Sabers finish third

Okada places fourth in individual standings


LIHUE — One day after the calm conditions played right into its hands, the Maui High School girls golf team got blown out of contention by 20 mph winds on Wednesday at Wailua Golf Course.

The Sabers settled for their second straight third-place finish in the David S. Ishii Foundation State Championships — one spot out of a team trophy. Maui High shot 237 on Wednesday, 10 strokes higher than its first-round score. The Sabers’ 464 total left them 23 strokes behind champion Punahou, and six behind second-place Waiakea.

Four-time Maui Interscholastic League champion Elyse Okada wrapped up one of the most decorated careers ever in MIL golf with a 76 and a two-round total of 149 that left her in fourth place. Teammate Kelcie Kawano (78), last season’s state runner-up, captured her second straight state medal, finishing 10th at 154.

Maui High’s Liana Otake (83) finished in a tie for 18th at 161.

‘‘A tough day, it was a tough day,’’ said Maui High coach Jerry Toyama. ‘‘We missed a lot of putts. It came down to putting, actually, and it wasn’t an easy day to putt.’’

Kristina Merkle of Moanalua posted a second-round 75 and finished first with a 146 total.

MIL champion Baldwin shot a 245 Wednesday and moved up one spot to finish fifth at 490.

This is the second straight season that the MIL has put both of its teams in the top five at the state championships.

‘‘MIL golf is pretty good and I think we have showed that in the last couple of years,’’ Toyama said.

‘‘Punahou is just very tough to beat.’’

The Bears’ Cassy Isagawa (77) finished at 158, good for 13th place and a medal, one shot in front of Dayna Bersamin (79), who tied for 14th, also good for a medal. Baldwin’s Jenna Takushi (89) finished at 181 and Jin Orite (115) had a 216 total.

Dana Cadiz (86) of Maui High had a 169 total, and Richel Ped (87) finished at 176.

Okada lost her voice with a slight flu and while singing songs from ‘‘Grease’’ and ‘‘Thriller’’ with her teammates, according to Kawano.

‘‘It was OK, but we are pretty bummed, though, because third place doesn’t get a trophy,’’ Kawano said. ‘‘I am really sad that it is all over in high school golf. It didn’t hit me until after everything was done. Everybody was saying, ‘You can do better’ but they didn’t add ‘next year’ for us. Some of these people you will never see again.’’

Kawano will attend the University of Hawaii on a golf scholarship, although she will no longer be teammates with Okada, who has earned a golf scholarship from Oregon State.

‘‘Of course I will miss her,’’ Kawano said. ‘‘She is my homey. I love her. I am going to miss her, it was really fun this year. It is sad, but we are going to have fun until the end of the (school) year.’’

Kawano said that the wind was a factor, ‘‘but it wasn’t anything extreme. It was playable. I’m sure we are all disappointed with our shooting.’’

Okada and Kawano may be the most accomplished MIL duo ever to play on the same team in the same class.

‘‘I am going to miss them tremendously,’’ Toyama said. ‘‘I believe they will be pretty good college golfers. They should be able to compete and probably to place up there in college golf. I have never had a pair like them. I don’t think anybody in the MIL ever has.’’

Kawano said the team will be led next season by Otake, who is a sophomore.

‘‘Liana, she is good already,’’ Kawano said. ‘‘I think because it was a new course, that was a factor for her. She can really put it out there and her short game is good, too. Next year she is going to be good in the MIL and state.’’

Kawano said she hoped for the winds to pick up even more than they did so she might have a chance to make a second-round run, as she did last saeason before losing the state title in a playoff.

‘‘I am happy with it,’’ she said of her second state medal. ‘‘I kept hoping that the wind woulds pick up to 50 (mph) or so. But it wasn’t meant to be.’’

Kawano hit the pin on No. 16 and then made the one-foot putt for one of her two birdies on the day.

‘‘I was really stoked about that, but it was a little late to make a run,’’ she said.

Kamehameha Maui had two golfers in the field. Arielle Andrade (104) finished at 201, and Kaydee Park (105) at 205.

Lahainaluna’s Lenna Lauricio (100) finished at 202, and An An Hua (102) at 228.