‘Iolani Breaks Punahou’s 15-Year ILH Title Streak; Punahou Girls Roll

2021 ILH Championships

• March 12, 2021
• Punahou High School, Honolulu, Hawaii
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Results
• Final Team Scores

The Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH) held its 2021 swimming & diving championships on Friday, marking what coaches are calling the first official meet on Oahu, the state’s most populated island.

The girls’ side saw a more-predictable outcome, with hosts Punahou dominating en route to a 6th-straight ILH Championship, while on the boys’ side, ‘Iolani snapped a 15-year winning streak by Punahou in a meet that came down to the final relay.

Hawaii canceled its March state championship events, including swimming & diving, meaning that league championships are the end of the high school season for most teams.

The ILH is the only of the state’s 5 high school leagues that has opted to hold a league championship meet – most public schools in the state are either out of session or only going once a week.

Boys’ Meet

Team Scores:

1. ‘Iolani School – 72
2. Punahou – 68
3. Kamehameha – 46
4. Le Jardin Academy – 34
5. Mid-Pacific Institute – 13
6. Pac-5 – 1

‘Iolani senior Jon Reiter, a Cal Baptist commit, won the 100 breaststroke in 54.75, beating out LJA’s Thomas Caps to give ‘Iolani a lead late in the meet.

That swim was half-a-second from his lifetime best of 54.19 done at the Winter 18 & Under Championships in December

That lead would turn out to be enough. While Punahou roared to a victory in 3:12.40 in the 400 free relay, ‘Iolani was comfortably in 2nd place in 3:16.33, which was enough to seal the victory.

That final ‘Iolani relay highlighted the strength of the team: Stone Miller, a sophomore, was joined by three freshmen: Brandon Tsang, Evan Wong, and LT Stancil, for the runner-up finish. While the program’s only event champions, Reiter, will graduate, a deep nucleus returns next season, giving them the chance to make the championship a competitive one for the foreseeable future.

Reiter’s breaststroke victory was his second of the meet, after earlier winning the 200 IM in 1:55.65.

Other double winners included Kamehameha freshman Connor Seminavage.

He won the 100 backstroke in 51.22, just beating out Le Jardin’s Ethan Ravelo, who finished 2nd in 51.43. That was Seminavage’s best time by almost two seconds, clearing the 53.04 that he swam in November 2019.

He also topped the 100 fly in 52.13, which was another best time, though by a more modest half-a-second.

Punahou’s runner-up effort was lifted by James Lyon, who won both the 200 free (1:40.79) and 500 free (4:38.26). A US Naval Academy commit, that 500 time was a new lifetime best, while his 200 missed his best time by just a couple of tenths.

Other Boys’ Winners:

• Kamehameha senior Kahiau Kea won the boys’ 50 free in 21.38, just out-touching Punahou senior Noah Peters. The ‘Iolani youth showed here, as the top non-senior finisher was sophomore Joshua Taufahema in 3rd place in 21.65.
• Peters bounced back after the dive break to win the 100 free in 46.66.
• Punahou’s Andrew Agustin won the 1-meter diving event with a score of 405.40.

Girls’ Meet

1. Punahou – 95
2. Kamehameha – 49
3. Le Jardin – 44
4. Pac-5 – 19
5. ‘Iolani – 18
6. Sacred Hearts Academy – 5
7. Mid-Pacific Institute – 4

The Punahou girls were dominant en route to victory, nearly-doubling the score of the next-closest team from Kamehameha.

That dominance projects well into the future as well: Punahou won the 200 medley relay (1:47.66) and 400 free relay (3:33.39), both by substantial margins, and didn’t use a senior on either relay.

Individually, the team was led by sophomore Kai Flanagan, who won both the 200 free (1:52.63) and 500 free (5:03.04). Both swims were best times, including by three-and-a-half seconds in the 200 free.

Other winners for Punahou include Andrea Zeebe, who won the 200 IM in 2:04.44, a best time to lead the field by almost 5 seconds ahead of freshman teammate Leila Nasrallah. Nasrallah later picked up a win in the 100 fly.

Besides Flanigan, the only other double winner on the girls’ side was Le Jardin’s Alana Barthel, who won the 100 back in 55.17 and 100 free in 52.04. Bartel’s prelims swim in the 100 back of 54.92 was a new lifetime best and ILH Record. She is committed to swim for UCSD next season.

Other Girls’ Winners:

• Cate Ferandin won the girls’ 50 free in 24.20, giving LJH three individual wins on the meet.
• Pac-5 picked up a win as well when senior Zoe Spencer won the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.11.
• ‘Iolani’s girls didn’t have as much success as their boys, but did pick up an individual win courtesy of diver Lauren Takanishi, who scored 404.85 points on 1-meter.