The tinkering process can take a while.

For the Kamehameha girls crew, the time was right. The Warriors navigated some bumpy challenges off the South Shore of Oahu on Saturday morning to win the final ILH girls varsity canoe paddling race of the season.

Coach Kehau Meyer’s crew won its third race of the regular season to finish in a tie with rival Punahou. The two schools will meet on Tuesday in a race-off for the ILH girls title and the seeded berth in the upcoming First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Championships on February 6.

Unlike the regular-season course distance of 6 miles (from Ala Wai Boat Harbor to Waikiki Walls to the Kewalo Basin buoy and back to Ala Wai Boat Harbor), Tuesday’s race-off will cover roughly 3.5 miles.

The Warriors’ muscular crew of stroker Tate Keliihoomalu, Teisa Wolfgramm, Kalei Asam, Sierra Keolanui, Aubree Campbell and steersman Conner White could thrive at the shorter distance, as well.

“It took a whole season to get the right combination,” White said. “Physically, we’re prepared. Every season, it’s a mental game.”

Meanwhile, Punahou’s boys, coached by Rocky Higgins, capped a dominant regular season with another victory by a wide margin. The Buffanblu won every ILH race but one, and that was a scratch due to a health issue. Saturday’s crew featured Ethan Lewis, a towering 6-foot-3, in front with Hunter Pflueger, Liam Namba, Aukai Manson, Nat Yee and steersman Kimo Brown.

“It was a little humid and hot. We definitely kept the pace smooth, concise and powerful,” Lewis said. “Our downwind (from Waikiki to Kewalo) was smooth, but whenever our steersman yelled, ‘Bump!’, we start surfing the waves.”

Their crew is all seniors, and their legacy is already notable. They are the first Punahou crew to win the ILH boys title since 2009, and no Punahou boys crew has won both league and state titles in the same year.

“We’ve got a group of guys who’ve paddled together since freshman and sophomore year,” Brown said. “The blend in the boat is No. 1 over strength. We knew we had something special because this is the last time we’ll paddle together for our school.”

Mid-Pacific’s mixed crew, which had already sealed a berth in the state tourney, took first place for the first time this season. The crew is comprised of Keaka Rodrigues, Josh Nichols, Lacie Choy, Greyson Tillman, Alyssa Soares and Kai Wilding.

“The kids have been training really, really hard. Their focus has been great and they’re highly self-motivated,” said Owls co-head coach Sara McKay-Hines, who is in her 29th year of coaching the team with husband Mark. “They enjoy each other and they love the sport.”

The Owls’ crew is comprised of several athletes who aren’t year-round club paddlers. One of them is Tillman, their stroker.

“He’s our rock. Even keeled. Anyone would be fortunate to have him as their leader or their child,” McKay-Hines said. “He’s a quiet leader who leads by example.”

For the Kamehameha girls, the two-week stretch leading into states every year is “hell week” plus. Tuesday’s duel with Punahou doesn’t make it any easier, but they’re looking forward to the challenge.

“You probably have to sprint for 3 miles,” Meyer said. “There’s no getting comfortable.”

The state championships will be held at Keehi Lagoon.

Kalaheo takes two of three OIA titles

The Kalaheo mixed crew beat Waianae by two seconds to earn the OIA junior varsity championship at Keehi Lagoon on Saturday, joining its girls team as title winners.

The Mustangs clocked a time of 4 minutes, 0.30 seconds to beat Waianae (4:02.95) and Nanakuli (4:03.95). Two-time defending champion Kaiser was fifth.

Kalaheo’s girls won their race easily, clocking a time of 4:28.96 to beat Nanakuli (4:33.87) and Waianae (4:34.35) for their first OIA title since 2011.

Radford’s boys prevented the sweep by beating Kalaheo with a time of 3 minutes, 48.77 seconds. It is the first OIA championship for the Rams since the league started the sport in 2001.

The Mustangs ran their heat in 3:52.23 and Kaiser finished third.

Kalaheo got a measure of revenge in the girls race, though, clocking a time of 4:28.96 to beat Nanakuli (4:33.87) and Waianae (4:34.35).

A school hasn’t swept all three races at the OIA championships since Kalaheo in 2011. The Mustangs now join the field for the state championships Feb. 6 at Keehi Lagoon. An OIA school has not won a state race since Kalaheo’s mixed crew in 2010.

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CLARIFICATION: Kalaheo High won two of three OIA paddling titles in the junior varsity championships, not the varsity as was implied in an earlier version of this story.