Waiakea sophomore Lacey Uchida won’t mind if the wind whips up the next two days at Waikoloa Kings’ Course.
In fact, the BIIF girls golf champion will root for stiff breezes along the Kohala Coast. Gusts on the first hole, gusts at the turn, gusts heading toward the clubhouse.
“I hope it will be windy, windy, windy so that it evens the playing field for long ball hitters and short ball hitters,” Uchida texted Monday after a final practice round ahead of the HHSAA championships.
Last week at Hualalai and Mauna Kea during the league championships, it was the rest of BIIF field that could have used an equalizer as Uchida raced to a 16-stroke runaway victory at even-par.
Against the state field, she’ll take to another one of her home courses. The first round tees off this morning, and a new champion will be crowned after Wednesday’s 18 holes since Punahou alum Claire Choi, a two-time champ, has moved on to Santa Clara.
Uchida comes off a season in which she never failed to finish with the low score at meet, including a 74 in March at Waikoloa.
“Focus on the fairways and greens,” she said of her keys to shooting low rounds. “Stay calm after bad shots. SMILE even if I’m mad, and most of all, have fun.”
Waiakea’s Christine Kim, in 2005, was the last BIIF player to bag a state championship, and the Warriors also claimed the team title, capping a four-year stretch in which Waiakea and Hilo combined for three medalists and three team crowns.
Waiakea was a consistent top three finisher through 2013, when it was runner-up to Punahou on Maui, but the Warriors have only posted a single top five finish since (fifth in 2017).
Punahou has pocketed six crowns in a row, and 11 of the last 12, but the Warriors are looking for a breakthrough
“Our goal this year has been to be (No. 1) at states,” Uchida said. “Our coach (Bobby Perreira) set a goal for us to shoot 225 each day as a team.”
She’ll be joined in the field by teammates Kiersten Saludares, Jillian Mitsuda, Tia Kualii, Tori Hironaga, Kailey Oki and Elle Otani. Four will golf toward the team score each day, with the top three counting. Oki is the BIIF’s top returning finisher from the 2018 state tournament at 158, one shot ahead of Uchida.
Maui High senior Reece Guzman is a two-time state runner-up after finishing two shots shy of Choi last year and losing in a sudden-death playoff in 2017. Guzman was also relegated to runner-up last month at the MIL championships. Baldwin sophomore Lana Calibuso-Kwee claimed her first league title, finishing four shot ahead of Guzman.
Like Uchida, Mid-Pacific’s Myah McDonald heads to the state tournament off a runaway league championship. The junior won the ILH by nine strokes.
One of the youngest guns in the 66-player field is Leilehua’s Leia Chung, the OIA champ.
Also representing the BIIF are Hilo’s Chanelle Hwang and Christian Liberty’s Jaeda Yamasaki.
No matter the island they call home, Uchida said she’s familiar with most of her competitors through Hawaii State Junior Golf Association events.
‘It’s been a great season playing with the best teammates and coach ever,” she said. “Win or lose we are going to play hard and leave it all out there.”