When 15-year-old Cruz Storer blazed through the pool in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles, he made history more than once — finishing both races faster than any other high school swimmer from Maui and earning Kamehameha Maui its first state titles in swimming.

At the HHSAA/K. Mark Takai state swimming and diving championship finals on Saturday on Hawai‘i island, Storer hit the wall in 20.18 seconds in the two-lap 50, which was just 0.10 seconds off the state record of 20.08. In the four-lap 100, Storer touched in 44.30, just 0.38 seconds off the state record.

Both of those state records are held by Aukai Lileikis of Punahou and were set in 2016. 

Both of Storer’s state-winning times are all-Maui records, which are marks recorded in sanctioned high school meets by Maui County high school swimmers. The previous all-Maui records were 20.52 in the 50 by Renny Richmond in 2012 and 45.44 by Storer last month at the Maui Interscholastic League championships. 

The only other MIL swimmer to win a state title on Saturday was Maui Prep senior Sacha Salem, who won her first state championship, in the 200 individual medley. Salem is set to continue her swimming career at the University of Hawai‘i.

Maui High School senior Aika Swanson, a two-time state high school champion, also toppled another all-Maui record while finishing second in both the 100 and 200 freestyles on Saturday. Swanson’s time in the 100 free, 51.83 seconds, broke the all-Maui record of 51.85 set by Kysha Altura of Maui Prep in 2018.

Storer has always been a standout in the pool, but he blasted onto the scene in the state age group meet in November when he went 20.41 seconds in the 50 and 44.66 in the 100. Now, with two state high school titles, he has bettered those times that led the nation’s 15-year-olds at the time.

“I knew I could do it because we’ve been putting a lot of work in with my coaches and my teammates in the pool,” Storer said via phone on Sunday, “So, yeah, I definitely know I could do it.”

Storer is now in range to join his coach Jack Pope as a six-time state champion, which is tied for the all-time record for individual state championships by an MIL male athlete in any sport. Swimmers Cheyne Bloch of Baldwin and Renny Richmond of Seabury Hall have also won six individual state titles.

The all-time state championship record for any MIL athlete is Seabury Hall female runner Dakota Grossman, who owns 10 individual state championships.

Pope is Storer’s main coach at Lahaina Swim Club. After graduating from Lahainaluna High School in 2008, Pope swam at NCAA Division I University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., from 2009 to 2012. Pope is now a language arts teacher at Lahainaluna High School.

“It is always fun to watch Cruz in his element,” Pope told the Hawai‘i Journalism Initiative via text on Saturday. “He has such a natural feel for the water and it shows. He is able to make micro adjustments from race to race and even throughout his races that really proves how intuitive of a swimmer he is.”

Pope added, “We were expecting a great performance this weekend and true to his nature, he showed up and wowed us all.”

Storer does not turn 16 until May 12.

“I’m really looking forward to transitioning to long course (50-meter pool) season and seeing how that change in training translates into further success this summer and in the seasons to come,” Pope said.

Storer said he views Pope as a “big brother.” Pope has been Storer’s main coach since the deadly Lahaina wildfire on Aug. 8, 2023. Until the Lahaina Aquatic Center reopened a little more than a year later, the Lahaina Swim Club swimmers, including Storer, commuted to Kīhei to train with Pope at the Kīhei Aquatic Center.

“We talk about swimming a lot and we also talk about my future,” Storer said of his work with Pope. “I mean, we get to spend a lot of time together with all of our practices that we do in the mornings and afternoons, so it’s not as much of a coach and a student, but more a brotherly relationship.”

Storer commutes from his home in Kahana via bus to Pukalani to attend Kamehameha Maui, but has to do it wrapped around swim practice at Lahaina Aquatic Center every afternoon and two mornings per week. Storer does another morning workout with the Kamehameha Maui team on campus once a week.

Storer works out with Pope from 4:30 to 7 p.m. five days a week and has morning practices from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Lahaina Swim Club. After dinner and homework, Storer is usually in bed by 9 p.m. to get ready for his 5 a.m. alarm clock.

Now, Storer is ready to enter rare territory. He relies heavily on his faith through his church, Kahana Door of Faith, and his family — dad Chris, mom Destiny, 19-year-old brother Legend, and 11-year-old sister Haven.

“I definitely know I can do it because I have so much support,” Storer said. “It’s my coaches and my teammates and my family and my church and God.”

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STATE BOYS BASKETBALL: Seabury Hall finishes second in Division II

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After making history as the first MIL basketball team, boys or girls, to advance to three straight state championship games, Seabury Hall fell 49-35 to Kohala on Friday in the HHSAA/Hawai‘i National Guard Division II state final.

Seabury and Kohala have been dueling Division II powerhouses over the last few seasons. In 2024, Kohala beat the Spartans 49-45 in the state final. Last season, Seabury Hall beat Kohala in the semifinals.

This year the Spartans rolled into the championship game after beating Wai‘anae 55-43 on Wednesday and Pāhoa 76-53 on Thursday.

“I think the program is in a good spot,” Seabury Hall head coach Scott Prather said. “We were fortunate. We’ve had a good group of players come through the last few years.”

Prather gave credit to the current seniors, led by guard Sebastian Peterson. Carson Hollifield, Dylan Maier, Aidan Childers, Elijah Gurley and Peter Ruegsegger are the other seniors.

“They really pushed hard to get the program to the level that it’s at,” Prather said. “And as they graduate out, you try to get the younger guys to fill in some of those roles and whatnot. So, I think we’re in a good place.”

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WINTER OLYMPICS: Maui’s Lyon Farrell finishes 15th in slopestyle in Livigno

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Lyon Farrell, who grew up on Maui and is representing New Zealand in the 2026 Milan Cortino Winter Olympics, finished 15th in men’s snowboarding slopestyle qualifying on Sunday at the Livigno Snow Park in Italy. Farrell’s score of 68.61 was just 1.02 points away from the 12th and final qualifying spot for the final which will be held Tuesday.

On Feb. 7, Farrell finished eighth in the big air event after he made the final qualifying in seventh. Farrell represents New Zealand.

“Monday Maui Sports” columns appear weekly on Monday mornings with updates on local sports in the Maui Interscholastic League and elsewhere around Maui County. Please send column ideas — anything having to do with sports in Maui County — as well as results and photos to rob@hjinow.org.