By the time OIA football champions are crowned on Friday night, more than a few other athletes will be judged the best in the state.

The HHSAA kicks off the first championship week of the season today with the Civilian Air Marksmanship Program air riflery state championships at Kamehameha-Maui with 120 of the best shooters.

It will be the first time the event will be held on that range, and Punahou’s boys and Mid-Pacific’s girls will try to repeat as team champions. Although the competition separates its champions by gender, this is one sport where boys and girls compete on equal footing.

Since the state tournament began in 1999, the top overall shooter has been a girl nine times and a boy six times, with one tie. Girls have ruled the state in each of the past three years and six of the past eight.

Bowling

The Billy Tees State Bowling championships will begin Thursday at Kauai Bowl with three former winners in the field.

Hawaii Baptist’s Shelby Suzuki will try to repeat in a girls field that includes 2013 champ Chelsi Morishige of Pearl City. McKinley’s Bryce Takenaka will try for a second straight crown.

Pearl City has dominated the team competition, with the boys holding the past five championships and the girls four in a row.

Cross country

The Honolulu Marathon cross country championship goes off Saturday morning on the Seabury Hall campus on Maui, where two Oahu runners will be looking for repeats.

Kamehameha’s Kaeo Kruse, who won his second ILH title on Saturday, will look to extend the Warriors’ string of individual champions to four and OIA champion Lisa Tashiro of Kaiser also will go for a repeat.

Punahou’s girls have won nine of the past 10 team races, including the past three, and Kamehameha’s boys have won five of the past six and also hold a three-year winning streak.

Volleyball

Even if the ILH dominates the New City Nissan girls volleyball tournament this year, the championships will have a different look.

‘Iolani is in the Division I field for the first time since 2007 and was awarded the top seed as ILH champions.

The Division I championship match has been an all-ILH affair every year since 2001, with Kamehameha winning seven titles to Punahou’s four.

The defending state champion Buffanblu are not in the field. Kamehameha opens against Mililani on Thursday at Moanalua.

Matches in the first two rounds will be held at Moanalua and McKinley, with Na Menehune hosting on their side of the bracket. Other top seeds include Waiakea on the McKinley side and King Kekaulike on the Moanalua side.

The semifinals will be held at McKinley with the final at the Blaisdell.

Although the ILH rules the Division I bracket, the Division II competition has been Konawaena’s for the past two years.

The Wildcats received the top seed and will open their defense on Thursday at Kaimuki against the winner between Hana and Le Jardin. OIA champion Farrington is the other top seed in the Kaimuki region and will meet Kapaa or University.

The other half of the bracket will hold its first two rounds at Farrington, with Kailua and Pahoa meeting for the right to take on MIL champion Seabury Hall and ILH champ Hawaii Baptist waiting to play Hawaii Prep or Damien.

The High School Top 10

Voted on by coaches and media statewide. First-place votes in parentheses. Ten points for first-place votes, nine for second, etc.

Top Performers

MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Saitaua Lefau, Saint Louis
The senior running back scored three touchdowns in the Crusaders’ 27-23 comeback win over Punahou for the ILH championship. He rushed for 84 yards on 21 carries and caught five passes for 58 yards. Lefau began the season as a wide receiver and was later a fourth-string RB before moving up after a slew of injuries.

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Bailey Choy, ‘Iolani
The senior had 47 assists and 25 digs as ‘Iolani defeated Kamehameha in four sets on Saturday and captured the ILH title for the first time since 2001.