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Reason to celebrate: Birthday girl Luna-Beamer, Sabers down Lunas

MIL tennis players glad to be back on court after long pandemic pause

Maui High’s Hie Luna-Beamer follows through on a first-set forehand against Lahainaluna’s Chelsea Ramos on Wednesday. Luna-Beamer defeated Ramos 6-0, 6-1. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos

KAHULUI — It was a birthday well spent for Maui High School tennis player Hie Luna-Beamer.

Following a win in her Maui Interscholastic League singles match on Wednesday afternoon, Luna-Beamer was greeted off the court by her teammates with cheers, ‘Happy Birthday’ balloons and a birthday song.

“It feels good — we’ve been off for a year and a half (due to COVID-19) — so it feels really good to be playing again,” said the Sabers senior, who won 6-0, 6-1 over Lahainaluna’s Chelsea Ramos in the No. 1 singles match. “High school tennis is a lot different from regular tennis, it’s much more of a team sport, so it’s really nice to have everyone out here supporting each other.”

While she focuses on the team and representing Maui High during her final MIL tennis season, Luna-Beamer said she is already getting a head start on her future. She has begun taking college courses from Columbia University.

She said she’s “super excited” to be majoring in film and media, but in the meantime, “I definitely want to help the underclassmen get better so that our Maui High team can stay strong when we’re gone.”

Maui High School’s Taliah Cabatu reaches for a shot at the net while teaming with Erica Gumboc in an MIL girls doubles match against Lahainaluna’s Jaiyah Imamoto and Kalia Hendrickson on Wednesday afternoon at Kahului Community Center.

“Most of us girls are seniors, so especially when we’re all gone, we want them to do well,” she said.

Just before heavy rains swept over the Kahului Community Center tennis courts on Wednesday, Sabers freshman Sophia Kato won her No. 2 singles match 6-0, 6-0 to complete a 5-0 sweep in the girls match over Lahainaluna.

“I’d say they’re doing pretty good,” Maui High head coach Michele Luna said after the final results were counted and the Sabers girls improved to 2-0. “We have a lot of returnees, so that helps, and they are helping all of the newer players too.”

The Maui High boys won 3-2, though Lahainaluna won both the No. 1 and 2 singles matches.

“There’s always room for improvement, but I’d say I did pretty well today,” said Chris Mueller, who led the Lunas with his 6-0, 6-0 victory over Devontae Myrick of Maui High.

Lahainaluna’s Shari Peralta (from left) and Angelika Simon tap racquets with Maui High’s Jenna Payba at the end of their doubles match Wednesday.

Mueller was a freshman when he last competed in a high school season. Now a junior, he hopes to rise to the top and play at the state championships, which will be held on Maui this year at the Royal Lahaina and Kapalua Tennis Garden in May.

“I was doing really well in the qualifying matches and then everything shut down, so that would be the main thing I want to focus on, and just trying to play my best and improve,” he said.

Lahainaluna coach Mac Pascual said that this is a rebuilding year for the Lunas as they cope with the impacts of the pandemic, such as small rosters and loss of playing time.

The Lunas fielded a full girls team on Wednesday, but only had four boys. Many of the tennis players are also young or have little to no experience with the sport. But with that, they come with a lot of enthusiasm, Pascual said.

“They are very, very coachable; they are positive,” the veteran West Maui club and high school coach added. “And as you can see on their faces, they are just smiling wide because they are all in the same boat and they found a sport they can enjoy … so this has been enjoyable for me so far and it’s been a great opportunity for me to feel like I’m teaching these kids something.”

The Lunas’ Akamai Lapus hits a second-set return to Maui High’s Tyler Ray.

The not-so-unusual case of understaffed rosters took its toll on St. Anthony and Molokai, though, as they were unable to field teams this season — the Trojans and the Farmers usually compete in the MIL West Division with Lahainaluna and Maui High.

This changes the MIL races for the East and West titles a bit now, with Kamehameha Maui moving to the West to even out the pool.

Coach Luna said she was surprised by the switch, but the logistics of the situation makes sense.

“It’s been nice having them on our side, too,” she said.

* Dakota Grossman is at dgrossman@mauinews.com.

MAUI HIGH GIRLS 5, LAHAINALUNA 0

No. 1 singles–Hie Luna-Beamer, MH, def. Chelsea Ramos 6-0, 6-1; No. 2 singles–Sophia Kato, MH, def. Amy Kohangg 6-0, 6-0; No. 3 singles–Julia Ramirez, MH, def. Carmela Bonifacio 6-0, 6-2; No. 1 doubles–Taliah Cabatu and Erica Gumboc, MH, def. Jaiyah Imamoto and Kalia Hendrickson 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 doubles–Jordyn Luna and Jenna Payba, MH, def. Angelika Simon and Shari Peralta 6-0, 6-1.

MAUI HIGH BOYS 3, LAHAINALUNA 2

No.1 singles–Chris Mueller, Lah, def. Devontae Myrick 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 singles–Amnart Lapus, Lah, def. Tyler Ray 6-0, 6-0; No. 3 singles–Jayson Rivera, MH, win by default; No. 1 doubles–Nick Bews and Klent Gumboc, MH, def. John Tumpap and Edralin Ceon 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 doubles–Rain Blando and Kevin Torres Barrera, MH, win by default.

KING KEKAULIKE GIRLS 5, BALDWIN 0

No. 1 singles–Yoana Gkatsu, KK, def. Maile Kennedy 6-0, 6-0. No. 2 singles–Paula Rodriguez, KK, def. Laesha Alapai 6-1, 6-0. No. 3 singles–Genevieve Kermode, KK, def. Aurea Wittenburg 6-0, 6-2. No. 1 doubles–Eden Newman and Aurora Morales-Middleton, KK, def. Jazmine Abarratiigue 6-1, 5-2 (ret.). No. 2 doubles–Willow Roan and Ryley Jackson, KK, def. Taylor Taguchi and Railee Maeda 6-2, 6-0.

BALDWIN BOYS 3, KING KEKAULIKE 2

No. 1 singles–Justin Powell, Bal, def. Zachary Fisher 6-0, 6-0. No. 2 singles–Ean Allencastre-Higuchi, Bal, def. Rayden Siarot 6-0, 6-0. No. 3 singles–Josiah Medeiros, KK, def. Kenji Shing 6-4, 6-4. No. 1 doubles–Kai Matsui and Fernando Rosete, Bal, def. Aiden Vela and Camden Eyre 6-3, 6-3. No. 2 doubles–Richard Barcus and Dustin Metzler, KK, def. Mason Okamura and Hayden Pyle 6-2, 6-4.

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