We knew going in this was going to be tough.” “We had to play them in the ILH finals and it was a really close match that went three sets. Last year, he took home the title with his brother, Sean Yamamoto, edging his current teammate, Chang, in the state final. It was the third year in a row that an Iolani doubles team claimed the state crown and the second consecutively for Yamamoto, a sophomore. On the doubles side, the Iolani duo of Robert Chang and Scott Yamamoto beat Punahou’s Kailuhia Lam and Cade Fujitani 7-6 (9), 6-4. He’s just a junior, so he’ll be back here I’m sure.” “He’s grown a lot and is much better than he was when I faced him last time. The duo had a bit of history, facing off two years ago in the first round, a match Minakata won when Wilstead retired in the second set. The junior was a big piece of the five-man Tiger Shark squad that won the MIL team title, despite having to forfeit one of the matches simply because they didn’t have enough players to field a second doubles team. Previously, players from the school would compete with Maui High.
Wilstead competes out of Kihei Charter School, which was in its inaugural season competing in the sport. But Minakata would not be denied, tossing his racket in the air when he was finally able to put Wilstead away when his shot went long. He dropped just four games heading into the final and that dominance surfaced again in the second set.Īfter an early break, Minakata had a chance to go up 4-0, but the persistent Wilstead kept battling back.įacing championship point, the Kihei junior joked it was comeback time, and was able to extend the match. The first set was the only real threat Minakata had faced all tournament. “I just had to take advantage of my opportunities when they were there.” I usually hit really hard,” Minakata said. “I couldn’t hit my forehand as hard as I was used to and that’s not my style. Minakata said some right arm tightness limited his power, but his precision was key. However, Minakata recovered to take the first set with a powerful shot after a long rally. Minakata took the early edge, but Wilstead was able to fight back to 6-4 with the aid of a double-fault by the Hawaii Prep senior. Midway through the pressure-packed tiebreak, he paused before his serve, turned to the crowd and said, “Man, this is fun.” Wilstead is an animated competitor who often drew laughs from the crowd with his one-liners. I changed up a lot and it paid off.”īoth players battled in a back and forth first set, which would eventually need a tiebreak. I was practicing too hard - almost everyday four hours of training,” said Minakata. “In past years, I’ve been injured and my body was weak. But back on the championship stage and the healthiest he’s been during his prep career, Minakata was determined not to miss this time around.
Minakata had come close to state gold the past two years, most notably his sophomore season when he was defeated in the state final in three sets. “My Mighty Kiwi team and the crowd helped me get through,” said Minakata, specifically thanking his family, girlfriend Marta Arcones and personal coach Mathew Johnson. His brother, JJ Minakata - a two-time BIIF champ and state contender in his own right during his time with Ka Makani - had already taken the catchy “Mighty Minakata” nickname, so the younger brother got the Mighty Kiwi, something he has embraced. Minakata is originally from Japan, but spent time in New Zealand before coming to the Big Island to attend Hawaii Prep, giving him a noticeable Kiwi accent. I was losing my mental and physical edge for a little bit in the first set, but was able to get back on track. The last Big Islander to wrangle a state crown was St. Minakata is the first state champion from Hawaii Prep and the first out of the BIIF since 2008.
0 kommentar(er)
