MIL Surf titles go to Lahainaluna girls and Maui Prep boys

The Maui Prep boys and Lahainaluna girls captured the overall Maui Interscholastic League surfing titles after each team won the final MIL event of the year, Saturday at Lahaina Harbor.

For Nā Pueo boys, it was the final win in a dominant season in which they claimed all four MIL team events. For the Luna girls, they finished where they started in February, winning the first contest of the year at D.T. Fleming Beach.

The girls team race was the closet finish ever with four contending teams, Lahainaluna, King Kekaulike, Maui Prep, and Maui Christian, having all six of their competitors in the finals. And true to form, it came down to the last girl’s event, the bodyboard, before the title was decided.

Luna freshmen Ocean Lipstein, with her slashing style, did just enough to get past Ilana Caserta, of Maui Prep, and Lila Sloan, of Maui Christian, which allowed the Lunas to edge Maui Christian, 67-66, while Maui Prep was third was 65 points, and King Kekaulike, fourth with 58.

“Today was pretty amazing,” said Lara Claydon, the Lunas head girl’s coach. “We came together as team today. We’ve been training at the harbor for the last two weeks and building team confidence, and it showed in our results.”

Lipstein, the Luna workhorse, was second in longboard No. 2 and third in shortboard No. 1 in addition to her bodyboard victory. Senior Gianna Pogni added a win in longboard No. 1 while younger sister, Stella, was second in shortboard No. 2 and Oliana Schur was fourth in shortboard No. 3.

“Today this meant everything to me,” the elder Pogni said. “Finally accomplishing this goal was amazing. Winning as a team is honestly, for me, better than winning for yourself because you get to share it with people around you.”

Senior Zolten Poulsen continued to lead Maui Prep, placing second in both shortboard No. 1 and longboard No. 1. Poulsen was a model of consistency throughout the season, claiming four of five shortboard titles, including the MIL individual championship, and also won three of five longboard meets including the MIL individual title.

Poulsen, who never shows much emotion, was all smiles after the event. “It feels amazing, especially to be able to do it here at Harbor,” Poulsen said. “Super special because this is the wave I grew up on, probably clocked a thousand hours out here. It’s just nice to come back to this place after the fire and see our community.”

Poulsen was one of several Maui Prep and Lahainaluna surfers and coaches who either lost their homes or were displaced after the August 2023 Maui wildfire. Seth Jucker had Nā Pueo’s lone win, taking longboard No. 2 while the other Maui Prep boy’s finalist was Makaiah Clark , fourth at shortboard No.3.

“It was a perfect day,” is how Maui Prep head coach Lyndee Sprenger summed it up. “It was senior day so it was sad to see all the seniors have their last time together. What a great year we’ve had. Everyone single contest has been incredible waves. All these different schools are friends with each other, all the coaches are friends with each other and all the teammates are friends with each other, I just love it.”

Bode Davis, of Kūlanihākoʻi, was the only double winner. He defeated Poulsen in the highest scoring heat of the day in the boys longboard No. 1, and also took the bodyboard title.

Brothers Angel and Keano Jardine, of Maui Christian, won the boys shortboard No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Another pair of siblings also won titles, Sloane Jucker captured the girls shortboard No. 1 while Seth Jucker took the boys longboard No. 2.

Other winners included Thayane Colpas, of Maui Christian (girls shortboard No. 2), Kaja Przeciechowska, of King Kekaulike (girl’s shortboard No. 3), Talia Sloan, of Maui Christian (girl’s longboard No. 2), and Mason Burns, of Lahainaluna (boy’s shortboard No. 3).

For winning the MIL titles, Maui Prep boys and Lahainaluna girls qualified their whole teams for the inaugural Hawaii High School Athletics Association at Hoʻokipa Beach Park, May 1-2. The other MIL state meet competitors qualified individually at Hoʻokipa two weeks ago.

Girls Results

Individual
Shortboard No. 1

1. Sloane Jucker, Maui Prep 10.73
2. Ayla Daian, King Kekaulike 8.33
3. Ocean Lipstein, Lahainaluna 8.10
4. Lila Sloan, Maui Christian 7.40
5. Kelea DeCaro, Kīhei Charter 5.63
6. Hi’ipoi Starbuck, Kamehameha

Shortboard No. 2

1. Thayane Colpas, Maui Christian 9.34
2. Stella Pogni, Lahainaluna 9.30
3. Zoey Offergeld, Maui Prep 7.73
4. Mikaia Barnes, King Kekaulike 7.18
5. Moony Sanderon, Kīhei Charter 6.00
6. Mya Pililaau, Kamehameha 4.23

Shortboard No. 3

1. Kaja Przciechowska, King Kekaulike 8.80
2. Talia Sloan, Maui Christian 8.60
3. Layla Merrill, Maui Prep 8.33
4. Oliana Schur, Lahainaluna 5.00
5. Kailani Smith, Seabury Hall 3.90
6. Wai Smith, Maui High 2.74

Longboard No.1

1. Gianna Pogni, Lahainaluna 12.26
2. Sloane Jucker, Maui Prep 10.90
3. Lila Sloan, Maui Christian 10.56
4. Sochi Henderson, King Kekaulike
5. Peyton Prouty, Seabury Hall 5.33
6. Akasia Knight, Baldwin 3.62

Longboard No. 2

1. Talia Sloan, Maui Christian 10.30
2. Ocean Lipstein, Lahainaluna 9.57
3. Zoey Offergeld, Maui Prep 8.40
4. KajaPrzciechowska, King Kekaulike 7.84
5. Hi’ipoi Starbuck, Kamehameha 5.60
6. Kaia Kim, Baldwin 5.23

Bodyboard

1. Ocean Lipstein, Lahainaluna 10.36
2. Ilana Caserta, Maui Prep 9.00
3. Lila Sloan, Maui Christian 8.60
4. Zoe Nagle, Seabury Hall 4.86
5. Hi’ipoi Starbuck, Kamehameha 4.57
6. Madison Hughes, King Kekaulike 3.53

Girls Team standings-Lahaina Harbor

Lahainaluna 67
Maui Christian 66
Maui Prep 65
King Kekaulike 58
Kīhei Charter 36
Seabury Hall 43
Kamehameha Maui 38
Baldwin 36
Haleakala Waldorf 18
Maui High 7

Girls Season standings

Lahainaluna 46
King Kekaulike 43
Maui Christian Academy 42
Maui Prep 41
Kīhei Charter 29
Baldwin 28
Seabury Hall 26
Kamehameha Maui 21
Maui High 11
Haleakalā Waldorf 10
Kūlanihākoʻi 4

Boys Results

Shortboard No. 1

1. Angel Jardine, Maui Christian 14.66
2. Zolten Poulsen, Maui Prep 14.37
3. Matias Banto, Lahainaluna 13.60
4. Kahlil Pineres-Schooley, Seabury Hall 12.74
5. Bode Davis, Kūlanihākoʻi 10.93
6. Kanoa Gaffney, Hāna 10.40

Shortboard No. 2

1. Keano Jardine, Maui Christian 10.83
2. Rex Ang, Baldwin 10.19
3. Miki Przeciechowski, Kīhei Charter 8.94
4. Johnny Mahan, Lahainaluna 8.76
5. Desmond Connelly, Seabury Hall 6.37
6. Jotel Holstein, King Kekaulike 5.84

Shortboard No. 3

1. Mason Burns, Lahainaluna 11.27
2. Luca Bianchi, King Kekaulike 8.67
3. Noah Haas, Kīhei Charter 7.47
4. Makaiah Clark, Maui Prep 7.33
5. Noah Dvorak, Maui Christian 6.17
6. Kekai Bonifacio-Sahugun, Kamehameha 4.67

Longboard No. 1

1. Bode Davis, Kūlanihākoʻi 16.50
2. Zolten Poulsen, Maui Prep 15.00
3. Aidan Haas, Kīhei Charter 13.14
4. Chase Lee, Lahainaluna 12.14
5. Kanoa Kuailani, King Kekaulike 9.00
6. Jack Hill, Maui Christian 8.83

Longboard No. 2

1. Seth Jucker, Maui Prep 12.06
2. Ayden Truong, Baldwin 11.37
3. Keano Jardine, Maui Christian 10.00
4. Taj Craig, Kīhei Charter 7.87
5. Imiloa Nelson, Hāna 6.50
6. Noah Lopez, Seabury Hall 1.07

Bodyboard

1. Bode Davis, Kūlanihākoʻi 11.70
2. Miki Przeciechowski, Kīhei Charter 11.37
3. Sam Koshi, Baldwin 8.50
4. Imiloa Kanoho, Kamehameha 7.36
5. Levi Stoddart, Lahainaluna 6.40
6. Akira Thayer, Seabury Hall 5.50

Boys Team standings-Lahaina Harbor

Maui Prep 56
Kīhei Charter 54
Maui Christian 53
Lahainaluna 51
Baldwin 50
Kūlanihākoʻi 48
King Kekaulike 44
Seabury Hall 43
Hāna 31
Kamehameha Maui 28
Maui High 18

Boys Season Standings

Maui Prep 52
Kīhei Charter 42
Maui Christian 40
Lahainaluna 35
Baldwin 32
King Kekaulike 31
Seabury Hall 22
Hāna 19
Kūlanihākoʻi 17
Kamehameha Maui 13
Maui High 6
Haleakalā Waldorf 6