At the Athletic Awards Banquet, water polo star Maile Cacal (pictured) and football leader Anetello Flores were named Outstanding Athletes of the Year, and volleyball standout Kalolaine Pasikala and swimmer Ryunosuke Hattori were honored as the Scholar Athletes of the Year. PHOTO BY GLEN PASCUAL.

LAHAINA — The Lahainaluna High School Athletic Department has persevered through the three-year pandemic challenge to culminate the 2021-22 school year on a high note to honor all Luna student-athletes with its annual Athletic Awards Banquet.

The event was held last week at Hale Pa’ina, the school cafeteria on campus.

Athletic Director Jon Conrad described the event in saying, “This awards banquet was a great way to cap off the year. These student-athletes have been through so much over the past two-and-a-half years, and to see them bounce back with such great competitiveness and compassion just proves to me that Lahainaluna is special. These kids have done great things, and the sky is the limit for them.”

Hosted by the Lahainaluna Athletic Department, Cafeteria Department, and Banquet Committee, the event recognized the sports teams of the school year and honored the supporters of the programs throughout the years. A prime rib dinner was served by the staff and was followed by the awards presentation.

Highlights of the program, hosted by Vice Principal Paul Passamonte, included the recognition of the Maui Interscholastic League champion teams from Lahainaluna: girls basketball, cheerleading, Division I football, girls wrestling and water polo.

This was followed by coaches from every sport going to the podium to greet the gathering and recognize their team’s most valuable teammate.

Girls volleyball coach Trixy Ganer led off and brought Kalolaine Pasikala to the stage to be recognized. They were followed by tennis coach Macario Pascual — Amy Koang and John Tumpap; boys track and field coach Zane Monteleone (Timothy James Helle); girls track and field coach Cynthia Monteleone — Margaret Oneal Monteleone; water polo coach John Hassett — Maile Cacal and Puliki Rogers; boys soccer coach Sam Aki — Kekai Sanchez; boys volleyball coach Marc Watasaki — Tongikimoanahelotu Taluese; girls golf coach Michiko Smith — Camryn Straka; football co-head coach Dean Rickard — Anetello Flores and Lance Morikawa Jr.; boys swimming coach Tom Popdan — Maison Alexander; girls swimming coach Jennifer Wiseman — Emily Hegrenes; cross country coach Steve Piscano — Timothy James Helle and Haley Mahoe; baseball coach Danton Hong — Vincent Imamura; girls wrestling coach Zane Monteleone — Alicia Frank; surfing coach Andy Claydon — Mia Kosianowski and Avery Baybayan; boys golf coach Bill Tatro — Ian Chapital; canoe paddling coach Courtney Asato — Jadyn Neary and David Jackson; softball coach Lithe Pokipala Waiohu — Cheylee Akina; boys basketball coach Trey Rickard — Cruz Cosner; girls basketball coach Iolani Kaniho — Taylor Eldredge and Kiera Kaniho; cheerleading coach Mary Ann Corpuz — Samara Cook; girls soccer coach Sky Delaney — Haley Mahoe; boys riflery coach Leslie Lau — Christopher Mueller, and girls riflery coach Marc Watasaki — Sonia Rojas.

The feature awards of the program –Scholar Athlete of the Year and Outstanding Athlete of the Year — capped off the presentations. The Scholar Athletes of the Year are volleyball standout Kalolaine Pasikala and swimmer Ryunosuke Hattori, and the Outstanding Athletes of the Year are water polo star Maile Cacal and football leader Anetello Flores.

Congratulations to all of the Luna student-athletes, their coaches and their families on an outstanding year.

Mahalo to Athletic Director Jon Conrad for his steadfast leadership and guidance of the programs, to Athletic Trainers Rebecca Cohen and Mike Griffo, and to the entire school administration.

Thank you also to John Alexander, CJ Casco and the LHS Food Service Department for catering the banquet; to Glen Pascual for the sports photos used in the slide show video.

Special thanks to Jon Conrad and Luxmi Quall, along with veteran Banquet Committee members Tanya Arakawa, Kathy Kekahuna, Irene Kosaka, Sharon Nohara and Coreen Serrano.

The entire program was dedicated to the memory of Lahainaluna athletic icons Henry “Bruno” Ariyoshi and Stuart Farberow.