Monday Morning MIL: Kūlanihākoʻi High School hosts its first varsity event

There’s nothing quite like the family feeling that emanates from Maui Interscholastic League cross country meets — and this weekend the MIL symbolically welcomed a new member to the ‘ohana as Kūlanihāko‘i High School hosted the third meet of the season on Saturday.

With 43 girls runners and 75 boys in attendance, it was the first varsity sports event held at the Kīhei campus since it officially opened to students last year. A junior varsity basketball game was held on the school’s outdoor court last year, but on Saturday Kūlanihāko‘i moved up to the next level.

“That was super cool, I mean I’ve always passed by this school going down to Kīhei, going down to the beach and everything — it’s nice to finally be on campus to see how actually beautiful it really is,” said Micah Brighton, a Seabury Hall senior who won the boys 3-mile race in 17 minutes, 56 seconds.

Saturday mornings are symbolic of a huge weekly family reunion — as the runners warm up, athletic directors and MIL officials prepare to make sure the course is marked and clear of any dangers, guides are in place to direct the runners and the finish line chute is set up with a shade tent nearby. Finally, the athletic trainers have their tent prepared with an ice bathtub or two ready to cool overheated runners.

Just about every school is there week to week, boys and girls teams intermingle with each other, and the spectators cheer for every runner, from first to final finisher.

Bella Grossman, a Seabury Hall sophomore and the girls winner in 20:30, echoed her teammate’s sentiments. Grossman, who won two state track titles in the spring, is coached by her father Bobby and older sister Dakota. Bella Grossman finished fourth last week on the Keōpūolani Park course that will host the Honolulu Marathon/HHSAA state championships on Nov. 2.

“It’s really amazing, this campus is really beautiful and it’s not that, like, really difficult, so it is like a (personal record) event,” Bella Grossman said of the Kūlanihāko‘i course that was contested on a 1-mile loop, allowing several key viewing points for the spectators. “I do like the way it is configured.”

Kūlanihāko‘i athletic director Rachael Blair was grateful for all the help she received in putting the meet on from her MIL AD brethren, her coach Sage Sarchet and officials including Maui High School principal Jamie Yap and Allan Fernandez, who has been running MIL track and field and cross country meets for nearly four decades.

“It’s really exciting for our campus today to have everyone here celebrating and seeing these student-athletes work hard out here,” Blair said. “It’s really amazing to see them here in Kīhei. … It’s been very smooth. I’m very appreciative and have so much gratitude towards the other athletic directors and coaches — everyone has come together as a team to help make this happen.”

Lāna‘i brought 14 athletes — five boys and nine girls — to the first meet that the Pine Lads and Pine Lasses traveled to this year. Lāna‘i does not make the trip to every meet because of limits on their travel budget, but they came over on Friday to tour the course. Moloka‘i did not send athletes to Saturday’s meet.

“They were excited, but nervous, very nervous,” Lāna‘i coach Kevin Ige said of his athletes who greeted each other with hugs just past the finish line. “Cross country meets are very cool, having the team aspect of it — I mean, having the team aspect of it, even though it’s an individual sport, there’s still a team aspect to it. We love that.”

Full results are available here.

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Lunas, Warriors each improve to 2-0 in football

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Lahainaluna beat King Kekaulike 7-0 on Saturday and Kamehameha Maui beat Baldwin 14-6 on Friday — each team improved to 2-0 in league play and will meet this Saturday when the Lunas celebrate homecoming.

Last season, the Lunas beat the Warriors 19-13 — the game ended on the Lunas’ 4-yard line after Kaulana Tihada recovered a fumble with 9 seconds to play. Lahainaluna’s win over King Kekaulike (0-2) Saturday was the Lunas’ 46th MIL victory in a row, dating back to 2016.

For the Warriors, Bransyn Hong scored on a 2-yard run and Kaikea Hueu plunged in from 1 yard out to push the lead to 14-0 in the third quarter over the Bears. Baldwin climbed within a touchdown on a 23-yard scoring pass from Kaeaea Kealoha to Hiilawe Han later in the third quarter, but could not get any closer.

Maui High (1-1) beat Moloka‘i (0-2) 29-14 on Saturday. Charlie Peterson opened the scoring for the Sabers with a 95-yard kickoff return on the opening play of the game. Maui High’s Zayde Haupu tackled Moloka‘i quarterback Kahakoi Lopez in the end zone midway through the first quarter for a safety that made it 8-0.

Kaizen Torres-Umi Napoleon caught a 5-yard scoring pass from Lopez and John Ikua Hanchett nailed the PAT later in the first quarter — the Farmers’ first touchdown in the MIL 11-player ranks made it 8-7.

Quarterback Nathaniel Russell had a 2-yard scoring run and a 28-yard scoring pass to Jonah Cariaga to put the Sabers ahead 21-7 at halftime.

Lopez scooted in on a nifty 16-yard scramble early in the third quarter to bring the Farmers within 21-14 before Cariaga’s 54-yard gallop accounted for the final TD with 10:07 to play.

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No. 5 Baldwin improves to 5-0 in MIL D-I volleyball

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The Baldwin girls volleyball team, ranked fifth in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser statewide poll, improved to 5-0 in MIL play with a 25-9, 25-21, 25-9 win over Maui High on Thursday.

Lilinoe Paschoal, a Chaminade University verbal commit, dished out 25 assists to go along with four kills, five digs and an ace for the Bears; Imani-Marie Hargis had six kills and three blocks; Kuulei Manaois had eight kills, two digs and two blocks; Amanda Naipo had six kills, five aces and five digs; and Natronai Anana had 19 digs.