The Pueo cross country team looks to battle for the top spot in Division II of the Maui Interscholastic League.

NAPILI – The fall semester at Maui Preparatory Academy brings new and exciting developments for its Athletic Department and for the independent campus in general.

Athletic Director and College Counselor Keenan Reader reported that the independent school at the foothills of Napili has launched a capital campaign to build a gym and activities center on campus.

“Maui Prep has exciting new plans to build a gym and performing arts center, the Maui Preparatory Academy Center for Athletics and Performing Arts. We are in the midst of a capital campaign and have plans to start construction in early 2019 and open in November of the same year,” he explained.

“The gym will enable Maui Prep athletics to become more competitive as well as expand our athletic offerings. In addition, the Center for Athletics and Performing Arts is intended to serve as a community resource, and we hope to partner with organizations to fully utilize the space. If you are interested in supporting this project, please contact Jenny Worth at (808) 665-9966.”

Volleyball is one sports program at MPA that will surely benefit from a sports facility on campus. This team has been forced to practice at outdoor courts and schedule games at Lahaina Civic Center and at Lahainaluna High School around a myriad of other activities at both venues.

The young girls volleyball team is learning to compete at the Maui Interscholastic League level.

Worse yet, the LCC is currently in renovation for the Maui Jim Maui Invitational Basketball Tournament and is unavailable for community usage for the next three months.

“The student-athletes are persistent and work hard despite the limited opportunity for gym space with the Civic Center closed. We’d like to thank Coach Trixy Ganer Nuesca and Scott Soldwisch at Lahainaluna for their support in helping to host our games until our gym opens. It’s great to see the Lahaina community come together to support our West Side youth,” Reader added.

The Pueo Wahine team is led by head coach Bula Mahaia and a staff made up of Kia Kenolio, Jarren Rosqueta and MJ Domingo.

“We are a young team. This season is a time for our girls to get the feel of how volleyball will be played as our program grows. With dedication, hard work and volleyball mentality, our Na Wahine Pueo will soar,” said Coach Bula last week.

Nicolette Falk and Rebecca Geng are the lone seniors on the roster. They are joined by juniors Chloe Chin and Natalie Smart in the leadership core of the team. Sophomres Lillian Bourland, Jordan Houglum, Jolene Munch, Sydney Snyder and Keeana Villamar round out the roster.

The Pueo cross country team earned a second place finish at the Division II state championship meet in 2014 and hopes to regain the pace that took the team to that level in the current campaign. The squad is led by first-year coach Rob Lloyd, a new science teacher at Maui Prep from Massachusetts who comes here with successful coaching credentials, and longtime running coach Dennis Nakamura.

Although the team has been plagued recently by injuries, they continue to challenge Seabury Hall for the top spot in Division II of the Maui Interscholastic League.

The Pueo runners are having a bit of a resurgence, recently taking first place and gaining their stride for the state meet on Oct. 27.

Maui Prep is hoping to qualify a full team of five runners to increase the chances of winning the D-II title. The possibilities look bright for the boys team, led by a crew of sophomores that includes Jonah Kirkham, Slater Fleck, Ozzi Doherty and Clay Glass, with junior Harrison Crammond rounding out the top five.

The remainder of the roster consists of juniors Harrison Crammond and Jerone Samari, sophomores Peyton Gillespie and Issac Hessel, and freshmen Jacob Jerone and Caden Wheeler.

The Pueo girls are led by consistent top ten finisher Olivia Bozich, a junior, who leads a small wahine roster that is made up of senior Heidi Mahan, juniors Nadine Cunha and Eva Marie Kareneva Simpson, and sophomore Ashley Nielson.

Although the team is small and has inconsistently been able to enter a full team in meets due to injury, they are hopeful they can finish in the top two in the MIL D-II championships.