Waiakea is the longtime powerhouse of Big Island Interscholastic Federation girls golf, winning 10 straight team and individual championships — a record unlikely to ever be broken.
“I would love to extend Waiakea’s streak,” coach Sandra Goodale said. “We are rebuilding the team and working on being competitive this year on both levels.”
Waiakea senior Andi Igawa is a born grinder. As a freshman, she carded rounds in the 90s. She won one BIIF match, placed runner-up once and shot much better as a sophomore.
Igawa has been the league runner-up the last two years, twice to Ciera Min, the first female winner in the 90-year history of the Big Island Amateur Championship.
Igawa has a chance to add her name to the list of Warrior golfing BIIF champions: Amanda Wilson, 2004; Christine Kim, 2005; Nicole Aoki, 2006; Britney Yada, 2007-09; Nani Yanagi, 2010; Shaina Mizusawa, 2011; and Min, 2012 and ’13.
Third-year coach Goodale relied on Min, Mizusawa and Igawa to win all six BIIF meets last year. The Warriors coach said that Igawa offers value without swinging a club.
“At first I thought I was only going to have Andi as an individual this year, but I have Keely Kitamura, a junior, who has been a gymnast up until this year, Breanne Kagimoto, a sophomore, and three freshmen, Maya Oshiro, Shania Rapoza and Krystan Kaneda. Maya and Shania took lessons when they were younger and are interested in getting back into the game. I’m excited for the season and the opportunities it will bring for the girls to grow their games.
“Andi is the backbone of the team and provides a good foundation. It’s good for her to have a support system to take some of the pressure off and the team is lucky to have Andi as the team captain. Her experience can help the girls work on being competitive and hone their skills. Last year, Andi was a Top 15 individual finisher at states and is looking to improve her standing this season.”
There’s no such thing as taking it easy in golf, like tapering for a later date. Every meet counts and occasionally history is on the line.
In the girls lineup, four start and the top three scores are taken. To qualify for the BIIF championships, it’s the best three-round average. To qualify for states, it’s the best four-round average.
“The BIIF championships will depend on who can keep their head in the game and remain competitive throughout the rounds,” Goodale said. “It’s going to come down to total points from each match this season to determine the team title.”