Fall sports are off and running on Okinawa

KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa – Allie Sims would love nothing more than to close out her cross country career with an Okinawa island championship.

It’s what comes beyond the All-Island meet Oct. 9 at Cape Zanpa. Ten days later, Sims and her Kadena Panthers head to the Far East meet at Nile C. Kinnick, where they’ll go up against two-time Division I school champion Guam High.

How to overcome that as a team and as individuals? Sims says it’s about keeping it simple.

“One by one,” said Sims, who won the girls race in last Friday’s season opener at Kadena’s McDonald Stadium.

“The next goal is the girl in front of you. Then the next one. Then the next one. And you can’t focus on things as one individual. We’re a team. It’s up to the team to get it done. You pass them one by one.”

Kadena has been a perennial Okinawa powerhouse the past few seasons, and could be in good position to claim another island championship provided the Panthers stay healthy.

Okinawa’s meets for the most part take place on Fridays, while tennis hits the courts on Tuesdays and Thursday.

Kadena’s and Kubasaki’s volleyball teams play against Japanese foes, have three regular-season matches scheduled against each other, and are entered in the Okinawa-American friendship tournament in mid-September and the Ameerican School In Japan YUJO Tournament Oct. 1-3.

Sophomore Justin Brady won the boys season-opening race Friday at Kadena. (Kai Morgan/Special to Stripes)

Cross country

Besides Sims, Kadena’s girls team features senior Mia Rigg, who runs track and comes over from golf to cross country. Junior track distance specialist Adriana Williams is also on the roster.

“If she can get into the kind of shape she was in track, she will do very well,” Panthers coach Abe Summers said.

The issue right now for the Panthers is getting island champion William Rhoades healthy; Summers says his legs have been giving him pain issues. “He’ll probably sit for two or three meets,” Summers said.

Sophomore Justin Brady won the first boys race last Friday. He’s joined by senior Ethan Romney.

Speaking of crossover athletes, Camryn Cominski comes over from the tennis team to Kubasaki’s cross country lineup. She ran track and field last spring.

Coach Joseph O’Connor’s boys lineup features senior Adam Sisneros, along with three others who have also run track: Juniors Ezekiel Gozon and Rei Vivas and sophomore Emerson Burke.

Gabriel Fino is one of two senior returners in Kadena's boys lineup. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Tennis

Both the Panthers and Dragons welcome new coaches, Dennis Henderson for Kadena and Robert Barrett at Kubasaki.

And the Fisk dynasty, players from separate families sharing the same surname, continues to thrive in both lineups.

Camden Fisk, a senior, is the younger brother of former Kubasaki No. 1 singles Jacy Fisk. Their cousin, Aalia Fisk, a sophomore, is the younger sister of graduated Maddux Fisk.

“And she’s coming up right along,” Henderson said of Aalia Fisk.

Headlining Kadena’s boys are seniors Gabriel Fino and Bryce Federico. “They’re the real standouts on the team,” Henderson said. Joining Fisk in the girls lineup are seniors Julia Mendoza and Jasmine Kinney.

The new player to watch in the Dragons’ girls lineup will be freshman Lillyjo Pagan, who comes over from Japanese schools and has “demonstrated significant skills” on the court, Barrett said. “She will be neat to watch as the season progresses.”

Juniors Christian Martinez and Kai Swan return along with senior girls Sophia Wurdinger and Josephine Zwierzynski for the Dragons.

Kadena and Kubasaki also face a major challenge in their Far East Division I tournament Oct. 15-17, hosted at Kadena: International school teams make their return for the first time since 2019, and they were dominant in the years they played at Far East.

“It will be a joyful challenge,” Camden Fisk said. “Definitely worth the experience.”

“Our new coach is really putting us to work,” Wurdinger said. “It will take lots of practices and hard work” to overcome their international-school opponents.

Junior Cameron Eavers returns in the middle for defending Far East D-I champion Kubasaki. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Kayden Hammac returns at outside hitter for defending Far East Division I champion Kubasaki. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Reigning Far East D-I Best Setter Remaghlyn Doctolero returns for reigning champion Kubasaki. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Senior Misha Heard is Kadena's primary setter. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Girls volleyball

For the first time in since 2022, Kubasaki enters a new season without the services of two-time Far East D-I Best Hitter Yuri Biggins, who has graduated and is playing ball in Osaka.

But that doesn’t mean the Dragons’ cupboard is bare, by any means.

Junior outside hitter Zoe Carranza returns along with junior middle blocker Cameron Eavers.

They’re joined by Far East D-I Best Setter Remaghlyn Doctolero and senior outside hitters Kayden Hammac and Brooklyn Wilson.

“We were so associated with Yuri,” Carranza said, but observers of the team over the years “didn’t mention any of our other amazing players instead of just one player.”

That’s not to say the Dragons will have an easy route back to the top, Carranza said. “We still have a lot of work to do. We have a lot of new people. We just have to get used to working with each other.”

The Dragons won Far East last October, beating island-rival Kadena in four sets. The Panthers are also heavy in returners, particularly up front with juniors Samantha Kehe and Genesis Afaisen and senior Leighton Botes in the middle.

It’s setter where the Panthers are trying new things. Kehe’s sister, Christina, graduated, and Samantha is doing some setting, but the new main setter figures to be Misha Heard.

“She’s looking good, works hard, showing progress and development,” said Panthers new head coach Melinda Ringgold. “I’m looking forward to seeing her develop her skills over the season.”