Lahui O Ko‘olauloa was established in 2016 so people in Kahuku could experience canoe paddling, according to coach Vonn Chee.

It hasn’t taken long for the small club to experience success.

Lahui O Ko‘olauloa won four youth races Saturday to claim the A Division of Na ‘Ohana O Na Hui Wa‘a’s Windward Kai Regatta at Kailua Beach Park.

“We’re having a blast, everyone is doing really well. I’m really excited for us, especially being a small club,” Chee said. “Some of these clubs have hundreds of members, so for us to be able to hang with some of the big guys, being as small as we are, is super exciting for us.”

Lahui O Ko‘olauloa won the girls 13, girls 14, girls 15 and mixed 12 races to finish with 57 points in the A Division, which is for clubs with 12 or fewer crews. I Mua placed second with 27 and Ka Mamalahoe was third with 26.

“We all just pushed through and used all our strength to get to the end,” said Aliah Williams, who paddled in the winning girls 14 race. The crew members completed the quarter-mile race in 2:35.60.

Lahui O Ko‘olauloa also had three runner-up and two third-place finishes.

“This is probably the best day we’ve ever had,” Chee said.

Manu O Ke Kai won 20 races and finished with 190 points to claim the AAA Division (13-24 crews). Na Keiki O Ka Mo‘i won eight races to finish second with 143.

Lokahi won the AA Division (25-43 crews) with 78. ‘Alapa Hoe placed second with 60 and Waikiki Yacht Club was third with 49.

Crews on Saturday were allowed to use open steersmen because of the windy and rough conditions.

Chee, who also serves as the Kahuku High School paddling coach, said Lahui O Ko‘olauloa also was started to serve as a feeder system for the Red Raiders team. Lahui O Ko‘olauloa and Kahuku High both practice at Kahana Bay, which is 10 miles from the school.

“It was very apparent to us, if we wanted to be competitive at the high school level, we had to get the kids going at a younger age,” said Chee, who started coaching the Red Raiders in 2013.

Lahui O Ko‘olauloa has 60 members, including 45 youths, he said.

Manu O Ke Kai won eight of 10 events late in the regatta, including the men’s and women’s 11⁄2-mile senior races.

The Manu O Ke Kai men finished in 12:58.38, which was more than two minutes ahead of runner-up I Mua.

“The guys at Manu we put in a lot of time and we put in a lot of practice inside the canoe, and it was nothing less of what we expected,” crew member said Mo DeFreitas.

The Manu O Ke Kai women crossed in 15:38.29, more than one minute ahead of second-place I Mua.

DeFreitas and Jenna Kiejko, a member of the women’s senior crew, both felt paddling eight miles from Haleiwa to Waimea Bay and back during practices was good training for Saturday’s windy conditions.

“This water is very familiar because we train going upwind to Waimea and back,” Kiejko said. “We really know how to do a really deep drive and just keep it consistent.”

Manu O Ke Kai’s women’s roster is so deep, the paddlers in the senior crew are pretty much interchangeable.

“We find out the day of the race where we’ll be,” said Kiejko, who has been on the women’s senior crew in two of the three regattas. “Our coaches tell us you have to be able to sit anywhere and paddle with anyone. That’s really our mentality, so the whole crew is really close.”

—

Windward Kai Regatta

Saturday

At Kailua

Mixed Men and Women 60

1. Manu O Ke Kai 5:00.35 (Kay Burgoyne, Lyndy Gasior, Tavita Maea, Dawn Peerson, Ted Santos, Charlie Walker); 2. Kai Poha 5:08.29; 3. Waikiki Yacht Club 5:08.55; 4. Windward Kai 5:14.35; 5. Kalihi Kai 5:24.06.

Women 65

1. Manu O Ke Kai 5:19.37 (Brenda Bunting, Gloria Butterworth, Linda Cox, Tavita Maea, Judy Myers, Yolanda Racca); 2. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 5:26.16

Men 65

1. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 4:49.15 (Bruce Desoto, Manny Desoto, Andrew Gilman, Tim Mauchly, Bob O`Neill, Eric Soo); 2. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 5:04.46; 3. Kalihi Kai 5:06.27; 4. Kai Poha 6:15.16

Women 60

1. Manu O Ke Kai 5:13.34 (Bridget Bourdeau, Cindy Covell, Lyndy Gasior, Susie Giambalvo, Lisa Knott, Tavita Maea); 2. Waikiki Yacht Club 5:39.80; 3. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 5:50.58

Men 60

1. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 4:34.58 (Al Cambra, Nolan Keaulii, Tim Mauchly, Joe Momoa, Paul Mueller, Eric Soo); 2. Waikiki Yacht Club 4:40.60; 3. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 4:46.24; 4. Kalihi Kai 5:05.56

Women 70

1. Manu O Ke Kai 5:16.57 (Brenda Bunting, Gloria Butterworth, Linda Cox, Tavita Maea, Dawn Peerson, Yolanda Racca); 2. Kai Poha 5:26.25; 3. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 6:03.06

Men 70

1. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 4:53.93 (John Cardenas, Dickie Chow, Colin Galang, Jack Laufer, Shaka Madali, Ken Montpas); 2. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 5:03.31; 3. Lokahi 5:14.74

Girls 12

1. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 2:48.98 (Wela Kaauwai Ii, Keira Kekoanui, Nalani Keliikoa, Xailey Robinson, Kawa Sui, Tamara Sunia); 2. Manu O Ke Kai 2:53.71; 3. Lokahi 2:54.16; 4. Lahui O Koolauloa 2:56.47; 5. Haleiwa Outrigger 3:01.57

Boys 12

1. Manu O Ke Kai 2:24.34 (Kaeaa Akau, Nico Esguerra, Tavita Fuga, Douglas Maea, Tavita Maea, Kaliko Sellesin); 2. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 2:31.07; 3. Lahui O Koolauloa 2:48.56; 4. Kalihi Kai 2:53.42; 5. Kaneohe 2:56.51

Girls 13

1. Lahui O Koolauloa 2:46.76 (Ahiatea Bybee, Kaya Chee, Vonn Chee, Eli’a Emmsley, Emalia Emmsley, Akiko Kuwamura); 2. Manu O Ke Kai 2:51.66; 3. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 3:00.84; 4. Kaneohe 3:01.08; 5. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 3:04.33

Boys 13

1. Manu O Ke Kai 2:26.98 (Kekai Amantiad, Nico Esguerra, Kamalei Hill, Kea Lerner, Tavita Maea, Alec Pao); 2. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 2:47.37; 3. Kumulokahi-Elks 2:54.02; 4. Kamaha’o Canoe Club 3:04.68; 5. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 3:04.99

Girls 14

1. Lahui O Koolauloa 2:35.60 (Acyra Afalava-Byous, Jaychelle Akoi-Shea, Kemy Castillo, Vonn Chee, Kahale Emmsley, Aliah Williams); 2. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 2:38.05; 3. Manu O Ke Kai 2:49.84; 4. Kaneohe 2:50.25; 5. Lokahi 2:51.28

Boys 14

1. Kaneohe 2:17.99 (Cheydan-Anthony Cenal, Tasha Hopkins-Moniz, Jeremiah Lopes, Logan Lopez, Kainoa Miraflor, Kyson Murphy); 2. Lahui O Koolauloa 2:26.45; 3. Manu O Ke Kai 2:29.69; 4. Waikiki Yacht Club 2:30.37; 5. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 2:30.66

Mixed Boys And Girls 12

1. Lahui O Koolauloa 2:33.2 (Azlend Bautisita-Malepa, Vonn Chee, Myah Ironmoccasin, Leimoana Renaud-Wilkins, Tini Tafuna, Xenia Tafuna); 2. Manu O Ke Kai 2:40.69; 3. Lokahi 2:43.89; 4. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 2:47.72; 5. Kumulokahi-Elks 2:55.98

Mixed Novice B

1 Manu O Ke Kai 2:13.58 7

(Lindsay Apperson, Scott Fisher, Charzelle Flynn, James Flynn, Tavita Maea, Kelsie Rogers); 2. Haleiwa Outrigger 2:15.80; 3. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 2:17.20; 4. Kamaha’o Canoe Club 2:18.84; 5. Waikiki Beach Boys 2:19.24

Women Novice B

1. Haleiwa Outrigger 2:18.31 (Leah Brosnahan, Cherie Brown, Kendell Mease, Cody Reis, Linda Thoresen, Kylie Vincent); 2. Manu O Ke Kai 2:29.06; 3. Waikiki Beach Boys 2:37.54; 4. Team Olelo 2:39.58; 5. Kaneohe 2:39.86

Men Novice B

1. Manu O Ke Kai 4:11.48 (Ken Capes, Scott Fisher, James Flynn, Pomai Hoapili, Roel Meneses, Asher Robinson); 2. Waikiki Beach Boys 4:28.08; 3. Ka Mamalahoe Canoe Club 4:36.16; 4. Kamaha’o Canoe Club 4:36.52; 5. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 4:46.38

Girls 15

1. Lahui O Koolauloa 5:14.72 (Acyra Afalava-Byous, Jaychelle Akoi-Shea, Vonn Chee, Eli’a Emmsley, Kahale Emmsley, Leilani Nakaahiki); 2. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 5:23.30; 3. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 5:31.68; 4. Manu O Ke Kai 5:36.54; 5. Kaneohe 6:06.46

Boys 15

1. Manu O Ke Kai 4:28.40 (Kyan Ching, Talan Kochi, Kea Lerner, Rayce Pactol, George Smith 4th, Seth Thomason); 2. Lahui O Koolauloa 4:41.12; 3. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 4:41.88; 4. Waikiki Yacht Club 4:42.15; 5. Lokahi 4:42.38

Girls 16

1. Manu O Ke Kai 5:02.76 (Iliana Hesia Nishiki, Megan Kelley, Ashlyn Liwai, Harley Marasco, Jaelyn Padilla-Aquino, Glenn Williams); 2. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 5:11.13; 3. Kamehameha 5:18.39; 4. Lokahi 5:19.13; 5. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 5:46.26

Boys 16

1. Kaneohe 4:30.53 (Keoni Anderson, Nainoa Burgess, Kanaloa Kanoa, Jeremiah Lopes, Gary Okumura, Zion Teanio); 2. Waikiki Yacht Club 4:44.94; 3. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 4:45.28; 4. Lokahi 4:51.23

Girls 18

1. Manu O Ke Kai 4:57.95 (Blake Bowman, Josephine Esguerra, Roma Lerner, Keala Rangel, Glenn Williams, Keegan Williams); 2. Kamehameha 5:08.53; 3. Lokahi 5:34.26; 4. Pukana O Ke Kai 6:00.36

Boys 18

1. Lokahi 4:19.14 (Dan Jean-Baptiste, Caleb Ledesma, Kala Melim, Bryceson Pang, Freddie Pang, Jon Tam); 2. Manu O Ke Kai 4:24.62

Mixed Boys And Girls 18

1. Manu O Ke Kai 4:36.91 7

(Blake Bowman, Tai Driscoll, Shavelle Goodell-Wilson, Jaycee Guerrero, Roma Lerner, Tavita Maea); 2. Lokahi 4:42.59; 3. Lahui O Koolauloa 4:50.19; 4. Waikiki Yacht Club 4:58.60; 5. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 5:00.44

Women 55

1. Waikiki Yacht Club 5:26.42 (Joy Arizumi, Kimberly Barta, Heather Girdley, Lori Hagenauer, Cintia Holz, Marj Miramontes); 2. Windward Kai 5:26.68; 3. Ka Mamalahoe Canoe Club 5:52.43

Men 55

1. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 4:37.30 (Hiro Ito, Dan Kaaekuahiwi, Spam Laupola, Darrell Manlapit, Glin Nelson, Roy Silva); 2. Waikiki Yacht Club 4:51.11; 3. Ka Mamalahoe Canoe Club 4:57.25; 4. Kamehameha 5:01.71; 5. Kai Poha 5:25.24

Women 50

1. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 5:16.84 (Gail Beckley, Tracie Carreiro, Lisa Kaaekuahiwi, Ipo Kaeo, Kris Lindquist, Joe Momoa); 2. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 5:36.51; 3. Kumulokahi-Elks 5:39.55

Mixed Men And Wmn 55

1. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 4:49.43 (Gail Beckley, Al Cambra, Lisa Kaaekuahiwi, Al Momoa, Paul Mueller, Glin Nelson); 2. Kamehameha 5:04.92; 3. Ka Mamalahoe Canoe Club 5:05.26; 4. Kumulokahi-Elks 5:06.69; 5. Windward Kai 5:10.22

Men 50

1. Waikiki Beach Boys 4:32.21 (John Brazelton, Glenn Carter, Steve Gerwig, Eric Lentz, Nikolai Turetsky, Hector Wong Chan); 2. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 4:32.81; 3. I Mua 4:43.80; 4. Ka Mamalahoe Canoe Club 4:53.28

Women Novice A

1. Lokahi 4:44.15 (Camilla Collings, Hannah Daep, Togtokh Ganzorig, Amanda Herbert, Kanae Hirai, Caleb Ledesma); 2. Manu O Ke Kai 4:44.76; 3. Kai Poha 5:14.30; 4. Waikiki Beach Boys 5:16.81; 5. Pukana O Ke Kai 6:19.17

Men Novice A

1. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 4:30.59 (Blaise Gonzales, Bronson Gonzales, Kuhio Kaaekuahiwi, Kekoa Oishi, Keola Rosario, Reuelu Sui); 2. Waikiki Beach Boys 4:38.66; 3. Kumulokahi-Elks 4:48.82

Women Freshmen

1. Manu O Ke Kai 9:55.47 (Erica Adamczyk, Kahanu Amantiad, Varina Amantiad, Gordean Kaluahine, Jenna Kiejko, Molly O Keefe); 2. Haleiwa Outrigger 10:45.17; 3. Lokahi 10:59.85; 4. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 11:06.79; 5. Windward Kai 11:16.01

Men Freshmen

1. Manu O Ke Kai 8:43.34 (David Fuga, Richard Kamikawa, Tavita Maea, George Smith 4Th, Ramsey Van Blyenburg, Kevin Wilson); 2. Waikiki Beach Boys 9:12.94; 3. Lokahi 9:42.11; 4. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 10:29.65

Women Sophomore

1. Lokahi 10:23.31 (Cindy Ahai, Leslie Drechsler, Hannah Gaerlan, Sarah Post, Claudia Pummer, Esther Widiasih); 2. Manu O Ke Kai 10:35.63; 3. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 10:56.89; 4. Windward Kai 11:05.83; 5. I Mua 11:06.25

Men Sophomore

1. Manu O Ke Kai 8:38.12 (Ama Amantiad, Thomas Pule, George Smith 4Th, Ramsey Van Blyenburg, Glenn Williams, Samuel Wirtz); 2. Waikiki Beach Boys 9:28.23; 3. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 9:43.07; 4. I Mua 9:43.30; 5. Lokahi 9:52.24

Women Senior

1. Manu O Ke Kai 15:38.29 (Kahanu Amantiad, Tierney Apuakehau, Jenna Kiejko, Molly O Keefe, Michele Sales, Bree Thuston); 2. I Mua 16:40.96; 3. Waikiki Yacht Club 16:56.73

Men Senior

1. Manu O Ke Kai 12:58.38 (Mo Defreitas, Ha’aheo Foster-Blomfield, Tavita Maea, Thomas Pule, Tim Vierra, Glenn Williams); 2. I Mua 15:05.80; 3. Lokahi 15:50.32; 4. Waikiki Yacht Club 16:53.26

Women 40

1. Manu O Ke Kai 5:02.04 (Megan Abubo, Varina Amantiad, Jen Ignacio, Gordean Kaluahine, Michele Sales, Carla Vierra); 2. Haleiwa Outrigger 5:10.70; 3. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 5:12.11; 4. Lokahi 5:21.07; 5. Windward Kai 5:29.07

Men 40

1. Manu O Ke Kai 4:24.51 (Steve Canon, Sam Fisher 3Rd, David Fuga, Doug Osborn, Moku Sanborn, Kevin Vallente); 2. Waikiki Beach Boys 4:26.90; 3. Ka Mamalahoe Canoe Club 4:45.99; 4. Team Olelo 4:48.30; 5. Lokahi 4:55.32

Women Open Four (Under Protest)

1. Kaneohe 5:52.66 (Tasha-Leigh Allen, Leila Figueroa-Kapahu, Carli Gardner, Tasha Hopkins-Moniz); 2. I Mua 5:53.58; 3. Kai Poha 5:58.41; 4. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 6:11.90; 5. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 6:22.56

Men Open Four

1. Manu O Ke Kai 4:28.82 (Mo Defreitas, Ha’aheo Foster-Blomfield, Tavita Maea, Glenn Williams); 2. Lahui O Koolauloa 4:44.73; 3. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 4:46.39; 4. I Mua 5:00.88; 5. Kaneohe 5:13.61

Mixed Men And Wmn 40

1. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 4:41.44 (Kahele Anderson, Jr., Jason Bellefeuille, Chrystal Haia, Darrell Manlapit, April Polite, Myrnz Resep); 2. Haleiwa Outrigger 4:55.47; 3. Manu O Ke Kai 5:03.05; 4. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 5:11.31; 5. Lokahi 5:13.79

Mixed Men And Women

1. Kaneohe 4:32.74 (Jonah Awa, Tasha Hopkins-Moniz, Janett Kahaulelio, Kale’a Polendey, Seth Ramolete, Harley Salis); 2. ’Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 4:34.81; 3. Lokahi 4:47.62; 4. Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i 5:06.03; 5. Lahui O Koolauloa 5:12.64