Special to The Maui News

King Kekaulike High School’s Chrislyn Simpson-Kane and Cash Berzolla repeated as Maui Interscholastic League individual surfing champions on Saturday at Hookipa Beach Park.

Simpson-Kane took the girls title while Berzolla claimed the boys crown.

The season-ending championship included the MIL’s top surfers — 38 boys and 33 girls — competing in five-person heats.

It was the second big win of the week for Simpson-Kane. She claimed the Hawaii Surfing Association girls 14-15 state title at Ala Moana Bowls on Oahu. Her victory qualified her for the USA Surfing Championships in California.

“It’s been a crazy 24 hours very, very happy,” Simpson-Kane said with a laugh. “I won a girls 14-15 state championship, flew home, now I’m MIL champion.”

Simpson-Kane had finished second in the previous two MIL regular-season meets, behind Kihei Charter’s Kaya McCord at Koki Beach and Maui High’s Tamryn Taoka at Lahaina Harbor.

“I think it was fuel for this contest,” Simpson-Kane said. “Every girl this year has definitely brought their ‘A’ game and kept me on my toes.”

She was in a close battle with Taoka in the final until she caught a wave with just over two minutes left that sealed her win. Her back-handed attack, throwing up big spray, netted her a 7.60, the highest score of the final.

“It was super fun surf for end-of-April Hookipa,” Simpson-Kane said. “I’m kind of just in groove with the ocean right now, really in tune. I feel like my connection with the ocean right now is really high.”

Simpson-Kane and Hana’s Barron Hanes were the only competitors to win all three of their heats leading up to the final.

Taoka, who led the Sabers to the girls team crown two weeks ago, said, “I felt really good today. I really wanted to win. I was waiting for a set in the last five minutes, but nothing really came through.

“She (Simpson-Kane) had obviously the best wave choices that heat. I’m proud of her, really proud of her and she just won states, so good for her.”

Sloane Jucker of Maui Prep placed third but had the highest-scoring wave of the entire meet. Two judges gave her a 9.0 in her semifinal win.

Recalling Jucker’s wave, Micah Nickens, one of the event’s judges, said, “She attacked the first turn with a ton of speed and belted a massive backside blast. She immediately went into the second turn and went upside down and blew her fins out. Both turns projected big fans of spray.”

The other two finalists were Haleakala Waldorf’s Lou Bouvet, who placed fourth, and Lahainaluna’s Gianna Pogni, who was fifth.

Berzolla led a 1-2-3 sweep for King Kekaulike in the boys final.

The junior caught a wave with less than a minute left in the 20-minute final and got a score that moved him past Na Alii teammates Chase Burnes and Otis Buckingham by less than a point. Berzolla scored a 6.87 by fitting three high-speed wraps into the wave pockets.

His two-wave total was 13.80 while Burnes had a 13.10 and Buckingham scored a 12.97.

“I didn’t think I was winning at all and a wave came in and I was sitting inside,” Berzolla said. “I needed something so I moved in a little bit and it came to me. I got super lucky and I was able to rip the thing all the way in. I’m super stoked and grateful I was able to pull through.

“Definitely pressure being the defending champion, but all the boys were ripping and they’re all my friends so it’s hard to have pressure when the vibe out there is so amazing. There was a little bit of bragging rights going down (with teammates) so I think I pulled through for the bragging rights. So they’re going to be hearing it from me for at least a few months.”

Berzolla was happy for his whole team.

“The King K surf team is just an amazing team and I’m glad to be part of it,” he said. “This is the home spot so super stoked to be able to get a good result.”

Burnes was competing in his first MIL championship meet.

“I guess Cash got the score at the very end, the buzzer-beater,” Burnes said. “I knew it was close because I saw like Cash, Otis, Barron, Niko, all getting good waves. It was a tight one.”

“Everyone showed up in fine form today, really proud of them,” Na Alii co-head coach Scott Schellhammer said. “We’re a young team, only losing one senior (Morena Danti) on the whole squad, so looking forward to next year.”

Hanes was fourth in the boys final while Niko Banto of team champion Maui Prep was fifth.

• MIL SURFING INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Saturday’s Results • At Hookipa Beach Park

Girls

Semifinals

Heat 1–1. Chrislyn Simpson-Kane, King Kekaulike, 12.70; 2. Gianna Pogni, Lahainaluna, 9.43; 3. Lily Ahrnsbrak, Maui High, 8.14; 4. Kaya McCord, Kihei Charter, 8.03; 5. Imani Caserta, Lahainaluna, 6.97

Heat 2–1. Sloane Jucker, Maui Prep, 13.34; 2. Lou Bouvet, Haleakala Waldorf, 10.00; 3. Tamryn Taoka, Maui High, 9.70; 4. Sochi Henderson, King Kekaulike, 5.80; 5. Maile Kaaihue, Baldwin 4.77

Final

1. Chrislyn Simpson-Kane, King Kekaulike, 14.10; 2. Tamryn Taoka, Maui High, 11.60; 3. Sloane Jucker, Maui Prep, 10.06; 4. Lou Bouvet, Haleakala Waldorf, 9.77; 5. Gianna Pogni, Lahainaluna, 8.07

Boys

Semifinals

Heat 1–1. Cash Berzolla, King Kekaulike, 12.06; 2. Niko Banto, Maui Prep, 11.83; 3. Otis Buckingham, King Kekaulike, 11.67; 4. Blake Gebb, Seabury Hall, 11.30; 5. Zolten Poulsen, Maui Prep, 11.00

Heat 2–1. Barron Hanes, Hana, 11.93; 2. Chase Burnes, King Kekaulike, 10.74; 3. Teiva Keomaniboth, King Kekaulike, 10.14; 4. Ezra Offergeld, Maui Prep, 10.00; 5. Kyle Kelmenson, Haleakala Waldorf, 4.36

Final

1. Cash Berzolla, King Kekaulike, 13.80; 2. Chase Burnes, King Kekaulike, 13.10; 3. Otis Buckingham, King Kekaulike, 12.97; 4. Barron Hanes, Hana, 10.77; 5. Niko Banto, Maui Prep, 10.27