Winners of the Merrie Monarch Festival
By Wanda A. Adams
Assistant Features Editor
HILO, Hawai'i — Here are the winners of the 44th annual Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition held at the Edith Kanaka'ole Stadium:
Overall winner: Halau I Ka Wekiu, Honolulu; na kumu hula Karl Veto Baker and Michael Nalanikila'ekolu Casupang; 1,179 points.
Group wahine winners (overall):
Winner — Hula Halau 'O Kamuela, Kalihi and Waimanalo; na kumu hula Kau'ionalani Kamana'o and Kunewa Mook; 1,178 points.
2nd place — Halau Mohala 'Ilima, Ka'ohao (Lanikai); kumu hula Mapuana de Silva; 1,168 points.
3rd place — Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, Kapalama; kumu hula Kaleo Trinidad; 1,160 points.
Winner — Halau I Ka Wekiu, Honolulu; na kumu hula Karl Veto Baker and Michael Nalanikila'ekolu Casupang; 1,179 points.
2nd place — Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, Kapalama; kumu hula Kaleo Trinidad; 1,132 points.
3rd place — Ka Pa Hula O Ka Lei Lehua, Honolulu; kumu hula Snowbird Puananiopaoakalani Bento; 1,109 points.
Winner — Hula Halau 'O Kamuela, Kalihi and Waimanalo; na kumu hula Kau'ionalani Kamana'o and Kunewa Mook; 591 (tie, broken by tie breaker points — 822 points).
2nd place — Halau Na Lei Kaumaka O Uka, Kula, Maui; na kumu hula Napua Greig and Kahulu Maluo-Huber; 591 points.
3rd place — Halau Mohala 'Ilima, Ka'ohao; kumu hula Mapuana de Silva; 585 points.
4th place — Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, Kapalama, O'ahu; kumu hula Kaleo Trinidad; 582 points.
5th place — Ka Pa Hula 'O Kauanoe O Wa'ahila, Kaimuki; kumu hula Maelia Loebenstein Carter; 581 points.
Winner — Halau I Ka Wekiu, Honolulu, O'ahu; na kumu hula Karl Veto Baker and Michael Nalanikila'ekolu Casupang; 568 points.
2nd place — Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, Kapalama; kumu hula Kaleo Trinidad; 555 points.
3rd place — Ka Pa Hula O Ka Lei Lehua, Honolulu; kumu hula Snowbird Puananiopaoakalani Bento; 554 points.
4th place — Halau O Ka Hanu Lehua, Honolulu and Kahului, Maui; Carlson Kamaka Kukona III; 534 points.
Winner — Hula Halau 'O Kamuela, Kalihi and Waimanalo; na kumu hula Kau'ionalani Kamana'o and Kunewa Mook; 587 points.
2nd place — Halau Mohala 'Ilima, Ka'ohao; kumu hula Mapuana de Silva; 583 points.
3rd place — Halau O Ke 'A'ali'i Ku Makani, Kane'ohe; kumu hula Manu Boyd; 582 points.
4th place — Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, Kapalama; kumu hula Kaleo Trinidad; 578 points.
5th place — Keolalaulani Halau 'Olapa O Laka, He'eia; kumu hula Aloha Dalire; 577 points.
Winner — Halau I Ka Wekiu, Honolulu; na kumu hula Karl Veto Baker and Michael Nalanikila'ekolu Casupang; 611 points.
2nd place — Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, Kapalama; kumu hula Kaleo Trinidad; 577 points.
3rd place — Ka Pa Hula O Ka Lei Lehua, Honolulu; kumu hula Snowbird Puananiopaoakalani Bento; 555 points.
4th place — Academy of Hawaiian Arts, Oakland, Calif.; Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu; 551 points.
Winner — Keonilei Ku'uwehiokala Kaniaupio Fairbanks, Ka Pa Hula O Kauanoe O Wa'ahila; kumu hula Maelia Loebenstein Carter; 1,609 points.
1st runner-up — Aureana Kamali'io'iwalani Tseu, Hula Halau 'O Kamuela; na kumu hula Kau'ionalani Kamana'o and Kunewa Mook; 1,527 points.
2nd runner-up — Erica Kau'ionalani Awana, Halau Mohala 'Ilima; kumu hula Mapuana de Silva; 1,512 points.
3rd runner-up — Malia Ann Marks, Halau Hula Olana; na kumu hula Howard and Olana Ai; 1,501 points.
4th runner-up — Lewalani Duarte; Keolalaulani Halau 'Olapa O Laka; kumu hula Aloha Dalire; 1,496 points.
Hawaiian Language Award: Keonilei Ku'uwehiokala Kaniaupio Fairbanks, Ka Pa Hula O Kauanoe O Wa'ahila; kumu hula Maelia Loebenstein Carter; 49 points.
Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.
