Shoots, Shooters

Online version updated Tuesday, Oct. 18.

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James Corpuz and Kayla Matson are right on target.

Following strong performances at their league air riflery tournament last Saturday, the duo will represent Molokai at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) championship on Oahu this weekend.

Both the Molokai High School boys (1834 points) and girls (1825) squads placed second overall at the meet, which wrapped up the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) Div. II season. Seven boys teams and six girls teams participated.

Matson, who took last year’s MIL crown, placed fourth of 41 shooters with 472 points. She returns to states seeking to improve upon last weekend’s performance, she said.

“When we were shooting, we were all definitely really nervous but excited … I guess that pressure kinda got to us,” she said. “I definitely wanna be doing better [at states] … but most of all I wanna shoot how I was at practice back home.”

Corpuz placed sixth of 60 shooters with 482 points. He, too, has high hopes for Oahu.

“I feel good,” he said Sunday. “This is my last year of being in high school and I try my best, and I’m gonna push myself to do better [at states].”

Chelsea Simon also qualified as an alternate shooter at the HHSAA tournament, placing fifth with 463 points. The shooters are some of 12 seniors wrapping up their time with the squad – a 19-person team that will be sad to see them go, said coach Eddie Gorospe.

“Coach Henry Corpuz and I were really proud of them,” Gorospe said. “We’re gonna miss them very much.”