Congressman K. Mark Takai, who passed away in Honolulu at the age of 49, will be inducted into the Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame’s 14-member class in a ceremony at the Hale Koa Hotel on Sept. 8.
Takai, who served in Congress from 2015-2016, “was an exemplary soldier, public servant and beloved member of the House of Representatives,” said Speaker of the House Paul Ryan in a news release.
Born in Honolulu in 1967, Takai attended Pearl City High School and the University of Hawaii.
During his time at Pearl City, he was a four-time state champion and a two-time National High School All-American.
While at UH, Takai swam on the UH varsity swimming and diving team from 1985 to 1990 and was a member of a Western Athletic Conference championship medley relay team.
He earned his B.A. in Political Science in 1990 and a Masters of Public Health in 1993.
In 2017, the Hawaii High School Athletic Association named the swimming and diving championships in his honor; also in that year, the City and County of Honolulu named the Central Oahu Regional Park’s swimming pool complex the K. Mark Takai Aquatics Center.
U.S. women’s volleyball wins Pan-Am Cup
The United States women’s volleyball team defended its Pan-American Cup title as it outlasted host Dominican Republic 3-2 (24-26, 21-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-8) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Saturday night.
It was the sixth (2003, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017) title for the U.S. in the history of the tournament. The team had seven players on the roster who were making their international tournament debuts and no player had more than two years of national team experience.
University of Utah alum and former Kahuku High standout Adora Anae came off the bench in Set 1 and started Set 2. Anae was credited with two points, both on kills.
Paddlers find gold in Pacific Northwest
A collection of local paddlers spent the weekend in the Pacific Northwest participating in one of the sport’s growing tests of strength and endurance: the Gorge Outrigger Canoe Race.
The 22nd annual competition featured more than 600 paddlers and upwards of 100 men’s (11-mile course) and women’s (12-mile course) crews competing in the Gorge on the Columbia River, which runs along Washington’s southern border and Oregon’s northern edge. Teams from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Colorado and Florida managed unseasonably calm winds and temperatures exceeding 95 degrees, and dodged debris and rocks in the river as well as wind- and kite-surfers and barges that were also using the busy waterway.
Red Bull Wa‘a, one of Hawaii’s top long-distance men’s squads, claimed the prestigious championship by holding off NAC4Life of Newport, Calif., (official times not available at press time). Team Hawaii Wahine claimed the women’s title in 1 hour, 44 minutes and 2 seconds, and bested a crew from Dana Point, Calif. (1:45:15).
Today through Saturday, individuals using stand-up paddleboards, surfski kayaks and one-person canoes will navigate Oregon’s Hood River (an offshoot of the Columbia) for the Gorge Downwind Championships.
