After staying afloat through what began as an up-and-down season, the Kamehameha girls’ canoe paddling team made it a priority to end the regular season on a high note.

The Warriors left no doubt as the blue-and-white clad paddlers dominated the sixth and final ILH competition of the season Wednesday afternoon at Magic Island.

The Warriors completed the 3.5-mile race in 22 minutes and 21 seconds. Pac-Five (22:48) surprised many onlookers with a runner-up finish, while Punahou (23:03) and Le Jardin (23:59) also tested Kamehameha early on.

Warrior steerswoman Conner White explained that the crew’s initial task was to be the first to the first turn of the race, which stretched from outside Magic Island into the waters off Waikiki Beach and wrapped back around to finish adjacent to the Ala Wai Boat Harbor.

White recalled coach Kehau Meyer’s goal for the crew of making it to the turn early to avoid facing "traffic" on the return stretch back toward the finish line.

"We put in a lot of work, and the season came down to this race — it was all or nothing," said White, a junior who also paddles for Waikiki Surf Club in the summer. "I have a great crew and it’s a big mental game."

White was joined in the winning canoe by Kahala Companion, Brandi Peltier, Kalei Asam, Courtney Shook and Teisa Wolfgramm.

Paddlers completed what was essentially a flat-water race as the surf was virtually nonexistent and a thick layer of haze hovered above. Crews rounded a series of buoys while also avoiding luxury yachts, tour dive boats and surfers scattered throughout the course.

The win also secured the ILH’s top seed for Kamehameha in the upcoming state championship field, which should lead to a favorable lane draw.

Meyer noted that while her paddlers will have to make the transition from traversing long distance courses to shorter sprints in state competition, the process should be seamless "as we fine-tune and look for perfection."

"It’s always good to go into states as the first seed and the students were excited to go for (the league title) and they got it," said Meyer. "The girls stepped up and proved that the team is everybody, not just a few people. You never get comfortable and they have a lot of work ahead of them."

By virtue of Wednesday’s results, the Warriors ended up with four wins on the season and claimed the ILH title after topping the cumulative season standings with 31 points — each victory counts for six points, while second place nets four points and so on in descending order.

The Buffanblu (28 points) and the Wolfpack (17 points) secured second and third, and more importantly, earned league berths to join Kamehameha in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA state paddling championships on Feb. 7 at Maui’s Kahului Harbor.

"It’s been back-and-forth (between the Buffanblu and Warriors) for the past 20 years I’ve been coaching, it comes down to who has the better combo and (executes) the best race of their life," said Punahou coach Becky Fardal.

"We have states to prepare for now, and it was awesome to see Pac-Five get in there. When the underdog comes in, that’s fantastic. And, Kamehameha’s strong, so we have a lot of work to do in these next nine days."

The Wolfpack were hard to miss, not only because of their impressive finish but also thanks to their neon orange shirts reflecting the team’s primary color.

Coach David Ahia has built the program into a perennial state champion contender and stated the importance of preparing his crew for the shorter half-mile state sprint races.

"The girls knew that they needed a solid race to make it to states this year," said Ahia, whose team claimed state crowns in 2010 and ’12. "A lot of times, the (state) race is won or lost on the turn (at the quarter-mile mark). We need to work on our sprint and starts, and find the fastest lineup."

Kamehameha, Punahou and Pac-Five have combined to win 12 of the 13 state championships in Hawaii history with the Warriors claiming seven crowns and the Buffanblu and Wolf Pack notching three and two victories.

The lone exception to the ILH’s streak of success came in 2013 when Seabury Hall upset Kamehameha to win the girls’ title; Now, the state field will be competing in what Meyer described as the Spartans’ home waters.

"Anything can happen when you race against programs like these with great coaching staffs and the right blend of girls," Meyer said. "Anything can happen; it’s great for the sport to have this level of competition.

"I don’t count anybody out, and it’s humbling to go into someone else’s home turf. I’m excited to see what happens and I really want to see some good paddling."

ILH CANOE PADDLING

Final regular-season race

3.5 miles from Magic Island to Waikiki to Ala Wai Boat Harbor

Varsity girls

1. Kamehameha, 22 minutes, 21 seconds (Conner White, Kahala Companion, Brandi Peltier, Kalei Asam, Courtney Shook and Teisa Wolfgramm); 2. Pac-Five, 22:48; 3. Punahou, 23:03; 4. Le Jardin, 23:59; 5. Sacred Hearts, 24:27; 6. Mid-Pacific, 24:45; 7. ‘Iolani, 25:26; 8. Maryknoll, 27:21.

Championship Standings

Top three teams advance to state championship

1. Kamehameha, 31 points; 2. Punahou, 28; 3. Pac-Five, 17; 4. Le Jardin, 14; 5. Sacred Hearts, 5; 6. Mid-Pacific, 1.