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Swimmers continue process of improving at MIL meet No. 4

By Dakota Grossman 6 min read

KIHEI -- Maui High School swimmer Karissa Ginoza knows that each Maui Interscholastic League race is an opportunity to grow and improve.

She's well on her way.

The Sabers junior's latest step was at the fourth MIL swim meet of the season Saturday at Kihei Aquatic Center, where she walked away with a handful of victories in the 50-yard freestyle, 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.

"Being able to push on even with all the obstacles that you face as an athlete is important because you're not going to get your best times every meet, so just being able to get back into the pool and practicing harder is what makes a good athlete," Ginoza said.

Being surrounded by a field of strong swimmers helps her to push harder in races, too, said Ginoza, who led the Sabers to the top of the girls standings with 54 points.

"I think the competition at the MIL champs is going to be really close between our team, so I'm excited," Ginoza said. "It's just nice to be able to race with my friends, I'm really close to Helena (Colletta) and Maria (King), and just having an opportunity to race after a couple of years is just really nice."

Though the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out high school competition for four consecutive seasons, Ginoza has quickly found her groove due to "a mix of the hard training and the people around me."

To kick off the morning on Saturday, Seabury Hall distance swimmer Colletta showed she had speed in the girls 50 free, finishing just a stroke behind Ginoza at 25.70 seconds. Ginoza won with a time of 25.50.

"I could definitely feel Helena next to me, but I just put my head down and I sprinted to the wall," Ginoza said. "In the moment, I think I'm able to show up and do my best because I'm a racer and I do much better with people around me who go just as fast."

It's races like those that will benefit Colletta as she strives to drop times in her main events -- the 500 and 200 freestyles -- and qualify for the K. Mark Takai Swimming and Diving State Championships in March.

"It's definitely really strong, there's a lot of really fast girls," Colletta said. "There's a lot of nice competition which is great because it pushes me to race my best, but yeah, I felt pretty good today-- I just gave it my best and had a lot of fun."

Following a close and energetic race in the boys 100 butterfly, where Maui High senior Patrick Garduque (55.40) edged Na Alii senior Edwin Barrett (59.50), Ginoza jumped into the water to win her round of the 100 flyy which she led from the start, in 59.80.

With each flip turn in the girls 200 IM, Baldwin senior Keanna Campbell extended her lead, winning the race in 2:19.15. St. Anthony's King came in second at 2:24.80.

Later in the afternoon, Campbell exited the pool with a smile on her face after another victory in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:11.60.

Campbell said that competing again "feels really good."

"My whole mindset has changed recently. I try not to put so much pressure on myself, that really helps because I can just go in and do my best and be happy with it no matter what happens," she said. "My coaches have helped me a lot with that and I guess just getting older and realizing that my whole life isn't just swimming and I'm going to have to move on eventually and so I'm just making the most out of it now."

Coming back into MIL competition as a senior for the Bears, Campbell has been trying to step up as a leader for the team.

"I'm glad I can help everyone out," said Campbell, who anchored the winning girls 200 free relay to beat the Sabers. "Just being a part of the team more, talking to everyone and making sure that the girls are OK."

* Dakota Grossman is at dgrossman@mauinews.com.

MIL Swimming and Diving

Saturday's Results

At Kihei Aquatic Center

MIL DIVING MEET NO. 2

Girls

1 meter--1. Kewen Imlay, King Kekaulike, 437.50; 2. Lily Barrett, King Kekaulike, 406.00; 3. Summer Coronesi, Kihei Charter, 344.35; 4. Devon Hardy, King Kekaulike, 265.85; 5. Giullia Porter, King Kekaulike, 252.15.

Boys

1 meter--1. Luke Berrigan, King Kekau­like, 310.15.

MIL SWIM MEET NO. 4

Girls

200-yard medley relay--1. Maui Prep 'A' (Zoe Gonzales, Mia Merrill, Yuna Lee, Danna Hernandez) 2:01.30, 2. Maui High 'A' 2:01.70, 3. Seabury Hall 'A' 2:03.70.

200 freestyle--1. Emily Hegrenes, Lahainaluna, 2:13.60; 2. Mikela De Aguiar, Baldwin, 2:14.40; 3. Lily Barrett, King Kekaulike, 2:20.60; 4. Kylee Takeda, Baldwin, 2:22.90; 5. Lexie Castillo, Baldwin, 2:27.75.

200 IM--1. Keanna Campbell, Baldwin, 2:19.50; 2. Maria King, St. Anthony, 2:24.80; 3. Mari Yamamoto, Maui High, 2:25.10; 4. Kyra Ong, Maui High, 2:48.00; 5. Tea Jimenez, Maui High, 2:52.80.

50 freestyle--1. Karissa Ginoza, Maui High, 25.50; 2. Helena Colletta, Seabury Hall, 25.70; 3. Li’a Vanderpoel, King Kekaulike, 26.00; 4. Yuna Lee, Maui Prep, 26.65; 5. Keanna Campbell, Baldwin, 27.30.

100 butterfly--1. Karissa Ginoza, Maui High, 59.80; 2. Tulip Hori, Seabury Hall, 1:04.50; 3. Maria King, St. Anthony, 1:08.10; t4. Kalla Pellettieri, Seabury Hall, 1:08.50; t4. Danna Hernandez, Maui Prep, 1:08.50; t4. Mia Merrill, Maui Prep, 1:08.50.

100 freestyle--1. Yuna Lee, Maui Prep, 58.30; 2. Li’a Vanderpoel, King Kekaulike, 59.20; 3. Nicole Riemenschneider, King Kekaulike, 1:01.20; 4. Pearl Grace, Haleakala Waldorf, 1:05.30; 5. Heather Pease, King Kekaulike, 1:05.50.

500 freestyle--1. Mari Yamamoto, Maui High, 5:50.70; 2. Ava Castillo, Baldwin, 5:59.50; 3. Emily Hegrenes, Lahainaluna, 6:01.00; 4. Charie Salacup, Maui High, 6:21.80; 5. Kathryn O’Neill, King Kekaulike, 6:37.10.

200 freestyle relay--1. Baldwin 'A' (Mikela De Aguiar, Lexie Castillo, Kylee Takeda, Keanna Campbell) 1:51.30, 2. Maui High 'A' 1:52.60, 3. King Kekaulike 'A' 1:52.80.

100 backstroke--1. Karissa Ginoza, Maui High, 1:00.50; 2. Maria King, St. Anthony, 1:04.90; 3. Helena Colletta, Seabury Hall, 1:05.10; 4. Kaysa Ong, Maui High, 1:11.60; 5. Mikela De Aguiar, Baldwin, 1:12.50.

100 breaststroke--1. Keanna Campbell, Baldwin, 1:11.60; 2. Charie Salacup, Maui High, 1:15.30; 3. Kalla Pellettieri, Seabury Hall, 1:23.20; 4. Kylee Takeda, Baldwin, 1:26.75; 5. Elsie Eyre, King Kekaulike, 1:36.80.

400 freestyle relay--1. Maui Prep 'A' (Yuna Lee, Zoe Gonzales, Mia Merrill, Danna Hernandez) 4:01.20, 2. King Kekaulike 'A' 4:11.10, 3. Kamehameha Maui 'A' 4:47.10.

Team--1. Maui High 54, 2. King Kekaulike 47, 3. Baldwin 39, 4. Maui Prep 34, 5. Seabury Hall 25, 6. St. Anthonyi 11, 7. Lahainaluna 9, 8. Kamehameha Maui 8, 9. Kihei Charter 3, 10. Haleakala Waldorf 2.

Boys

200 medley relay--1. Lahainaluna 'A' (Maison Alexander, Ryunosuke Hattori, Jake McGill, Maxx Cherry) 1:50.70, 2. Maui Prep 'A' 1:51.50, 3. Maui High 'A' 1:52.60.

200 freestyle--1. Ryan Wise, Kamehameha Maui, 1:51.90; 2. Ken Yamashiro, Baldwin, 1:54.20; 3. Conner Gunderson, Maui High, 1:55.80; 4. Maxx Cherry, Lahainaluna, 2:01.00; 5. Ryunosuke Hattori, Lahainaluna, 2:03.00.

200 IM--1. Patrick Garduque, Maui High, 2:08.10; 2. Edwin Barrett, King Kekaulike, 2:12.20; 3. Edward Oliveira, St. Anthony, 3:12.20.

50 freestyle--1. Carl Vincent McNabb, Baldwin, 22.90; 2. Legend Storer, Maui Prep, 23.10; 3. Noah Caiserman, Maui Prep, 23.30; 4. Andrew Alonso, Baldwin, 23.90; 5. Coby Kaplan, King Kekaulike, 23.95.

100 butterfly--1. Patrick Garduque, Maui High, 55.40; 2. Edwin Barrett, King Kekaulike, 59.50; 3. Legend Storer, Maui Prep, 59.70; 4. Maxx Cherry, Lahainaluna, 1:04.70; 5. Dave Pacson, Maui High, 1:26.55.

100 freestyle--1. Carl Vincent McNabb, Baldwin, 49.20; 2. Conner Gunderson, Maui High, 51.30; 3. Noah Caiserman, Maui Prep, 52.20; 4. Camden Eyre, King Kekaulike, 54.90; 5. Coby Kaplan, King Kekaulike, 55.60.

500 freestyle--1. Maison Alexander, Lahainaluna, 5:04.50; 2. Ryan Wise, Kamehameha Maui, 5:15.65; 3. Jake McGill, Lahainaluna, 5:22.40; 4. Ryunosuke Hattori, Lahainaluna, 5:34.10; 5. Quincey Augustine, Maui High, 5:38.00.

200 freestyle relay--t1. Lahainaluna 'A' (Maison Alexander, Maxx Cherry, Jake McGill, Ryunosuke Hattori) 1:37.70, t1. King Kekaulike 'A' (Reese Williams, Dennis Nezelek, Camden Eyre, Edwin Barrett) 1:37.70, 3. Baldwin 'A' 1:41.55.

100 backstroke--1. Reese Williams, King Kekaulike, 1:01.00; 2. Carter Bozich, Maui Prep, 1:02.30; 3. Conner Gunderson, Maui High, 1:02.90; 4. Andrew Alonso, Baldwin, 1:04.80; 5. Zane Murasko, King Kekaulike, 1:29.80.

100 breaststroke--1. Ken Yamashiro, Baldwin, 1:05.70; 2. Patrick Garduque, Maui High, 1:06.20; 3. Maison Alexander, Lahainaluna, 1:12.40; 4. Jake McGill, Lahainaluna, 1:17.20; 5. Dave Pacson, Maui High, 1:25.90.

400 freestyle relay--1. Maui Prep 'A' (Noah Caiserman, Renner Chumley, Legend Storer, Carter Bozich) 3:37.00, 2. King Kekaulike 'A' 3:38.40, 3. Maui High 'A' 3:47.80.

Team--1. King Kekaulike 47, 2. Lahainaluna 43, 3. Maui High 41, 4. Maui Prep 37, 5. Baldwin 32, 6. Kamehameha Maui 10, 7. St. Anthony 3.

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