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Punahou’s Jacqueline O’Neill outlasts MPI’s Kylie Canubida for ILH singles title

By Paul Honda on May 20, 2021

During the doldrums of a global pandemic, Jacqueline O’Neill built a grass tennis court. It wasn’t built from scratch, but still, she was very resourceful with her grandmother’s back yard. Shirley Yuen appreciated her grand-daughter’s drive, often cheering her on during those sessions. “There’s definitely some bumps on the grass, but I did three-quarters of a court, enough for me to serve,” said O’Neill, who won the ILH girls singles championship on Saturday. “Just the service box on the other […]

Punahou 8th-grade OL KJ Hallums’ 1st offer: Washington State

By Paul Honda on May 19, 2021

Just a couple years back, David Hallums had hopes for his son, soon to be a teenager. Hopes for academic achievement. Football, it seems, has already opened doors for KJ Hallums, an eighth grader at Punahou. Hallums earned top performer honors in his age group at the elite Polynesian Bowl Combine over the weekend in Mesquite, Nev. Hallums was one of three eighth-graders invited back to battle the next day against varsity players. That opened eyes. Quickly. Washington State responded […]

‘Iolani freshman Jolie Nguyen wins ILH 1,500 title for 1st, maybe last time

By Paul Honda on May 18, 2021

Doing something you love is usually an act of passion. Doing something you are great at, but don’t love, well, it can feel like a volunteer work or a job. Enjoyment, yes, but not quite the ultimate. That’s where Jolie Nguyen is. The amazing freshman year of the ‘Iolani three-sport athlete came to an end on Saturday with a big bang. Nguyen finished first in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:58.83, overtaking another talented ninth grader, Kamehameha’s Madison […]


Tate Garcia emerges from the pool, becomes ILH girls discus champion

By Paul Honda on May 18, 2021

She is the one who heaves the disk. She also heaves it farther than any girl in the ILH. When Tate Garcia left the swimming pool this spring, she devoted much of her free time to the discus. Swimming remains her sport of top priority, but the ‘Iolani junior launched the disc 95 feet, 11 inches to win the ILH championship on Saturday at Alexander Field. Garcia overcame a solid field that included runner-up Tiana Ma‘afala of Damien (88-08) and […]

Quick healing for Punahou’s Christopher Paige en route to ILH 300 hurdles title

By Paul Honda on May 18, 2021

The convergence of track and football in the spring season was a blessing in the eyes of Christopher Paige. After seeing football cancelled at the league level, the Punahou senior was just glad to have a return to his event, the 300-meter hurdles. Then came an ankle injury on the football field two weeks before the ILH track and field championships. Oh, the young do recover quickly. The Princeton-bound wide receiver won the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 38.39 […]

Recovery from injuries key for Punahou’s peak performance

By Paul Honda on May 16, 2021

Punahou’s wide margin of victory at the ILH girls track and field championships on Saturday morning wasn’t the only reason longtime coach Duncan Macdonald was pleased. Many of the Buffanblu who recorded wins in individual events are underclassmen. “I’m very positive about the future,” longtime coach Duncan Macdonald said. “The season was a real trial and the girls handled it really well. I think in particular we have a huge number of ninth graders. We brought up a lot of […]

A game of inches: Saint Louis escapes with ILH title win over Punahou

By Paul Honda on May 16, 2021

The game changed in an instant for Punahou. Down 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Buffanblu managed to tie Saint Louis without a single base hit. Ryne Umemoto led off with a walk, Justin Tsukada was hit by a pitch and Cody Kashimoto pushed the runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Kaikea Harrison then delivered the ultimate bang-bang moment with a suicide squeeze. Umemoto slid home safely with Punahou’s first run of the game. Saint Louis’ lineup […]

ILH girls track and field championship results

By Paul Honda on May 16, 2021

ILH girls track and field championships May 15. 2021 Alexander Field Girls Discus 1. Tate Garcia, ‘Iolani, 95-11. 2. Tiana Ma‘afala, Damien, 88-07. 3. Anya Ortiz, Kamehameha, 88-05. 4. Miyah Soares, ‘Iolani, 81-04. 5. Shayna Selesele, Damien, 79-03. Girls Triple Jump 1. Cameryn Ann Nagaji, ‘Iolani, 35-01.50. 2. Kiani Panoke, Maryknoll, 33-04.50. 3. Selena Chow, Kamehameha, 33-02.50. 4. Kayla Mukai, ‘Iolani, 33-00.50. 5. Allie Lam, Punahou, 33-00. Girls High Jump 1. Lexi Fujita, ‘Iolani, 5-02. 2. Alexis King, ‘Iolani, 5-00. […]