KAANAPALI — The anticipation that had grown all day was buzzing through the crowd gathered around the 18th green at the Kaanapali Royal Course on Tuesday.

It finally erupted in flying chest bumps and hugs by the Maui Preparatory Academy boys golf team and wild applause from the fans after freshman Chris Salem finished his round along with the last group in the David S. Ishii Foundation/HHSAA state tournament.

Na Pueo had just completed an absolute romp to state team title, finishing with a 38-over-par 606 total — their 38-stroke margin of victory over second-place Punahou is the largest since at least 2006, according to data available on Tuesday.

“It feels awesome, knowing how hard all these boys and myself worked this whole season, not just this year, but years past, building into this season,” head coach Chris Armanini said. “It’s a special thing to be a part of, for sure.”

The school’s cheerleaders were there, along with several fellow students, parents and school administration. The MPA campus in Napili is less than six miles away.

Na Pueo’s team is made up of three freshmen — Renner Chumley, Landon Long and Salem — along with junior Dillon Jonke and senior Caleb Chumley.

“We’re gong to enjoy this moment, we’re going to relax, and then we’re going to get right back at it over the summer into next year and go for that second one,” Armanini said. “So, yeah, we do have the firepower, as you would say. We have 17 boys on the team and of those we just need five good ones.”

It is just the sixth state team golf title ever for a Maui Interscholastic League golf team, boys or girls.

Maui High won boys state team crowns in 1977, 1988, 1993 and 1994. The Baldwin boys won in 2006, a team that Armanini played on before his college career at the University of Hawaii-Hilo.

“It’s more special now with seeing how the boys react and enjoy the moment,” Armanini said. “When you’re in high school and you win it, it’s something that you don’t really think about right then and there, but now just seeing how it affects them and how they’re growing, it’s awesome.

“It’s just awesome.”

Jonke led the way for Na Pueo with his second-place finish individually, shooting 3-over-par 145 after a 73 on Tuesday. That was four shots behind Hawaii Baptist Academy senior Joshua Hayashida, who shot a final-round 72.

Seabury Hall freshman Tyler Loree was third at 146 and Salem finished tied for fourth at 149. Baldwin’s Ben Cafferio was tied for eighth at 154.

“This is, like, the biggest accomplishment, I think, that all of us collectively can say,” Jonke said of the MPA team crown. “These guys have been dreaming of it. Yeah, we just had the freshmen come on, but the only words they’ve been saying is: ‘Let’s go win the state championship.’ ”

Na Pueo opened an astounding 30-stroke lead after one round, which effectively made Tuesday’s final round a mere formality as far as the team title was concerned.

“Everyone played amazing yesterday,” Jonke said. “We kept it in the single digits over par, but today, played solid, kept it in there. The whole day I was looking at the leaderboard, watching everyone playing good.”

At around the 10th hole, according to the data on his cellphone, Jonke was within one stroke of Hayashida, who was playing in the final group directly behind Jonke’s threesome.

“I was one off at one point — I was driving for it, I was going for it, but he earned that No. 1 spot,” Jonke said of Hayashida. “He’s definitely the No. 1 player out here, such a talented golfer. Just to be able to say that I’m second in the state, that’s honestly a big accomplishment.”

Hayashida, a member of the 2019 state championship HBA team as a freshman, almost didn’t make the trip to Maui this week. After the 2020 and 2021 seasons were wiped out by COVID-19, this was a special crown for the University of Hawaii signee.

“It feels great — I’m just happy to be here, I was sick all week with COVID,” Hayashida said. “I tested positive (a week ago) Saturday. I was sitting in my room, like, ‘Oh, I wish I could be there. I just want to be there.’

“I’m just so grateful for my parents. Man, they put food by my bed by my room and they took care of me for five days. I’m so grateful.”

Hayashida was impressed with the MPA team.

“We all knew that they were good, just going into this year,” Hayashida said. “All the teams, us and Punahou, we knew we had to just play out of our … just play really well just to compete with them. They’re just talented, just like our team my freshman year — it was kind of like on paper we knew we were going to win, same kind of thing. They’re a solid team.”

Caleb Chumley grabbed an individual medal, finishing in a tie for 13th, along with Long as both finished at 14-over 156. Another MIL medalist, which go to the top 15 finishers, was Lahainaluna’s Ian Chapital, who finished tied for 11th at 155. MIL individual champion Anson Cabello of Kamehameha Maui, who was alone in seventh after the first round, withdrew before the start of Tuesday’s round.

After graduating from Maui Prep, Caleb Chumley is headed to Notre Dame and considering walking on to the Fighting Irish team.

“It feels awesome, it just shows the hard work that we have put in, not just this year, but our whole lives,” he said. “This is a team that — we came together through this school, but we started golfing before we even came to Maui Prep and that’s what led to this moment and it’s awesome.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

*****

David S. Ishii Foundation/HHSAA Boys Golf State Championship

Tuesday’s Final Round

At Kaanapali Royal Course

Team

Maui Prep +38, Punahou +76, Hawaii Baptist +87, Moanalua +89, Kamehameha Kapalama +103, Waiakea +127, Campbell +153, Island School +154, Mililani +158, Hilo +198, Kalani +228.

Individual

Joshua Hayashida, Hawaii Baptist 69-72–141

Dillon Jonke, Maui Prep 72-73–145

Tyler Loree, Seabury Hall 72-74–146

Christopher Salem, Maui Prep 71-78–149

Dane Watanabe, Iolani 71-78–149

Tyler Tamayori, Saint Louis 72-78–150

Bryce Toledo-Lue, Punahou 76-77–153

Jordan Sato, Iolani 77-77–154

Jackson Ibarra, Mid Pacific 75-79–154

Ben Cafferio, Baldwin 75-79–154

Marshall Kim, Punahou 76-79–155

Ian Chapital, Lahainaluna 75-80–155

Landon Long, Maui Prep 74-82–156

Kevin Yamashita, Kealakehe 76-80–156

Caleb Chumley, Maui Prep 75-81–156

Caleb Makoff, Makua Lani 76-81–157

Nate Choi, Moanalua 78-79–157

Ryder Ng, Waiakea 75-82–157

Justin Todd, Punahou 81-77–158

Dysen Park, Waiakea 77-81–158

Renner Chumley, Maui Prep 75-85–160

Dylan Sakasegawa, Moanalua 79-84–163

James Fujita, Moanalua 79-84–163

Xyrus Senining, Maryknoll 74-89–163

Luke Kahuhu, KS Maui 81-83–164

Julian Samia, Waipahu 80-85–165

Spencer Summerhays, Island 81-85–166

Robbie Kia, Mililani 80-86–166

Noah Camacho, Hawaii Baptist 78-89–167

Zaedis Yoshizawa, Kalani 87-82–169

Crew Granum, Seabury Hall 83-86–169

Liam White, Le Jardin 84-85–169

Ty Gonzales, Hanalani 85-84–169

Reyn Aoki, Mid-Pacific 89-81–170

Kane Malancon Kalili, KSK 81-89–170

Jonathan Chung, Hawaii Baptist 83-87–170

Jet Magsanide, Campbell 85-86–171

Braydn Sato, KS Kapalama 87-84–171

Lucas Summerhays, Island 86-85–171

Magnus Corpuz, Radford 79-92–171

Darrell Ramos Jr., Hilo 80-91–171

Xander Broderson, Kealakehe 89-83–172

Henry Anderson, Kauai 80-92–172

Hunter Kitagawa, Maui High 87-87–174

Noah Otani, Waiakea 86-88–174

Blaine Hipa, Campbell 91-84–175

Candido Barbieto, Kailua 85-90–175

Jonah Magno, KS Kapalama 86-90–176

Yoyo Xia, Hawaii Baptist 92-85–177

Tytan Matthews, Radford 88-89–177

Jordan Nakamura, Punahou 90-88–178

Jordin Martos, Kapolei 85-93–178

Rhyder Remigio, Pearl City 83-97–180

Leland Uyeda, Campbell 92-88–180

Mathias Mafi, McKinley 89-92–181

Micah Sakamoto, Maryknoll 90-91–181

Joa Navarro, Lahainaluna 91-91–182

Derek Mukai, Mililani 95-88–183

Kamren Atanes, Waianae 90-93–183

Alex Tokunaga, Waipahu 87-96–183

Aaron Nakamura, Baldwin 89-95–184

Avery Yoshino, Aiea 88-96–184

Ty Tsukayama, Waimea 94-91–185

Jackson Mayo, Mililani 90-96–186

Zak Borton, Kalaheo 94-92–186

Kameron Lee, Island 90-97–187

Jensen Chung, Moanalua 88-99–187

Ayden Campos, Moanalua 104-86–190

Cole Wolcott, Kalaheo 90-100–190

Reyn Kaneshiro, Hilo 94-97–191

Charles Murray, Castle 94-97–191

Noah Bogush, Mililani 96-98–194

Keano Carreira, Moanalua 95-99–194

Daniel Arashiro Garcia, Seabury 92-102–194

Shase Kawelo, Campbell 95-100–195

Coby Chang, Moanalua 95-100–195

Tobias Manmano, Pearl City 99-101–200

Christopher Jobe, Island 107-94–201

Aidan Puleo, Hilo 106-96–202

RJ O’Dell-Lambeth, Hilo 99-103–202

Parker Smith, Kalani 96-107–203

Tyler Ishikawa, Mililani 103-100–203

Donovan Alos, Mililani 93-111–204

Adam Perry, KS Hawaii 102-103–205

Michael Perry, KS Hawaii 105-101–206

Tristin Laflamme, Kealakehe 105-104–209

Garrett Hadley, Island 104-105–209

Bryson Nakata, Kalani 102-109–211

Mike Lopez, Waiakea 104-107–211

Logan Smith, Kalani 99-114–213

Lucas Yamanaka, Waiakea 99-114–213

Luke Kellikuli, KS Hawaii 137-102–239

Anson Cabello, KS Maui 73-WD