Sports

Molokai at NSSA Championships

Friday, April 10th, 2015

Molokai at NSSA Championships

Community Contributed

By Clare Seeger Mawae

Alex Mawae recently competed at the regional event of the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) surfing competition in the Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Division at Kewalo’s, Oahu on March 16 and placed third in his division. This was an awesome experience for young Alex as he got a chance to see the incredible talent of the future Hawaii surfing generation. SUP has recently been added into the NSSA and slowly growing with the young competitors.

Twelve-year-old Alex’s strengths lie in long distance paddling when he first came on the Stand Up Paddling scene at 9 years competing in the Molokai Holokai and then onto the famous Maliko run on Maui’s north shore.…

Track Team Off to a Running Start

Wednesday, April 1st, 2015

Molokai’s track and field season debut featured a win and several top 10 finishes, results that pleasantly surprised Head Coach Jessie Ford.

Alex Simon earned first place the 300 meter hurdles. With Simon recently coming off her wrestling season, Ford said she told Simon, “No pressure.”

“And then she did that!” said Ford of her results. “She won by a hundredth of a second – it was a super close finish, very exciting.”

Lehiwa Pedro placed third in discus, another unexpected result for Ford.

“Lehiwa surprised everybody in her debut throwing discus – it her first time competing [in the event],” said Ford.…

Tennis Teams Hitting their Strides

Wednesday, April 1st, 2015

Tennis Teams Hitting their Strides

After suffering early season losses, both the boys’ and girls’ tennis teams are starting to bring in victories. Last weekend at home against the St. Anthony Trojans, the girls got their first win of the season, while the boys won twice against the Trojans.

“We always get better as the season goes on,” said Head Coach Dean Chow. “… At the end of the season we like to challenge the first place teams because we think we’ll be right there with them.”

On both Friday and Saturday, Molokai’s boys beat St. Anthony 4-1. Molokai’s girls lost 4-1 on Friday but won 3-2 the next day.…

Volleyball Wins the One That Counts

Wednesday, April 1st, 2015

Volleyball Wins the One That Counts

The Molokai Farmers boys’ volleyball team split last weekend with games against Kamehameha Maui at The Barn.  On Friday night, after dropping the first set, the Farmers took the next three to win the match.

“We started out slow and lost the first set but I told them in the huddle that it’s time to step up and it’s ours for the taking and they came out and played better and we got the win in four sets,” said Head Coach Hale Domingo.

Saturday’s game was a non-league match and the farmers lost in five sets.

“When we play the Division I schools, only the Friday night game counts in the standings,” explained Domingo of Molokai’s Division II team.…

Farmers Afar: Rizpah Umi

Wednesday, April 1st, 2015

Farmers Afar: Rizpah Umi

In a new series, the Dispatch celebrates former Molokai athletes who have taken their homegrown skills to new stages off island. If you know of a Molokai athlete competing at college, the professional level or elsewhere, let us know by emailing editor@themolokaidispatch.com or calling 552-2781.

The first Native Hawaiian wrestler in Wayland Baptist University (WBU) history is already making a name for herself and the small island she hails from. Just a freshman at WBU, 2014 Molokai High School graduate Rizpah Umi was named an All-American wrestler last month.

Umi earned the distinction after finishing eighth out of 29 wrestlers from across the country.…

A Field to Call Home

Wednesday, March 25th, 2015

A Field to Call Home

The Molokai softball team finally has a place to call their own. For years, the girls and coaches bussed to practices and games at the county’s ball field in Kaunakakai. Meanwhile, they put in hours of labor on weekends the last couple of years to pick rocks and prepare their future field at Molokai High. It all became worth it last Saturday, when the brand new field officially opened with a blessing and the first pitch was thrown on their home diamond.

In the 1990s, Head Coach Coco Augustiro said a field at the high school was built for softball but it wasn’t constructed to code and instead of holding games there, it was used for PE.…

Farmers First Look, Part 2

Wednesday, March 25th, 2015

With many athletes and coaches going straight from winter sport championships to spring sport practices, there is little rest for Molokai High Farmers. The athletic department takes on its largest season of the school year with seven different sports this spring: volleyball, golf, tennis, baseball, track and field, softball and this year’s newest addition of judo. In the second of a two-part series, the Dispatch takes an early look at three sports on the cusp of their Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) seasons.

Judo

While Molokai High School is offering judo for the first time ever, its coaches are anything but novices.…

Farmers First Look, Part 1

Wednesday, March 18th, 2015

With many athletes and coaches going straight from winter sport championships to spring sport practices, there is little rest for Molokai High Farmers. The athletic department takes on its largest season of the school year with seven different sports this spring: volleyball, golf, tennis, baseball, track and field, softball and this year’s newest addition of judo. In a two-part series, the Dispatch takes an early look at the first four sports that have already begun their Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) seasons.

Baseball

When it comes to the defending MIL champion Farmers, Head Coach Scottie Rapanot has yet to see anything that needs significant changes.…

Heritage Rodeo Ropes in the Fun

Wednesday, March 18th, 2015

Heritage Rodeo Ropes in the Fun

Molokai Ranch News Release

Molokai Ranch will be hosting the Molokai Ranch Heritage Rodeo on Saturday, April 25 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Molokai Ranch, located on the west end of Molokai.  As one of the largest rodeo events of its kind in the state, the Heritage Rodeo attracts professional riders and rodeo enthusiasts from all over Hawaii to share in the cultural heritage that demonstrates island style hospitality.

In addition to the wide range of rodeo festivities, there will be a special live performance by Hawaii music icons and Grammy Award-winning artists Henry Kapono, John Cruz, and Brother Noland, who together call themselves the “Rough Riders.”…

Boys’ Tennis Earns First Team Victory

Wednesday, March 18th, 2015

The Molokai boys’ and girls’ tennis teams hit the road this past weekend with matches Friday at Maui Prepatory Academy in Kapalua and Saturday at Maui High in Kahului.

On Friday at Kapalua the boys won 4-1, and the girls lost 3-1. Shiloh Kawaahau and Preston Pascua won in singles and Kaiea Dowling and Decker Bicoy won in first doubles. Michelle McGuire and Althea Cariaga won second doubles for the girls.

Saturday’s matches were both won by the Sabers. The Molokai boys lost 3-2 and the girls lost 4-1. Preston Pascua won third singles, while Luke Kikukawa and Noeau Likua won second doubles.…