Mustangs Run Fast And Shoot Well
Kalaheo senior Makai Clemons has been named OIA East Cross Country Player of the Year.
He claimed his second straight OIA title Oct. 25 at Central Oahu Regional Park, covering the 3-mile course in a time of 16 minutes, 7.85 seconds. (Moanalua’s Eric Miyauchi finished second, more than 45 seconds behind Clemons.)
Clemons followed up his performance at the OIA championships with a runner-up finish at the state cross country championships Nov. 1 at CORP. He placed fourth at the 2013 championships, and was clocked at 15:55.00 this time. (Kamehameha-Oahu’s Kaeo Kruse won the Individual state title with 15:38.19.)
Joining Clemons on the East’s First Team from the Windward side were Kailua’s Colin Kubota and Castle’s Alejandro Tovar. Kalaheo’s Brandon Waldrep was named to the Second Team, as was Kailua’s Ian Chang.
For the girls, Kalaheo’s Kelsey McEwen and Percie Lyons both made the First Team, while teammate Nikki Grimm was a Second Team pick. Castle’s Janice Hata and Jennifer Chinen both earned Second Team honors. The OIA cross country all-star teams are chosen in a vote of league coaches at season’s end.
Harrison, Gilmore To Lead Kalaheo Boys Hoops
When the Kalaheo boys basketball team starts pre-season camp this month, it will have a slightly different look with incoming transfer Kaleb Gilmore, who played three highly regarded seasons at Maryknoll.
“He sets a different tone,” head coach Alika Smith said after coaching Gilmore last summer with the Hawaii Select traveling all-star team. “He’s quick, and we have to be able to run with him. When one brings it, the others tend to follow. He brings all of that. It’s great to see the other kids pick it up and follow his lead.”
Gilmore averaged 18.9 points per game for Mary-knoll last season, helping it make the semifinals at the Division I state tournament. The Spartans had been state runner-up to Kalaheo the previous year. Gilmore scored in double figures in every game he played last winter as a junior, including a season-high 30 points in a 69-60 win over Iolani.
Gilmore’s addition is huge for the Mustangs, who already have Kupaa Harrison, Kekai Smith, Alec MacLeod and Zach Marrotte returning. Harrison averaged 18.4 points per game last season in leading Kalaheo to an 11-3 mark in the OIA Red East. It went 26-10 overall, including preseason games, in what was thought of as a rebuilding year. A post-season injury cut Harrison’s season short, but he’s still regarded as a top player in the state.
Kalaheo still is finalizing December dates for its Pete Smith Invitational, and it may double its teams.
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