Pua Wong and Halia Nahale-A were senior co-captains for Kamehameha water polo and concentrated most of their attention near the goal. Wong was a leader who used aggression and strength to bully the opposition, while Nahale-A was just as stable but relied more on finesse.
Katelynn Wong did most of her damage from the perimeter, and the name of her game was speed, speed and more speed.
“One wasn’t more valuable than the other,” Warriors coach Dan Lyons said. “I didn’t know how to put one ahead of the other.”
Neither could the other BIIF coaches.
The torch remains in the Kamehameha family, but while it’s passed on from Ryenn Lyons (2010-11) to Kiana Krzyska (2012) to Sydney Plunkett (2013) to Acacia Trusdell (2014), this time it will have to be cut into multiple pieces after a rarity: a three-way tie for BIIF Player of the Year.
“I didn’t even know that was a thing,” Nahale-A said.
Neither did Wong, at least not until she saw that the BIIF split the Player of Year in Division II girls basketball.
“I knew it was a possibility,” she said. “Halia and I were captains, and Kubo is just awesome.”
Kubo, a junior, does not see three as a crowd.
“I was so happy when I found out,” she said. “It’s worth way more to share it with my teammates.”
While they were unique in their own way and brough a different skill-set to the pool, all three shared a common bond.
“We had a great time playing the sport we love,” Kubo said.
And they helped Kamehameha retain its lofty perch atop the BIIF.
Lyons usually gets his way, but he was a bit uncomfortable last season when as many as six of his players could have received the top honor.
“I don’t think it could have ended up any better,” he said of the three-way tie.
Konawaena made a spirited run to the HHSAA tournament behind All-BIIF performers Chloe Delaney, Mikala Fernandez, goalkeeper Taiana Tolleson and Coach of the Year Mike Godden, while Hawaii Prep pulled the upset of the year.
But when push came to shove, it was once again the Warriors’ world. Kamehameha suffered its first lost since 2009 against Ka Makani, but it claimed its sixth consecutive league title going away and finished fifth at the HHSAA tournament for the third year in a row.
“This was the first year that I looked forward to every practice,” said Wong, a three-year starter along with Nahale-A.
Each led Kamehameha this season, tallying more than 40 goals apiece. Kubo wasn’t as prolific a scorer, but she was one of the team’s top defenders and the seasoned swimmer gave the Warriors the burst they desperately needed. Her value was evident on April 12 as HPA sped past Kamehameha 12-11 with Kubo on the mainland for a band competition.
Four days later, Kubo was back and the Warriors overwhelmed Ka Makani 13-0.
“That was a special game because it was Senior Day,” Kubo said. “We wanted to hold it down and show everybody what we could do.
“After beating them, I felt more confident. That game pushed us back to the BIIF title.”
Kealakehe senior Sarah Somsanguansit rounded out the all-league team.
Wong signs with Cal Baptist
Pua Wong had other college offers and an aspiration to attend the University of Hawaii.
But everything changed for the recent Kamehameha graduate when she went to a water polo camp in Southern California in March. On the trip, she visited Cal Baptist’s campus in Riverside, Calif. After talking it over with Warriors coach Dan Lyons, she decided to become a Lancer, receiving an athletic scholarship.
“It still hasn’t hit me that I graduated,” she said. “These past four years at Kamehameha have been amazing, with the highlight being athletics.”
As a freshman at Kamehameha, Wong favored tennis and wasn’t sure she was tough enough for the water.
“After my first try at water polo, I never picked up a racket again,” she said.
As a senior, Wong shared BIIF Player of the Year with teammates Halia Nahale-A, a senior, and Katelynn Kubo, a junior.
Nahale-A also could have played college water polo, but her course also changed after attending a water polo camp in California.
“After I got back and had time to reflect, I realized I didn’t need to play water polo,” she said.
But she does need to travel.
Nahale-A will attend the University of Hawaii at Hilo for a year and plans to study abroad. When she does, she hopes the first stop will be New Zealand.
Not that she’s completely done with water polo.
“While I’m still (on the Big Island) I want to help with middle school programs,” Nahale-A said. “That’s the first step with competing with the Oahu schools.”
Just like Wong, some of Nahale-A’s fondest high school memories revolve around athletics.
In addition to being on Kamehameha’s water polo juggernauts, Wong and Nahale-A were each a member of the Warriors’ BIIF paddling championship crew in the winter.
“It was a fun experience being with people who worked hard and loved to compete,” Nahale-A said.