Iolani Wins Boys Basketball Championship from Imua Online on Vimeo.

State Champs 2010]

The state championship didn’t come easily, but the Raiders fought the entire way to prove themselves as the best. The ‘Iolani Division 1 boys basketball team fended off an aggressive Kamehameha team to win the state title, 46-43, at Stan Sheriff Center.

Senior Kainoa Chu led the team in scoring with 27 points, including the game winning 3-pointer with less than 7 seconds left on the clock.

The game did not start out well for the Raiders, with shots that did not fall and too many possessions that ended in turnovers. The score after one quarter was 12-2 in favor of Kamehameha. Despite the deficit, the Raiders wowed the crowd with massive blocks by Josiah Sukumaran, Reid Saito, and Gabriel Vega.

The second quarter was still a struggle, but senior Jarrett Arakawa blocked a Warrior attempt and converted that at the other end into an acrobatic layup to close to within 2. ‘Iolani trailed 19-15 going into halftime. The Raiders looked more like ILH champions in the third quarter, and tied the score at 19 early with help from yet another block, this time from Kainoa Scheer.

Kamehameha pulled away to 23-19, but two 3-pointers from Kainoa Chu later on put the Raiders up 30-29. Senior Andrew Skalman sank a 3-pointer with less than a minute left in the third, and made a clutch long-range two to beat the third quarter buzzer and close the quarter with the Raiders up, 35-31.

Not only did the Raiders have a four point lead going into the fourth, but Skalman’s clutch shooting boosted morale for the ‘Iolani boys and their fans. The Raiders definitely fought harder in the fourth quarter, with tough defense and free throws. Kamehameha climbed back and tied the score at 41, and again at 43.

Kainoa Chu, who scored all 11 of ‘Iolani’s fourth quarter points, came up big with 7 seconds on the clock and knocked down a 3-pointer to put ‘Iolani up 46-43. Kamehameha called timeout with 4.6 seconds left, but the Raiders held them back to win the state championship. This was the first state title for ‘Iolani since 2006, and came in Dean Shimamoto’s first year as head coach.

Boys Basketball Defeats Kahuku in Semifinal from Imua Online on Vimeo.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Raiders got it done.

‘Iolani advanced to the HHSAA Boys Basketball Division I state championship for the first time in four years, defeating Kahuku in the semifinal game, 55-44, at the Stan Sheiff Center Friday night. Senior Kainoa Chu was the high scorer for the Raiders with 22 points.

The game was a struggle most of the way. The first quarter went back and forth, with both teams committing careless turnovers. ‘Iolani took control with 3-pointers from Chu and Trevyn Tulonghari ‘11, and closed the quarter leading 14-11.

The second quarter was similar to the first, but ‘Iolani fought to make a 12-4 scoring run and ended the first half leading 30-22.

In the third quarter, both teams had trouble making shots, and the Raiders remained in the lead, finishing the third up 39-36. For most of the fourth quarter, the score stayed at 41-36, until Chu converted a 3-point play to spark an ‘Iolani scoring run. As the Raiders pulled away, Kahuku was forced to foul, and by then the game was over.

‘Iolani will face ILH rival and defending state champion Kamehameha in the championship game tonight at Stan Sheriff Center, 7 p.m.

Raiders overhwhelm Radford in quarterfinals

‘Iolani vs. Radford March 4, 2010 from Imua Online on Vimeo.

Raiders top Radford]

The ‘Iolani boys secured a spot in the Final Four of the HHSAA Division 1 Basketball state tournament on Thursday, March 4, defeating Mililani by a score of 72-53. Leading in points for the Raiders were Kainoa Chu with 20 and Trevyn Tulonghari with 13.

The two halves of this quarterfinal matchup were complete opposites of each other, with the Raiders making mistakes in the first half but controlling the game in the second. The Raiders struggled in the first quarter, committing costly turnovers and shooting poorly. At one point ‘Iolani fell behind 17-8, but climbed back to close the first quarter at 17-14, Mililani leading.

The Raiders picked it up in the second quarter, with a 12-0 run for the first 4 minutes to begin the quarter. Mililani did fight back, and the second half ended with ‘Iolani leading 30-29. The energy of the Raiders’ intensified in the third, bringing the crowd to its feet with 3-pointers from Jourdan Simmonds, Tulonghari, and Chu. The third quarter ended with the Raiders taking a commanding lead, 56-41. ‘Iolani continued that intensity in the fourth quarter and never looked back, winning by almost 20 points.

The Raiders will face a strong Kahuku team in the semifinals at Stan Sheriff Center, 5 p.m. Friday.

Untitled from Imua Online on Vimeo.

Winning shot and interviews]

A three-point shot with just seconds on the clock put the Raiders on top in a hard-fought game against Kamehameha on Saturday, Feb. 20. The final score was 50-49, and it wasn’t until the game-ending basket that ‘Iolani pulled ahead.

See Trevyn Tulonghari’s winning basket and listen to interviews with Trevyn Tulonghari ‘11, Kainoa Chu ‘10 and Coach Dean Shimamoto.

All pictures taken by Bianca Bystrom Pino

* Boys’ Varsity Soccer (HHSAA Tournament)
Baldwin (0) v. `Iolani (3)

February 13, 2010:
Boys’ Varsity Swimming (State Championships): Second Place

Girls’ Varsity Swimming (State Championships): Third Place

Boys’ Varsity Division II Basketball:
St. Louis (48) v. `Iolani (62)

Boys’ Varsity Div I Basketball:
`Iolani (63) v. Maryknoll (50)

Boys’ Varsity Soccer
(HHSAA Tournament)
Punahou (1) v. `Iolani (0)

Darin Kohara, a physics teacher at `Iolani School, has been stand up paddling for a year.

“I wanted to do something when the surf was junk but still could go in the water; when there was no waves” he says.

Kohara owns two stand up boards amongst eight or nine surfboards. Having difficulty with balancing and underestimating what looked to be an easy sport, Kohara stumbled off his board into the water several times in the process of learning.

“You have an amazing new perspective when standing: you can see the fish, turtles, the waves sooner,” he explains. “I was hooked after the first time.”

Although Stand up Paddling is similar to surfing, Kohara explains how surfers despise stand up paddlers because they can cause danger to others.

“Stand up paddlers are usually beginners and don’t know how to control themselves on a board,” he says.

Many friends of Kohara own surf shops. There has been an increase in purchases of stand up paddle boards.

“They sell boards everyday,” he says.

Stand Up paddling is not only seen in Hawaii. With its roots in the origins of surfing, SUP has become the world’s fastest growing water sport.

In California, Battle of the Paddle is the world’s largest stand up paddle contest. This competition played host to the top water athletes from around the world.

Here in Hawaii, there are numerous surf shops that sell paddle boards.

“We sell about five boards a day. Many of the tourists here are interested in various sports that we do here in Hawaii. Stand up paddling is one of them,” said Brian Keaulana, one of the founders of C4 Waterman Company, a surf company.

“It’s not surprising to see a great number of people standing on boards at the beach just cruising it. It’s just incredible,” Keaulana explained.

Louie Kuni,a 28-year old local, has been involved in this sport for two years.

“My friends influenced me to do it. Since they were doing it, I thought, why not?” he said. “It was embarrassing to see girls just paddle past me while I’m actually trying to balance on my board, stumbling everywhere.”

Kuni has three cousins on the mainland who have tried Stand Up Paddling and were entranced by its amusement. They are three of many who have been enjoying the unique sport. The number of participants continues to increase in places such as Munich, and Stand up Paddling has drawn many surf-paddlers from countries such as Australia.

“It truly is an amazing sport,” Kuni said.

Tseng’s first injury occurred the week before high school volleyball state championships.  He rolled his right ankle after landing on a teammate’s foot.

“It was so sore, I couldn’t even walk,” Tseng said.  “Taylor Donovan just picked me up and carried me to the trainer.”  However, after the injury, he failed to see a doctor for treatment.

He finally visited one a few weeks later, only to learn that he had torn all three ligaments in his lower ankle.  For two months, he was forced to use crutches and wear an air-cast for sprained joints. Tseng got off crutches the day before the Freeman Trip to China, which is a trip sponsored by the Freeman Foundation for students to tour Asian countries and build friendly American relations.  Unfortunately, his left ankle was sprained a few months later due to a similar fall.

Sports related injuries such as Tseng’s are more frequent amongst high school athletes than in previous years since every athlete must push himself or herself harder.  While this may be good for faster records or closer games, medical experts say that young athletes’ bodies are suffering from the pressure.

Mr. Charley Gima, a trainer at ‘Iolani for 26 years, said that over the past ten years athletic injuries have steadily increased.  Since more athletes are participating in multiple sports and outside leagues, the chance of injury has increased greatly.

“We see about five to ten injured athletes a day for treatment and therapy,” Mr. Gima said.  He estimates that twenty to thirty athletes currently come in for icing and taping daily.  The numbers grow during the winter athletic season because this season has the most sports. Additionally, the injured group has grown to include younger athletes.

“I’ve noticed an increase in kids anywhere from five to twelve years old,” Mr. Gima said.  The increase is due to young athletes participating in athletics at a younger age and at a higher level.

“It boils down to a lack of muscular strength and overuse,” he said.

Muscular strength and conditioning are vital for injury prevention.  Coach Dominic Ahuna’s training programs with athletes of all sports have greatly reduced the number of injuries that the trainers see.

In addition, Mrs. Shannon Yonamine,  the school nurse, monitors many of the athletes after they have suffered a concussion for at least a week. She believes that more education about the long-term implications of sports-related injuries is necessary.

“A lot of kids don’t want to admit they’re injured so they don’t have to stop playing,” Mrs. Yonamine said.  “They aren’t aware of the consequences.”

If injuries are not treated soon, their effects may be felt for much longer than they should, as junior Akari Hatanaka discovered.

Hatanaka has had pain in her shoulders from her swimming and water polo seasons since February, but she ignored the pain and pushed herself until the accumulated pain became more than she could handle.

“After summer water polo, my coach started me on a workout program since I wasn’t doing club swimming,” Hatanaka said.  This program intensified her already aggravated pain so she asked the trainers for a diagnosis.  Both of her shoulders due to overuse have tendonitis,  which is the inflammation of tendons.  The pain she frequently experiences restricts Hatanaka from swimming and playing the violin.

“If my arms hurt, I’m not supposed to play,” Hatanaka said.  However, her pain is almost daily, and it worsens when she doesn’t have the time to go to therapy.  Her practicing time suffers from this injury.

Senior Bailey Fischer’s injuries have ended her athletic career.

She was born with multidirectional instability, which means that she has weak joints, but this did not stop her from competing.  She joined cheerleading three years ago and had been in gymnastics for ten years.

“I knew I wasn’t as strong with the cheers and dances as the other girls, so I wanted to be really strong in the tumbling section since my background is in gymnastics,” Fischer said.  “I wanted to excel in it and push myself to be better than the varsity girls.”  This competitive nature added to the weakness in her joints.

“It got to the point where I would be lifting my laundry basket and my shoulder would hurt,” she said. She had surgery on her right shoulder last November to stabilize it.  Although the surgery helps steady her shoulder, it took her six months before she could hold her arms up straight.

Some days I feel like because of the surgery I’m limited in what I can do,” Fischer said.  “But some days I’m thankful because what if in the future I drop my kid because my shoulder popped out?” Her point is true: athletic injuries affect athletes long after their career is over.

Tseng’s injuries follow him off the court as well.  After his two ankle injuries, he must wear ankle braces every time he plays volleyball for the rest of his life.

In addition, he suffered a reoccurring back injury in 8th grade during volleyball practice.  He is supposed to ice his back after he plays.

“That’s the only one that’s always there.  I can’t get rid of it,” Tseng said of his back injury.  He has tried multiple treatments for this injury, including a trip to a Chinese herb doctor and acupuncture.  However, the best remedy for his pain is to not push himself too far.

“I’ve learned to stop when I start to hurt,” said Tseng.

Amidst all of his pain, he still found the bright side of things.

“I don’t need to do chores when I’m on crutches,” Tseng said with a bright smile.

The team has been undergoing hard-core training, conditioning, and practices since the summer and has been able to come together and make this a season to remember.

“As an underclassman I got to experience the excellent guidance of the coaches and captains which led our entire team to an unbelievably exciting and memorable season,” said junior Cody Petro-Sakuma. “This year was the first year that when I was on the field I could look left, right, behind and in front of me, and know that the other ten brothers on the field and 50 plus on the sideline, has my back regardless of the situation.”

The team had many firsts this season starting with being the first team to manage being kicked off the field during their first week of practice.

“Initially, we worked hard over the summer, but during the first week of practice we got kicked off the field for certain events,” said senior Everett Vasoncellos. “However, we took this event as a way to get better, and we worked our butts off.”

Also included on the team’s list of firsts was being the first ‘Iolani team to beat the Kamehameha Warriors in over five years.

“We caught them at just the right time,” said head coach of the Raiders, Wendell Look, referring to their win against the Warriors. “It was the first ILH game of the season, so they (Kamehameha) were still trying to find themselves. We all know how dominant Kamehameha is, and being able to beat them shows how strong our team is.”

This year’s team is also the first team to have beaten two Division I teams (Kamehameha and Punahou) in the same season.

“Beating Punahou on our home field was probably the best game that they have played all season,” said Look. “The guys had the focus and the desire to beat them and when they did, you could see the satisfaction and confidence on their faces.”

Not only has the team been under the confident leadership and guidance of Coach Look, but the Raiders have also felt the same one team spirit from their team captains, seniors Jarrett Arakawa, Seali’i Epenesa, and Andrew Skalman.

“We just really wanted to set a good example for the rest of out team,” said Skalman. “Our team is very young this year and we wanted to show them what it was like to be on a successful team and what it takes to do so.”

“Us captains were the ones that coach Look came to when there was a problem and we would take care of it. When times were tough we would talk to the guys and encourage them to keep playing hard and finish strong,” said Epenesa. “They listened to us and this was probably the closest team I have ever been on.”

Besides the influence from coach Look and the team, everyone is also under the influence of the wonderful coaching staff.

“The coaching staff has been incredibly influential to me,” said senior Micah Baclig. “They are the hardest working staff in the state, and I appreciate them spending so much time away from their family and jobs to coach us.”

Not only was this season a season of firsts, but it was also a season of repeats. ‘Iolani captured the ILH Division II Title. The team then went on to capturing the State Division II State Championship for the third year in a row on Friday, Dec. 4 with a win against Kaua’i.

Although the first half was full of a bunch of uncharacteristic turnovers in the first half, the team was still able to take charge after the half, and come out victorious.

“The coaching staff and I went in during the half said a few things to the team, and then walked out. The guys were able to talk amongst themselves, and take care of what they knew needed to be done,” said Look.

“As a team,” said senior Sean Nada, “we had to gather ourselves and focus on what we had to do and simply execute.”

The season had many firsts for first time team member, senior,Larson Leu.

“Every experience of this season was a first for me because everything was new, I’m glad I came out to experience everything,” said Leu. “I was influenced by the bond of the team because we all went through the same adversities and conditioning.”

Seniors Kaena Moose, Sean Nada, and Micah Baclig played in the Aloha Prep Bowl’s Hawaii Goodwill Senior Bowl between the East and the West.

Additionally, senior Andrew Skalman played Aloha Prep Bowl’s Hawaii/Polynesia-Mainland Bowl between Hawaii players and players from the Mainland.

The girls’ team ran at the Dos Pueblos Invitational. Instead of dividing the races into junior varsity and varsity, the runners were separated by grade level. Notable finishers were Jenna Wong ’10 and Breanne Ball ’12 who took third and seventh respectively. Coaches Lauran Dignam and Jonathan Lyau also participated, placing first and second in their age groups.

            The boys’ team ran at the Central Park Invitational and in a dual meet against Buena Park. Top finishers in the Central Park meet were Troy Esaki ’12 and Borys Pleskacz ’11, who took second and sixteenth respectively. The varsity team defeated Buena Park 27-29.

            The runners found that the meets held in California are different compared to those held in Hawaii. Lauren Kim ’11 noticed that in comparison to the meets in Hawaii, the climate was cooler, the course was straighter, and the hills were flatter. Even encouragement for the runners came in a different language. Justin Higa ’11 said, “Instead of yelling ‘run faster’ they yelled ‘Andale! Andale!’”

            Many runners also found that the competition was different in Hawaii. Senior Andrew Ellison thought that the Division One School’s runners were especially tough competition. “You feel like you’re being drowned in a sea of legs,” said Valerie Pyun ’11.

            One of the most memorable parts of the trip for both teams was a visit to Six Flags Magic Mountain before returning home.