Kalani Falcons Jell On Kauai And Take State Bowling Title
By Jack Danilewicz
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While their collective skill level, technique and a gift for concentration may have aided the girls bowling team at last week’s state championships, the Falcons cohesiveness is a major factor in their success.
“We’re pretty close,” junior Brandi Kawamoto said. “We’re all good with each other, and we’re able to just concentrate on doing our best.”
Added senior Dara Ajimine, who secured a third straight individual state title last Friday: “We jelled, and the more we jelled, the more we were able to bowl as a team. It’s always been that way with us. They (teammates) make it better. They’re always there cheering me on.”
Last Friday, Ajimine and Kawamoto joined teammates Chayna Matsuo, Kayla Takara and Janelle Takahata in delivering the Falcons their first state championship since 1994 as they defeated Kapolei by a final pin-fall of 7,482 to 7,333. Hilo High School finished third with 7,090. The victory was especially sweet for the Falcons because they had finished second to Mililani last year and fifth in the state overall in 2006.
“This is really exciting because we were never able to take first before,” said Ajimine, adding that a “team championship” is more satisfying than an individual title. This year, Kalani moved out to a sizable lead over second-place Kapolei on Thursday and never looked back.
“We went into Friday thinking it was just another game,” Takahata said. “We were only worried about Kapolei. We had played them earlier in the year.”
In addition to the first-rate competition that the state tournament attracts, traveling to Kauai had its distractions, but the Falcons adjusted well, according to assistant coach Wendy Takara.
“Anytime you go to a different alley, it’s a challenge, and they don’t get enough rest as when sleeping at home” said Takara, who coaches the Falcons along with Kalani head coach Colin Matsuo. “It’s a matter of adjusting, and they did what they needed to do. They worked as a team. If one was struggling, another would show up.”
The Falcons arrived on Kauai Wednesday afternoon and, like all teams, were allotted one practice at the Lihue Bowling Center.
“Practice was helpful,” Kayla Takara said. “We knew more how the ball would react in the different lanes, and the trip brought us closer together. A lot of us have been bowling together for a long time, and I think that gave us an advantage.”
Added Chayna Matsuo: “The lanes were totally different than the lanes back on Oahu, so I think it (practice) helped us for Thursday and Friday.”
Although Ajimine was able to secure a third straight individual title, she wasn’t entirely buoyed by her performance. She finished with a pin-fall of 1,752 to topple Venny Jean Turner of Sacred Hearts, who had tallied 1,669.
Asked if being the defending state champion gave her confidence or put pressure on her for the tournament, she answered, “Pressure. I’m content, but I’m not happy. I missed a lot of spares and things I could have picked up.”
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