HHSAA approves 21 changes to high school sports

All 21 recommendations that moved up the legislative chain from the Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association to the Hawaii High School Athletic Association were approved by the HHSAA’s executive board Friday at the Hilton Waikoloa Village.

Many of the approvals were for housekeeping measures, such as the athletic calendar for the 2016-17 school year. A little more than a handful were of real significance, including a new regional format in which the Maui Interscholastic League and Big Island Interscholastic Federation will be hosting first-round games in the state volleyball, soccer, basketball and water polo tournaments.

The HHSAA executive board, with one voting member each from Hawaii’s five leagues, gave its OK to HIADA’s recommendations for the following:

>> A 5-kilometer distance instead of 3 miles for the cross country state championships, an increase of 188 yards and 2 inches.

>> The creation of Division I and D-II team and individual competition at the state cross country meet. There will still be only one boys race and one girls race and competitors from both D-I and D-II will still be running at the same time.

>> The use of the Stan Sheriff Center or Blaisdell Arena for the final two days (instead of the final day) of the state girls basketball tournament.

>> Field events at the state track and field championships will be held on the final day of the two-day event, eliminating the previous scenario, where the field athletes competed in trials one day and finals the next. The MIL and Oahu Interscholastic Association voted against it, but lost in the final tally, 53-43 (the HHSAA’s five voters’ votes are weighted, based on the number of schools in the league).

>> Only one automatic qualifying standard will be used for the state track and field championships instead of two qualifying standards (automatic and consideration).

>> The OIA and Interscholastic League of Honolulu, the two Oahu leagues, will now be separate in the rotation to host the bowling, cross country, golf and tennis state tournaments. Previously, the OIA and ILH shared one slot. Now, both leagues will host once in a five-year rotation. The OIA presented the proposal, believing the five leagues should all have a chance to be a host. The BIIF, MIL and Kauai Interscholastic League voted against it, but the final vote in favor was 54-42. Steve Perry, the athletic director at Hawaii Prep of the BIIF, said neighbor island teams will be picking up an added cost, having to travel to Oahu one more time than in the past. Some BIIF representatives, who did not want to be named, said they felt the rule was changed so Oahu teams will be able to remain home in two of five years instead of just one in four.