MIL golfers contend for state title

By Fred Guzman
MauiNow.com

Two MIL athletes are in contention for individual honors as the state boy’s championship concludes today at the Royal Kaanapali Golf Course.

With a 71, Kamehameha-Maui’s Aaron Kunitomo was in a three-way tie for second place, two strokes behind first-round leader Lorens Chan of Iolani.  Justin Keiley of Baldwin was alone in fifth with a 72.

Iolani had a comfortable 11 stroke lead over second-place Waiakea in the team competition.  Baldwin was tied for fifth, trailing by 16.

Things didn’t go well for either of the MIL teams in yesterday’s opening round of the state girls softball tournament as both Division-I Kamehameha-Maui and D-II Hana suffered decisive losses and were relegated to the consolation bracket.

That means it will be up to the MIL’s divisional champions, D-I Baldwin and D-II Molokai, to salvage some pride for the league.

The third-seeded Bears have a history of success at states, including capturing titles in 2001 and 2007.

Baldwin faces Mid-Pac in a 3 p.m. quarterfinal game at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.  Mid-Pac advanced with an 11-0 rout of Hilo yesterday.

Fourth-seeded Molokai, meantime, will tangle with Kaiser in a 7 p.m. game at Central Oahu Regional Park.  Kaiser advanced with a 7-2 win over Konawaena.

VOLLEYBALL:  Kamehameha-Maui was seeded fourth in D-I and Seabury Hall third in D-II.  Baldwin faces a huge challenge in its first state appearance in more than a decade versus Kamehmeha-Kapalama in a 5 o’clock match on today at Radford High.  Kamehameha-Maui meets the winner of Mililani vs. Kamehameha-Hawaii on Thursday.  Seabury will tangle with the Waipahu-Le Jardin winner at 5 p.m. Thursday at Kalani High.