Punahou seniors move closer to third straight singles titles
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Punahou seniors Payton Jim On and Elise Wong stayed on course in their attempts to each win a third singles title with straight-sets wins Thursday in their first two matches at the Island Insurance/HHSAA State Tennis Championships at Central Oahu Regional Park.
The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2021 state tournament, so neither Jim On nor Wong can win four in a row, but both have a shot at three-year sweeps of state tennis.
Wong, the top girls seed, beat Waiakea's Lanie Takahashi 4-0, 4-1 and Kawehi Woo of Roosevelt 4-0, 4-0.
Jim On is seeded second behind fellow Buffanblu Brandon Ramos, whom he defeated in the 2022 state final. Ramos finished fourth in 2023. Jim On beat Daniel Nucci of Waiakea 4-0, 4-0 in his opener and then Toguchi Steele of Kaiser 5-3, 4-0. Ramos did not surrender a game in beating Ryan So of Kauai and Tyler Thomas of Maui in his first to matches.
The top eight seeds advanced to the quarterfinals in both singles brackets.
That was not the case in the doubles draws, where one unseeded team broke through into both the boys and girls quarters.
Kristen Felte and Mia Okazaki of Kealakehe upset fifth-seeded Zoe Hirata and Dallas Lee of Mililani 4-2, 4-2 in the first round and then defeated Leilah Etscheit and Mari Cesar of Mid-Pacific 4-1, 4-3. The top two girls doubles seeds — No. 1 Jariahlyn Rhoades/Logan Tom of Punahou and No. 2 Jada Igawa/Chloe Takahashi of Waiakea — advanced to round three without losing a game. Rhoades is looking to advance to the semifinals for the third year in a row, each season with a different partner, and to win her first title.
Two-time defending boys doubles champion Tanner Ige of Punahou also has a new partner this year after Tsubasa Okada graduated last year after winning two titles with Ige. Paired now with Alexander Doane, Ige breezed into the quarters with 4-0, 4-0 wins over Noah Pak/Evan Yamato of Kalani and Isaac Mirey/Rasil Manandhar of Kauai. Unlike Jim On and Wong, Ige, a junior, has a shot at four state titles.
Second-seeded Spencer Yamamoto/Glen Ngo of 'Iolani and third-seeded Conner Kurata/Seiya Kudo also advanced with a pair of 4-0, 4-0 sweeps. Yamamoto/Ngo came in third at last year's state tournament.
The only seed to fall on day 1 was Dayne Kunimoto/Kaiden Kunimoto of Waiakea. The seventh seeds lost to Bryson Rola/Eric Topacio of Kalani 4-2, 1-4, (5). The Falcons then went on to defeat Mason Udani/Dylan Apo of Kapolei 4-2, 2-4, (4).
The quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled for today, with the finals Saturday at 8:30 a.m., also at CORP. The Buffanblu girls are seeking their 20th straight state team title and the boys their third in a row.
