If the preliminaries of the K. Mark Takai/HHSAA State Swimming and Diving Championships are any indication, Saturday’s finals will have a rainbow of schools represented on the top step of the podiums.
Five different schools won trials on the girls side on Friday and four different schools had the fastest boy in the eight individual events.
Kamehameha’s Jaek Horner doubled up in the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke, threatening MJ Mao of Maryknoll’s state meet record of 54.4 seconds in the 100 breast set in 2016. Horner covered the distance in 54.64 on Friday.
Horner, who has won the 100 breast the last two years, would join Kekoa Taparra of Kamehameha (2006-2008), Ed Afualo of Kapolei (2001-04), Bryan Luke of Punahou (1990-1992), Chris Woo of Punahou (1973-1976) and Allen Richardson of Punahou (1963-1965) to win three straight. He would be the first Kamehameha boy to win the 200 IM since Taparra in 2008.
Kaiko K Hokama-Decker of Kalani also doubled up in trials, setting the pace in the 50 and 100 freestyle races. A Falcon has never won the 50 free at states and only Andrew Ezer, who three-peated from 1975-77, has won the 100 free for Kalani.
Michael Petrides of Mid-Pacific (200 free), Kanoa Sawai of Kamehameha (100 fly), Kaiser’s Micah Ginoza (500 free) and Noah Peters of Punahou (100 back) also won their trials races. ‘Iolani junior Culley Jones leads teammate Ethan Buck by 2.25 points in the diving competition.
Grace Monahan of University and King Kekaulike junior Aniston Eyre doubled up on the girls side, with Monahan setting the pace in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly and Eyre the girl to beat in the 50 and 100 freestyle races. Eyre, the defending champion in the 50 free, can become the first girl in school history to double up at states and pass Emalia Suehiro‘s two golds in 2005 and 2006 for most in school history.
Monahan is the ILH champion in both of her events and would be the first girl from her school to win either of them on the state level.
Mina Poppas of Waiakea (200 free), Kamehameha’s Jamy Lum (500 free), Alana Barthel of Le Jardin (100 back), Hawaii Prep’s Maile Lawson (100 breast) and Emma Ng Pak of Punahou (diving) also won their trials.
Here are the results and Saturday’s program:
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