Pearl City sweeps OIA Girls & Boys OIA Air Riflery Team Championships

Oct 10, 2016 | PC Sports

The Pearl City Lady Chargers captured their sixth consecutive OIA Girls Air Riflery Team Championship on Saturday at Radford High School while the Charger Boys won their first team championship since 2012. The Lady Chargers dominated runner-up Kalani 2,049 to 1.932. Charger Boys outscored Moanalua 2.066 to 2,038.

Pearl City shooter Zane Ogoso finished runner-up to Kalaheo's Justin Pascua who won the individual competition championship by one point 534-533.

Cheyne Santos led the Lady Chargers in the individual competition with a score of 521. Kailua'Lauren Kadooka won the individual championship title with a total score of 539.

Pearl City Chargers Father and Son coaching duo of Lester and LeLan Aranaydo couldn't be prouder for the success of both the girls and boys air riflery teams and the hard work that the kids have put in to reach and defend the title of OIA CHAMPION.

"For the girls, it was really awesome because it’s been six years in a row that the girls won the OIA championship," said Lester Aranaydo, Head Coach, Pearl City Lady Chargers. "No other OIA team has done that six years consecutively. Our girls’ team is young. So hopefully they will improve and get better as we move forward, maybe winning the state championship. We don’t know, we’ll see how they progress. The girls won the state championship last year, the year before runner-up, and the year before state champions, and it’s the same grouping of girls. So, we’re kind of starting a new grouping, we’re reloading. But it’s all credit to the girls. They made the sacrifices and put in the time and were very coachable."

"They did a lot better than last week, I was probably more nervous than they were nervous because we worked really hard throughout the summer," said LeLan Aranaydo, Head Coach, Pearl City Charger Boys."I just couldn't’t watch. I just had to put my head down for the entire time. When the scores got posted it was a big relief and it was a great feeling to win the championship. Even after coming close last year, we were able to bring it back to Pearl City. This year it was more of mental thing, because I know last year they were a lot stronger, but all of them just fell a little flat during the finals. They did really well during the semi’s last year and not too well during the finals and that’s where we lost to Moanalua. Over the summer, we worked more on the mental game because I feel that Air Riflery is a big mental sport and it’s very unique and different from other sports. We just had to work on focus, also work on positioning a little bit more and kind a have it where I can coach them to understand from their perspective, and they will be able to help themselves. When it’s time to shoot, they’re on their own."

Father & Son Championship Duo

Lester Aranaydo, Head Coach, Pearl City Lady Chargers Air Riflery

"I am really proud of my son because he’s a former shooter of mine for four years and he is also a state champion. The boys, because of his credentials, they really trust and listen to him and follow his coaching experience and that got the boys together to really pull it out. We thought it was going to be really close, but because of is coaching, it made it possible to win the OIA. We haven’t done that for many years, winning both. He’s a big help for me. He can focus on the boys while I focus on the girls."

LeLan Aranaydo, Head Coach, Pearl City Charger Boys Air Riflery

"I think we’re a great duo. I’ve been with him four years as a shooter, a couple years now as a coach, and I think we really work well together."

The Chargers head to the 2016 Civilian Marksmanship Program Air Riflery Championships scheduled for the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall on Tuesday, October 25, 2016. The Lady Chargers are the defending state champions.