UH kicked off the 50th anniversary of its program with the Rainbow Invite at Keehi Lagoon on Saturday. The Rainbow Invite features 14 schools from the mainland as well as Canada and Japan. UH took first place in the first two races. Teams competing are California, Cal Poly, Cal State Channel Islands, Long Beach State, Hawaii, Hosei University (Japan), Rutgers, Salve Regina, Washington, Western Washington, University of British Columbia (Canada), UC San Diego, UCLA, and Victoria (Canada).
The program has participated in 61 national championship events and produced 34 All-America citations and five Olympians.
The program is one of only two at the University of Hawaii to win a national title as a team, along with the women’s volleyball team.
UH's skipper Michael Pacholski and crew Devon Stapleton in boat #13 took first place in the first race.
Cal Berkleyʻs crew Avery Burke (left) and skipper, Drake Hayes in boat # 9 took 2nd in race one with pressure from Japanʻs skipper Naru Ito and crew, Fuyuka Morita in boat #4 from Hosei University in Tokyo.
Japanʻs skipper Naru Ito (left) and crew, Fuyuka Morita from Hosei University in Tokyo work their way through the crowd in boat #4.
UHʻs skipper Annika Garrett and crew Megan Lucas in boat #15 took 3rd place in both the first and second races.
British Columbia - Canadaʻs skipper Benjamin Brown and crew Lauren Wittkoff (center) turn into a crowd.
Canadaʻs skipper Hannah Stevens and crew Marcus Hougaard from University of Victoria (center) pass the winners of the first two races UHʻs skipper Mathew Butler and Crew Jemma Baird in boat #14, left, and UHʻs Skipper Michael Pacholski and crew Devon Stapleton in boat #13.
The final day of the Peter Renner Rainbow Invite begins at 10 a.m. Sunday at Keehi Lagoon (weather permitting) with 14 schools trying to prevent the Rainbows from defending their title.
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