Sports

Special Olympics Basketball Takes Gold

Wednesday, December 12th, 2012

The Molokai Special Olympics basketball team is on a roll bringing home the gold, taking the championship on Oahu for the past seven years, according to Molokai Special Olympics Coordinator Rita Kalahiki. This year, though, they played with a mixed team of both veteran and less experienced players — and still won gold last weekend at the annual statewide Holiday Classic.

“The team was too good, no one would play against them,” said Kalahiki of the basketball team’s success streak. So in order for the competition to agree to play against Molokai this year, Kalahiki said she had to mix up the island’s three teams of different levels — A, B and C teams — to form two new A teams.…

MHS Athletes Ready for Winter Season

Sunday, December 9th, 2012

As the holiday season nears, most students are getting ready for winter break, but athletes at Molokai High School (MHS) have been busy preparing for their upcoming season. Swimming, Wrestling, Girls’ Canoe Paddling, Girls’ Basketball and Boys’ basketball have all been training hard in hopes of making it to the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) championships this year.

Swimming

Water sports are a large part of the lifestyle on Molokai, so naturally the Friendly Isle has produced some of the state’s top swimmers, including state-record holder Ilia Reyes, whose time for the 50 meter freestyle qualified him for the Olympic trials last year.…

Kickin It With the NFL

Wednesday, November 28th, 2012

Kickin It With the NFL

Four Molokai youth whose football skills show exceptional promise are getting an exceptional opportunity. Alika Balbas, Cassidy Victorino, Erik Svetin and Chelsen “Ena” Victorino have all advanced in the National Football League (NFL)’s Punt, Pass and Kick (PPK) program and will be representing Hawaii on Dec. 2 in San Diego as part of the team competition level. They are four of 10 youth from the state who will get to show off their skills in the San Diego Chargers stadium before the game.

“I am proud to be representing Molokai and Hawaii at the NFL Punt, Pass and Kick competition,” said 13-year-old Erik.…

Molokai Volleyball Player Earns Honors

Sunday, November 25th, 2012

Molokai Volleyball Player Earns Honors

Linfield College News Release

Linfield Volleyball’s top offensive weapon Kailana Ritte-Camara, a sophomore from Molokai, has been named to the 2012 All-Northwest Conference Volleyball Second Team. The honor was announced last week following a vote of the league’s coaches.

The sophomore outside hitter led the Wildcats with 2.73 kills per set, totaling 259 for the year. She ranked 11th in the conference in that category, while also adding 27 assists, 27 service aces, 298 digs and 27 total blocks.

Ritte-Camara registered double-digit kills 15 times during the 2012 season, including a season high of 17 against Willamette. Starting all 24 matches, she ranked third on the club in digs per set (3.65) and second in service aces (27).…

New Athletic Trainer on Molokai

Wednesday, November 21st, 2012

For nearly the past two years, Molokai High School (MHS) athletes have been competing at a disadvantage –they’ve been without an athletic trainer. However, the Farmers got a new athletic trainer this month who will tend to their injuries and ensure they are able to play at their physical best.

Deborah Thompson, a California native, moved to Molokai and officially began work as MHS’ athletic trainer on Nov. 1. She brings 30 years of experience as an athletic trainer, working at both the high school and college level. She has also worked as an orthopedic technician and assistant surgeon in California for 12 years.…

Taking the Paniolo Tradition by Stampede

Monday, November 5th, 2012

Taking the Paniolo Tradition by Stampede

When most people think of Hawaii, cowboys aren’t the first thing to come to mind. Yet the paniolo tradition has been ingrained in local culture since the reign of King Kamehameha III in the early 1800s. On Molokai, Kapualei Ranch is helping to keep the tradition alive through their annual Stampede Rodeo, celebrating its sixth year this weekend.

“[Paniolos are] really a dying breed throughout the whole state,” said Saucie Dudoit, who manages Kapualei with her husband, Goat. “We do ropings to perpetuate the culture and lifestyle of cowboys.”

The Stampede Rodeo draws contestants of all ages from around the state for nine events, including team roping, barrel racing and dummy roping for kids.…

Molokai Youth Take Top Honors at World Series Event

Sunday, October 28th, 2012

Molokai Youth Take Top Honors at World Series Event

Community Contributed

By Clare Seeger Mawae

The final event of the Stand Up Paddle World Series was held at Turtle Bay on Oahu from Oct. 13 and 14. This year a new event was added called the Na Kama Kai Challenge. It was designed for the new to the sport and up and coming young racers under 15 years. Molokai’s Alex Mawae took first place in the event, while Josie Mawae claimed third.

Josie and Alex were excited to be part of this prestigious event. The Na Kama Kai Challenge was all about the kids with the pros helping out, while the young kids raced their version of sprints on the east side of Turtle Bay.…

Master Blasters: Fun for the Young at Heart

Wednesday, October 24th, 2012

Master Blasters: Fun for the Young at Heart

Whoever said it’s all downhill after age 50 has never paddled in Molokai’s annual Master Blasters Race. Participants say the event is just as much about making friends as it is about the paddling competition, the costumes and the drinking. With this year’s festivities featuring a crew of Jack Sparrow-lookalikes in one canoe, Spartan soldiers in the next and afro-wearing Amazonian women in another, there was fun to be had by all last Saturday in the 27th annual event.

“We did our best, we drank our beers and we had a lot of fun,” said Lea Giddens, who paddled with the Wildcat Witches from Maui.…

A Not-So-Little League

Sunday, October 21st, 2012

A Not-So-Little League

More than 70 young T-ballers aged 4 to 8 gathered at Kaunakakai ball field early Saturday morning to officially bat off the start of this year’s Little League season. Before any games commenced, all five teams stood for the opening ceremony, which featured the national and Hawaiian anthem, guest speakers and a pule.

“There’s not too much on Molokai for little ones,” said Minky Young, president of Molokai Little League. “Little League offers not only baseball, but unity, community involvement, health and wellness.”

Little League has been present on Molokai for over 35 years, and many parents and coaches remember playing in the league themselves as keiki.…

‘A Sweet Victory’

Sunday, October 14th, 2012

‘A Sweet Victory’

With most of the sell-out crowd at Hilo Civic Center cheering for their hometown hero and defending champ Pono Kuikahi, few expected Molokai mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Nate Harris, 25, to bring home the belt at the Unorthodox Industries Championships (UIC) event in Hilo earlier this month. But he did.

After fighting in three three-minute rounds, Harris, who has been training with Molokai’s Relentless MMA for the past four years, claimed the UIC welterweight championship belt for the 170-pound weight bracket. He won by definitive judge’s decision. The win brings his amateur record to 4-1.

“I think I dominated the fight,” said Harris.…