie Brown, King Kekaulike; t9. Alex Splajt, Baldwin; t9. Clara Asay, Hana.
OVERALL CHAMPIONS
(Through 4 of 4 meets)
Boys
Team–King Kekaulike 38, Maui Prep 29, Lahainaluna 27, Kamehameha Maui 23, Baldwin 23, Hana 14, Maui High 13, Seabury Hall 10, Haleakala Waldorf 7.
Shortboard–1. Tony Nunez, Maui Prep, 2,730; 2. Tyler Kirby, Maui Prep, 2,530; 3. Axel Rosenblad, King Kekaulike, 2,460; 4. Ty Simpson-Kane, Kamehameha Maui, 2,303; 5. Luc Guidroz, Seabury Hall, 1,931; 6. Gabriel Girardin, Haleakala Waldorf, 1,863.
Bodyboard–1. Alex Fahland, King Kekaulike, 2,590; 2. George Rocha, Lahainaluna, 2,530; 3. Trae Trippel-Grow, King Kekaulike, 2,470; 4. Ryan West, Lahainaluna, 2,173; 5. Hunter Carpio, Baldwin, 2,165; 6. Jaden Givensel, Baldwin, 1,950.
Girls
Team–Maui Prep 38, Lahainaluna 29, King Kekaulike 27, Kamehameha Maui 26, Baldwin 24, Hana 12, Seabury Hall 12, Maui High 7, Haleakala Waldorf 6.
Shortboard–1. Madison Runyon, Lahainaluna, 3,000; 2. Ellie Brown, King Kekaulike, 2,443; 3. Kayalani Mullen, King Kekaulike, 2,260; 4. Ashley Taoka, Maui High, 2,015; 5. Paloma Banto, Maui Prep, 1,983; 6. Zoe Gonzales, Maui Prep, 1,725.
Bodyboard–1. Madison Runyon, Lahainaluna, 2,460; 2. Labryana Hookano, Kamehameha Maui, 2,415; 3. Kayalani Mullen, King Kekaulike, 2,400; 4. Zoe Gonzales, Maui Prep, 2,080; 5. Clara Asay, Hana, 2,030; 6. Kawai Kupuni, Kamehameha Maui, 1,935.