The Pueo surf (pictured), golf and track and field teams all achieved outstanding performances this season.

NAPILI – Maui Preparatory Academy’s spring sports programs continued their upward climb in the Maui Interscholastic League highlighted by strong finishes by the Pueo golf and surfing teams, and a championship individual effort in track and field.

Athletic Director and College Counselor Keenan Reader reported that the Maui Prep surf team led the charge in what became one of the top championship battles of the year.

“It came down to the last heat of the last meet, but we fell short in final standings to finish second to King Kekaulike” said Reader.

“We had MIL medalists in Dante Silva with a gold in the boys shortboard; Ty Kirby also winning a gold medal in the boys bodyboard and a bronze in the shortboard; Irie Gonah a first place finish in the girls bodyboard; and Tony Nunez winning a silver medal in the boys shortboard event.”

The Pueo surf team roster also included Harrison Crammond, Rebecca Geng, Jacob Houglum, Jordan Houglum, Artur Kedzierski, Tyler Kirby, Devin Leon, Jolene Munch, Ashley Nielson, Richard Nitschke, Mathieu Pageau, Mataya Prestage, Dylan Smart, Ubl Konstantin and Yijie Wang.

The team was led by head coach Aaron “Sharkey” Huish and assistants Andrew O’Riordan, Kawaiola Wendt, Glen Kamaka, Grace Galagan and Rick Iaconetti.

The Maui Prep golf team, led by coaches Chris Armanini, Chris Black and John Kennedy, also made a strong run for a MIL title but fell short to finish in second place to Seabury Hall.

That effort was led by state qualifiers Beau Johnston – a four-year member of the Pueo team – and Hudson Holland.

The remainder of the roster included Akiva Bluh, Griffin Gibson, Hunter Higgins, Lauren Kelly, Kilakila Parnell, Jerome Samari, Taira Seto and Hinano Yamada. The team expressed their deep appreciation to the Kapalua Bay Course and the Kapalua Golf Academy for their support throughout the season.

The Pueo track and field team, although a small roster compared to their MIL counterparts, nonetheless came through with several outstanding performances this season.

Sophomore sensation Damon Wakefield led the charge with a first place finish at the MIL Championships in the 1,500 while also eclipsing the long-standing Maui Prep standards in the 800, 1,500 and 2,000 set by Pueo all-star Zach Ferguson.

Also shining brightly were Sydney Snyder with a bronze medal in the high jump and a gold medal in the junior varsity high jump, and Olivia Bozich with a second place finish in the JV 1,500.

The track and field roster included Nolan Brown, Jonah Kirkham, Heidi Mahan, Megan Miller (also team manager), Wilson Tinkler and Logan Twigg. The team was guided by head coach Wolfgang Amaturo and assistants Dennis Nakamura and Leigh Galarita.

The Pueo tennis team was led by coaches Tracoy Halbersleben and CJ Bohen, who guided a very young roster to strong performances in MIL play that showed promise for next season. They also expressed their appreciation to the Kapalua Tennis Garden for their support and generosity to the program.

The lineup consisted of Isabella Altman, Vittoria Barone, Makana Boote, Angelina Dolan, Sherry Ann Domingo, Tristen Ellen, Issac Hessel, Kassidy Howeth, Eva Maria Kareneva-Simpson, Andrew Norseth, Madison Perry, Aiesha Pradhan, Natalie Smart, Keeana Villamar and Miosh Wakasa.