Bull’s Eye

Molokai girls lead MIL championships.

Shoot-shoot-shoot!

They’ve been saying it all season, and last week the Molokai High School air riflery team did just that, topping the girls’ division at last Saturday’s Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) championships. They finished first overall with 1,733, the combine score of the team’s top four finishers.

“They tore them to pieces,” said coach David Kalani. “They said ‘Molokai?’ Yes, Molokai! We’re here.”

The Lady Farmers beat out second place St. Anthony with 1,702 and third place Maui High with 1,664.

For the championships, competitors shot in each position – prone, standing and kneeling – twice for a perfect score of 600. MHS’ Kayla Matson came out on top of the girls’ individual competition with a score of 455. Chelsea Simon finished fifth with 435, Nika Mendija sixth with 434, Mia Mendija 10th with 409 and Hope Will 20th with 342.

Matson, Simon and Nika and Mia Mendija will represent the MIL next week at the state championships in Honolulu. 

The MHS boys’ team also finished strong, placing fifth overall with 1,769. Baldwin placed first with 1,929, followed by second place St. Anthony with 1,857.

DJ Kaai, the team’s only senior, finished 11th in the boys’ individual competition with a score of 450, followed by 12th place James Corpuz with 447, 14th place Landon Pawn-Kalilikane with 440, 16th place Bryson Dudoit with 432, 18th place Dallin Tancayo with 427 and 36th place Luke Santiago with 349.

While the boys will not compete next week, Kalani said they had a successful season.

“From the day they started to the end, they were much improved,” he said.

He added he expects the girls to face tough competition at the championships. “They’ll be hard to beat, but we’ll try our best.”