This past weekend, the varsity girls paddling crew represented 'Iolani School at the State High School Championship Regatta at Hanaka'o'o Beach on Maui.
The team was comprised of seniors Hannah Smith, Tarah Sullivan, Asha Allen, Chelsea Hardin, Hedee Kim, Erika Kim, Hanna Pang, and junior Phoebe Jordan.
In contrast to the longer distance competitions the girls are used to, the state championships are held in a regatta format, meaning that crews run against each other on a half mile course with separate lanes for each canoe. The elimination format made the day both exciting and stressful.
After finishing fifth in the first heat, the girls came back with a solid second place performance. In their semifinal heat, they finished fourth, and missed qualifying for the finals by mere seconds.
The girls made the most of the weekend to come together as a team and learn from the experience of competing against the best in the state.
They improved with each successive performance, beat their seeding and ended up in ninth place; a solid effort considering that 24 crews qualified to compete from among the many schools statewide.
