Senior Transfer Solidifies Lady Mustangs’ Bowling Team

Wednesday - October 20, 2010
By Jack Danilewicz
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Should the Kalaheo girls’ bowling team travel to Kaua’i later this month to take part in the Billy Tees Hawaii State Bowling Championships, the Mustangs don’t figure to be among the teams considered just happy to be there - not with the way they’ve dominated their competition to date in 2010.

That’s not to say the Mustangs aren’t breaking new ground. Kalaheo captured the Oahu Interscholastic Association Eastern Division crown recently.


While a trip to states was not yet official for Kalaheo, which had to finish in the top three at the OIA Championships last Friday, no one was betting against the Mustangs this year.

“It’s been a new adventure for us,” said head bowling coach Alan Heu, who is also the school’s longtime girls soccer coach. “Harry has brought the girls along. He deserves a lot of the credit.”

“Harry” is Harry Sakaguchi, the head girls coach, who is a key figure in the program.Together, he and Heu, now in his ninth season as head bowling coach, have generated more interest, and the Mustangs also have discovered there is, indeed, strength in numbers.

“In previous years, we’ve had difficulty in getting girls out to participate, and this was the first year on the boys’ side we had (a full roster). Hopefully, the program has made a turnaround. To me, that’s been the most satisfying part, to have two full teams. We have a young squad on the boys’ side, and the girls are doing really well.”

In addition to depth, Kalaheo’s rise in bowling has plainly been through attracting marquee players. Senior Tammi Sakaguchi, younger sister Kristi Sakaguchi and senior Kahiwa Kamakawiwo’ole all finished in the top 10 in the East this season.

Kamakawiwo’ole transferred from Sacred Hearts between her sophomore and junior seasons, and has proven “a welcome addition,” in Heu’s view.

“She solidified our team,” he said of Kamakawiwo’ole, who averaged 150 during the OIA season. That gave us three pretty good bowlers to keep them (rest of team) together.”


Tammi Sakaguchi set the pace in the East, meanwhile, finishing first in the league with an average of 172. Kristi Sakaguchi finished with an average of 164.

“Tammi is a rather quiet girl. She’s reserved, and I would say she’s competitive, too. She’s an honors student who is in a lot of advanced-placement classes. She’s the student-athlete we all want.

“Kristi is more outgoing and more social,” he added. “Part of coaching is making sure everyone is eligible, and you never have to worry about Tammi or Kristi.”

Tammi Sakaguchi took second at the state finals last year as a junior, falling just eight pins short of Kapolei’s Raelena Mattos (1,620).

The Mustangs also feature seniors Jordy Smith (“Our inspirational team-leader,” said Heu) and Vallie Rodriguez, sophomore Kawena Kahui, junior Monique Ishikawa and freshman Mayumi Ishikawa.


In past years, a fourth-or-better finish would have assured the Mustangs a berth in the state tournament, but the format has changed this year and only the OIA’s top three will go. The battle for the top three spots was expected to center around Mililani and Pearl City in the West, and McKinley and the Mustangs in the East.

Contact Jack Danilewicz at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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