Big Island Crews Looking to Win State Titles

Puna Canoe Club is hoping to pocket some age group titles. Coach Afa Tuaolo, far left

Several Big Island canoe paddling crews are hoping to come away with state titles on Saturday when the Hawaii Canoe Racing Association host the State Championships at Hilo Bay.

    The competition will draw some 3,000 paddlers representing 60 clubs from around the state.

The highly competitive event will mark the close of the regatta season for the various clubs before the long distance season opens in two weeks.

   Several Big Island crews will be looking to come away with state titles which include the Kawaihae girls 12, Puna boys 14, Kai Opua’s boys 18 and women’s open 4, and Keauhou’s mixed masters 40, 55 and 60 as well as senior men’s masters.

   Kai Opua dominated the Moku O Hawaii season, racking up 234 points to claim the team title over Puna (195) and Keauhou (166). 

    Kai Opua has moved up to the AAAA Division this year and will compete against the state’s top canoe paddling teams.

Puna boys 14 are undefeated

The teams to beat are perennial powerhouse, Hawaiian Canoe Club of Maui, defending state champion Lanikai and current Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association champion, Kaneohe.

   Puna’s head coach, Afa Tuaolo, is cautiously optimistic about his club doing well at states.  “We had a pretty good day at the island championships because we didn’t let mistakes hurt us,” he said.

   About 8,000 spectators and participants are expected to be at Hilo Bay on Saturday.  Opening ceremonies began at 8 a.m. with the first of 39 races to start at 9 a.m.

  

Advertisement

McMackin Discolors Rainbows

UH football coach, Greg McMackin, puts his foot in his mouth

     Say it isn’t so Greg.  How can someone that gets paid $1 million per year to represent the University of Hawaii open his mouth and let negative words come out?

    I’m a proud graduate of UH Manoa and a longtime supporter of UH sports.  I was angered when the macho football coaches, under then June Jones, switched the proud Rainbow name to the current Warriors in an effort to make the football program more in tune to the agressive style of play that Jones believed came with a name.

    Rainbows were never good enough for this football teams coaching staff and perhaps this morning current football coach Greg McMakin revealed why. 

   In an obvious prejudicial slant against homosexuals McMackin made slurs towards the Notre Dame football teams dance by calling them “f……..ts,” a word that I choose not to repeat.

   Even the local television media downplayed McMackin’s press release by making it seem that he only said the word once, when in fact he repeated it three times.

    I am ashamed to be connected to the Warrior football team.  After these slurs lets prove that football isn’t homophobic by giving the UH team back their true name – Rainbows – for which we can all be proud.

   The following is a press release that was written by Ross von Metzke:

Hawaii Warriors football coach Greg McMackin used the word “faggot” three times when discussing rival team Notre Dame at a media preview on Thursday, then turned around and asked the press not to use the word in quoting him because he didn’t “want to…have every homosexual ticked off at [him].”

McMackin told the press that Notre Dame did “this little faggot dance” at a banquet the night before last year’s Hawaii Bowl. He then went on to use the word two more times while explaining why Notre Dame was so fired up to play Hawaii in the game, which the Fighting Irish won 49-21.

Then he stopped and attempted to remedy the situation. “Just please … cover for me,” McMackin said Thursday. “Go ahead, say ‘faggot dance.’ No. Please cover for me on that too…. I’ll deny it. Anything else?”

Moments later McMackin returned to the press room to reiterate his plea for the reporters’ help in censoring his language.

“I want to officially, officially apologize. Please don’t write that statement I said as far as Notre Dame. The reason is, I don’t care about Notre Dame. But I’m not a — I don’t want to come out and have every homosexual ticked off at me. You know what I mean. Because I don’t have any problem with homosexuals. But I apologize for saying that and I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t run that word. If you said ‘dance,’ that’s OK. But don’t use the bad term that I chose, please. Thank you.”

Later, when it was clear the media would be reporting on the incident, McMackin issued a formal apology.

“I would sincerely like to apologize for the inappropriate verbiage, words that I used,” he said. “I’m really ticked off at myself for saying that. I don’t have any prejudices and it really makes me mad that I even said that and I’m disappointed in myself. … What I was trying to do was be funny and it’s not funny and even more it isn’t funny to me. I was trying to make a joke and it was a bad choice of words and I really — I really, really — feel bad about it and I wanted to apologize. I’m going to apologize to my team. I’m going to apologize to the people in Hawaii.”

A Notre Dame spokesman told the Idaho Statesman the school would likely not comment.

Lava 105 Radio Personality – A Good Athlete

Eddie Ombac, left, celebrates finishing the Hilo Marathon with race director Wayne "Big Dog" Joseph

    Edgar Ombac, better known as Eddie O. is one talented athlete.  Growing up in the Seattle area Eddie O. was introduced to running during intermediate school.

    In high school at John F. Kennedy in Seattle, Ombac became a hurdler on the track team and placed 5^th in Washington state competition in the 110-meter hurdles.

   “I’ve been running ever since high school,” Ombac said.  I enjoy the competition and the health rewards it brings.”

   One of the favorite races for Ombac is the Hilo Marathon and so it became a natural fit when the race hooked up with Lava 105FM to become their host radio station.

   Ombac ran in the 2006 Hilo Marathon which saw six inches of rain fall during the race.  “I grumbled to myself at the start of the race, but by mile three I finally told myself that this is a good rainy day in Hilo!”

   “Running through the Onomea Bay scenic route and seeing the raging rivers I began to get into a comfort zone, which in turn allowed me to run strong,” he said.

   Ombac continues to run, bike and swim in a variety of local races and remains healthy and fit as a result.

  You can hear more about Eddie O. by tuning into Lava 105FM during weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m.

Richardson Rough Water Swim – Top Finishers

Women’s winner, Noelani Vargas, photo by

Brad Balesteros

The Richardson Rough Water Swim  was held on Sunday with 180 participants finishing the one mile swim.  Congratulations to all who particapted and helped with the race.  The following is a list of the top 31 finishers in the finless division.

1. Kinney Gandall, (15-19), 20 minutes, 15 seconds

2. Kaikea Nakachi, (15-19), 20.16

3. Noe Vargas, (15-19), 21.12

4. Ryan Kawano (15-19), 21.15

5. Madison Hauanio (10-14), 21.17

6. Ed Doherty, (40-44), 21.26

7. Jim Mellon, (45-49), 21.27

8. Ben Fisher, (50-54) 21.44

9. Shane Sigetic, (25-29), 22.00

9. Vanessa Scaringi, (25-29), 22.00

11. Monroe Roos, (30-34), 22.12

12. Tami Binek, (20-24), 22.14

13. Akemi King, (10-14), 22.15

14. Merceda Rivera, (25-29), 22.33

15. Kaiea Cann, (15-19), 22.35

16. Coco Flores-Oishi, (10-14), 22.36

17. Lauren Van Heukelem, (15-19), 22.38

18. Kurtis Suzuki, (10-14) 22.55

19. Jerry Bess, (40-44), 23.03

20. Jim Budde, (60-64), 23.05

21. Sierra Binek, (25-29), 23.08

22. Ashley Hauanio, (15-19), 23.32

23. Bill Tollett, (25-29), 23.58

24. Jonathan Ucker, (20-24), 24.01

25. Shawnee Gundry, (15-19), 24.10

26. Kepa Weller, 24.22

27. Dallas O’Shaughnessy, (30-34), 24.31

28. Phillip Kissinger, (25-29), 24.32

29. Gregory Hora, (30-34) 24.53

30. Nicole Paulachak, 25.26

31. Joe Barcia, 25.38

Former NBA Star Parties with Hilo Girls

Hilo's Rachel Thompson with Reggie Miller

Former NBA star, Reggie Miller, was in Waikiki this past weekend.  The veteran basketball player from the Indiana Pacers was partying in the VIP Lounge in Club Lotus when he noticed three attractive Hilo women.

“We went to Lotus this past Saturday and got invited into the VIP Lounge by Reggie Miller,” Alicia Thommasson said.  “Rachel, Jaclynn (Joseph) and I got to party in the VIP section and had free drinks all night.”

The three young women are not fans of the NBA, but enjoyed the special VIP treatment and the opportunity to dance and drink the night away.

Former NBA star, Reggie Miller

Miller had hit 88 percent of his free throw s during his illustrious career with the Pacers.

On Saturday he was a complete gentleman as the party broke up at 2 am and everyone went their seperate ways, or so my daughter says 🙂