Kaua‘i High varsity boys place second at Division II state paddling championships

Kaua‘i High School’s varsity boys outrigger canoe crew finished second in Division II at the Hawaiian Airlines HHSAA Canoe Paddling State Championships at Keehi Lagoon on Oahu, delivering one of Kaua‘i’s best showings at the meet. The team stroked the final heat in 3 minutes, 51.44 seconds, finishing about five seconds behind Castle High School, which posted a 3:46.43 run.

The Kaua‘i crew included Colten Dela Cruz, Lanakila Grosse, Phoenix Larusso, Jasyah Rapozo, Kaleohano Rivera, Evan Strong, Luke Alfiler and Cedric Tejada. The team reached the state regatta after earning the Kauai Interscholastic Federation Central Pacific Bank boys championships on Jan. 24, and competed in challenging conditions that the meet described as running under threatening weather.

Kaua‘i’s preliminaries showed competitive speed as well. A 3:53.50 preliminary run put the Red Raider boys in third place behind Molokai and Castle, and reports at the meet noted a 3:45.57 semifinal time consistent with the crews’ final-heat pacing. While Castle’s faster heats ultimately decided the title, Kaua‘i’s margin of roughly five seconds underlines how thin the gaps are at the state level.

Other island entries turned in notable performances. Waimea High School’s wahine crew raced in Division I preliminaries with a 4:16.39 and shaved nearly four seconds off that time in the finals, finishing in 4:12.74. Kamehameha Schools–Kapalama won Girls Division I with a 4:01.96 final. In Mixed competition, Island School, the KIF Central Pacific Bank mixed champion, posted a 4:01.44 in prelims; Voyager’s Mixed team broke the four-minute mark in the finals with a 3:59.24 but trailed Castle High School’s 3:57.72 for third. Seabury Hall of the Maui Interscholastic League won the Mixed division with a 3:55.72 final.

Beyond medals, Kaua‘i’s result matters to the island’s public health and community fabric. Participation in paddling fosters cardiovascular fitness, teamwork, and cultural continuity that support mental and physical wellbeing for youth. At the same time, sending teams to Oahu for state championships exposes logistical and equity challenges, travel costs, time away from school, and the need for medical coverage and emergency planning in rough weather. The meet’s threatening weather conditions underscore the importance of consistent water-safety training, access to certified safety crews, and funding so smaller islands can meet the same safety standards as larger programs.

For Kaua‘i paddlers and supporters, the second-place finish is a point of local pride and a reminder of what sustained investment can yield. Parents, coaches and school officials will likely press for continued support for travel budgets, safety resources and year-round coaching so athletes such as Colten Dela Cruz, Lanakila Grosse and Phoenix Larusso can build on this season. As the Kaua‘i paddling community digests the results from Keehi Lagoon, attention now turns to maintaining athlete health, reinforcing safety protocols for open-water competition, and preparing for the next season of island and state contests.