Sabers’ Shields is Runner of the Year again

Maui High School’s Hunter Shields has been named the 2019-20 Gatorade Hawaii Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. It is the second time Shields has earned the honor. The reigning state individual champion also won last year after his runner-up finish at states.

In November, Shields capped his junior season with a victory at the Honolulu Marathon/HHSAA State meet at Seabury Hall. He completed the 5-kilometer course in a time of 16 minutes, 15.60 seconds, beating 2018 champion Adam Harder of Hanalani by nearly 4 seconds.

Shield’s finish helped the Sabers place second in the Division I team standings.

In October, Shields won his first Maui Interscholastic League title, leading a Saber sweep of the top three spots.

In the classroom, Shields has maintained a 3.89 grade-point average. He also has volunteered at the Maui Humane Society and as a youth sports camp counselor, according to a Gatorade press release.

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Freedive champion talks safety at Akaku

Ben Zyons of Freedive Hawaii will discuss “Shallow-Water Blackout: Freediving & Spearfishing Safety” this week as part of the free Akaku Upstairs salon series.

Zyons is the current national free-diving champion and three-time national record holder, and a PADI master free-dive instructor. His favorite free-diving discipline is “no-fins,” or CNF, in which he has a competitive personal best of 62 meters, making him the deepest-diving unassisted free-diver in Hawaii.

During the presentation, Zyons will talk about the risks associated with breath-hold diving and of shallow-water blackout from hypoxia, or lack of oxygen to the brain.

“It’s believed that shallow-water blackout accounts for up to 99 percent of freediving deaths, though preventable. Ben will give an understanding of the body’s physiology while freediving and how to mitigate the risk, as well as present on the implementation of modern safety practices,” said a news release from Akaku Community Media.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at Akaku, 333 Dairy Road, Suite 204, in Kahului. Walk-ins are welcome but seating is limited. RSVP at akaku.org/salons or call 871-5554.

Zyons’ presentation also will be available for later viewing at akaku.org.

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Upcountry pool hosts free swimming lessons

The latest round of the county’s free Learn to Swim program starts next month, with registration at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Upcountry Aquatic Center in Pukalani.

The program runs from March 6 to May 2, with registration on a first-come, first-served basis. A parent or adult guardian must register in person with the child. A swim test may be administered to determine the child’s level of participation.

The schedule of classes follows:

Saturdays

>> Level 1-A Beginner (ages 4-8) from 9 to 9:30 a.m.

>> Level 1-B Beginner (ages 6-10) from 9:30 to 10 a.m.

>> Level 2 (ages 6-10) from 10 to 10:45 a.m.

Fridays

>> Level 3 (ages 7-12) from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Fran Yamamoto at frances.yamamoto@co.maui.hi.us or call 270-6138.

Send event information, announcements and other sports news to maui@staradvertiser.com.