The Kalani High School Junior Varsity paddling teams made history Saturday, Jan. 24, winning all three JV races at the Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) JV Paddling Championships at Keehi Lagoon, led by JV Coaches Anu and Lanaki.
Before this weekend, the highest a Kalani JV team had ever finished at the OIA Championships was a sixth-place showing by the girls’ squad during the 2019–2020 season.
The girls’ championship crew was made up of six paddlers: Anela Ohelo, Moani Crisostomo, Genesis-Angel Mar, Miu Little, Sariah Virtudes, and Eva Iaea.
In a standard six-person crew, success relies on a strict division of labor. Seats 1 and 2, the strokers, are responsible for setting the rhythm and pace that the rest of the team mirrors. Seat 2 serves as the tactical link, calling the “changes” to synchronize side-switching, while Seat 1 helps pull the bow through critical turns.
Seats 3, 4, and 5 are the powerhouses and keep the canoe’s momentum through Keehi Lagoon. Steering the canoe from the stern is Seat 6, the steersman. Acting as the on-water captain, the steersman keeps the canoe on course.
