SWIMMING:
Robin Backhaus Mitsuko "Mitzi" Higuchi Ken Nakasone Dr. Chris Woo CHANNEL SWIMMING: Robin Isayama Carl Kawauchi |
OPEN WATER SWIMMING:
Kaili Chun John Flanagan MASTERS SWIMMING: Steve Borowski Bruce Clark Ernest Leskovitz Joe Lileikis |
WATER POLO:
Shari Baird Chris Duplanty John Nielsen Susan Nishioka COACHING: Edward Kawachika CONTRIBUTOR: James "Jim" Anderson |
JIM ANDERSON
James K. Anderson, originally from California but a long-time Hawaii resident, was the founder, organizer, and race director of numerous open water swim races in Hawaii including the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, the Hawaiian Christmas Looong Distance Invitational Rough H20 Swim (the “Double”), First FINA World open water swimming championships (2000), PreWorld Open Water swimming championship (1999), USA Swimming 25k National Championships (1999), US National 10k Swimming championship (1992), US National 10k swimming championships (1991). He was founder and president of the Hawaii Channels Swimming Association. Jim was also a prolific open water swimmer himself with 26 finishes in the Waikiki Roughwater Swim and 25 finishes in the “Double Roughwater.” He was inducted as an Honor Administrator by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Class of 2014. |
ROBIN BACKHAUS
Robin James Backhaus, born in Nebraska, raised in California, represented the US as a 17-year-old at the 1972 Munich Olympics. He won a bronze medal in the men's 200-meter butterfly, finishing behind Mark Spitz and Gary Hall, completing an American sweep of the event. Domestically Backhaus won three AAU titles, in the 200-yard butterfly indoors in 1973–74, and in the 100-meter butterfly in 1973. He also won NCAA titles in the 200-yard butterfly in 1974–75. After retiring from competition Backhaus became a teacher and coach in Kona, Hawaii, for over 20 years. |
SHARI BAIRD SMART
Shari Baird (later Smart) was the first head coach of the University of Hawaii Wahine Water Polo program in 1997. She was a swimmer and water polo player at Kaiser High (’81) in Honolulu and went on to be the first female player from Hawaii to play collegiately (UC Santa Barbara), where she was team captain, 1981-85, a 4-year collegiate All-American, and MVP at the collegiate national championships. She was also the first player from Hawaii to be on the national women’s team and was a starter during the FINA and World Cup, 1984-89. |
STEVE BOROWSKI
Steve Borowski grew up in Illinois and was an All-American swimmer and water polo player in high school and at Indiana University. He went on to become an age-group, high school and college swim coach, as well as a world-class US Masters swimmer with world and American records in the 50 and 100 free and butterfly. Steve became head swim coach at Punahou School in 1972, where his boys and girls teams won an unprecedented 13 straight State High School Championships. He then moved to Kona where he coached swimming and water polo for Kona Aquatics and at Kealakehe High. |
KAILI CHUN
Kaili Chun, born and raised in Hawaii, was an elite age group, high school (Kamehameha ‘80), and collegiate (Princeton) swimmer, but she was most dominant in open water races in Hawaii. She competed in 10 Waikiki Roughwater Swims from 1974 through 1984 and was the first Women’s Division finisher 8 times, second woman once, and first age group finisher once. She also swam in the “Double Roughwater” three times and was first overall twice, and first woman once (third overall). No other woman has come close to matching her finishes in these Hawaii open water races. She is now a renowned artist, sculptor and master woodworker. |
BRUCE CLARK
Bruce Clark, swim administrator, Masters swim champion, and open water swimmer, was a founder of Hawaii Masters Swimming in 1974 and served in positions as chairman, treasurer, and registrar for USMS Hawaii from 1974 to 1998. In 1997 at the US Masters Nationals he set a world and national record at age 55 in the 200-meter individual medley. He also completed 34 Waikiki Roughwater Swims from 1975 to 2018. He has been a member of the Waikiki Swim Club since 1973 and served as its president in 1976. |
CHRIS DUPLANTY
Christopher David "Chris" Duplanty, born in California, raised in Hawaii, was a three-time Olympian (1988, 1992 & 1996) in water polo, winning a silver medal in the 1988 Olympics. In the 1996 Olympics he was selected as captain of the team. and received the distinction of “Most Dominant Goalie” by leading all Olympic goalies in saves and save percentage. He graduated from Punahou School in 1984 then went on to UC Irvine where he was 1989 UC Irvine Scholar of the Year, 1989 Big West Conference Scholar Athlete, and a 2-time USWP Athlete of the Year in 1993 and 1996. In 2001, he was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame. |
JOHN FLANAGAN
John Flanagan, born and raised in Hawaii, was a world class open water swimmer with 7 top-three overall finishes in the Waikiki Roughwater Swim between 1994 and 2009, including two first overall in 2000 and 2001, three first overall finishes in the “Double Roughwater,” and he represented the US as a member of the USA Open Water National Team in international open water competitions from 1997-2001. He is a graduate of Punahou (’93) and Auburn University (’97) where he was on the 1997 NCAA championship team. |
MITSUKO HIGUCHI IOIO
Mitsuko “Mitzie” Higuchi (later Ioio), born and raised on Maui, trained in the irrigation ditches in Puunene under legendary coach Soichi Sakamoto and set Hawaii territorial records five times in her teens in the 100-meter breaststroke, 220 free-style and 300 individual medley in 1939, and as part of 150 and 300 medley relay teams in 1940. She took part in three national championships, with multiple top-six finishes, but like many of her fellow swimmers, did not have a chance to compete in the Olympics because the event was suspended during World War II. She passed away in 2016 at the age of 90. |
EDWARD KAWACHIKA
Edward Hideo Kawachika, born and raised in Hilo, was a teacher, coach, and special education coordinator for the state Department of Education in Hilo. He attended Ohio State University and was a member of the men’s swim team which won the NCAA and Big Ten Swimming Championships, 1954-56, set the 300-yard Medley Relay Record in 1955, and he was named to the NCAA All American Swimming Team, 1954-55. After graduating he returned to Hilo and coached at Hilo Aquatics Club, Hilo High and Waiakea High until his retirement in 2004. He passed away in 2007 at the age of 74. The swimming pool at Hilo High is named in his honor. |
CARL KAWAUCHI
Carl Kawauchi, born and raised in Hawaii (University High ’61), is a channel swimmer with multiple certified channel crossings, 1987-2011: Alalakeiki Channel (Kahoolawe-Maui), 2 times; Auau Channel, Maui-Lanai, 2 times; Kalohi Channel (Molokai-Lanai), 4 times; Pailolo Channel (Molokai-Maui), 4 times. He also has completed 30 Waikiki Roughwater Swims. He is the honorary secretary and recorder for the Hawaiian Channel Swim Association, a volunteer-run governing body formed to recognize individuals who have successfully swum the 9 major channels of the Hawaiian Islands. He has served as a director and officer of the Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame since 2001. |
ERNIE LESKOVITZ
Ernest Leskovitz, originally from Florida, moved to Hawaii and was a world class Masters and open water swimmer. Beginning in 1976 at age 40 Ernie set numerous national and world records in his age group in US Masters swimming and continued to do so well into his 70s. From 1991 to 2014 he dominated his age group in the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, placing first 20 times, second once, and third twice. He also had 11 finishes in the Double Roughwater and placed first in his age group every time. Ernie served as president of the Waikiki Swim Club in 1988. |
JOE LIEIKIS
Joe Lileikis, originally from California, was an outstanding age group, high school, collegiate, Masters, and open water swimmer and a coach in high school and Masters swimming. He moved to Hawaii to swim for the University of Hawaii, 1981-85. Notable achievements: NCAA qualifier in 100, 200, and 500, WAC Championship finalist in 3 individual events for four years, 1985 NCAA Championships, 10th place 100 freestyle, 1985 USS Nationals finalist, 6th place 100 free and 200 free, swam in 1984 Olympic Trials, 200 and 400 free. US Masters National Championships: 1986 - 3rd in 100 free, 5th in 200 free; 1993 - 1st in 100 free, 2nd in 200 free; 2002 - coach of 1st place Hawaii State Team. Open water: Waikiki Roughwater Swim – 35 finishes, including 2 First Place overall. |
ROBIN ISAYAMA LISZEWSKI
Robin Isayama Liszewski, born and raised in Hawaii enjoyed swimming in age group and high school (Punahou ’86) and in college in San Diego, but no one could have predicted that she would make history as the first woman to swim across the Kaiwi Channel from Molokai to Oahu. She accomplished this in March 1994 in 15 hours and 21 minutes, starting on Molokai at 1:30 AM and finishing on Sandy Beach just before 5:00 PM. Robin trained up to 10 miles per day, often swimming twice a day, beginning a year before the crossing. She ended up swimming about 35 total miles in her crossing. |
KEN NAKASONE
Kenneth Nakasone, born and raised in Puunene, Maui, was a High School (Baldwin ’59) and AAU All-American swimmer, a collegiate All-American at Indiana University (’64), and a gold medalist at the 1959 Pan-American Games. He set numerous national records both in high school and college in the 100-yard, 220-yard, and 200-meter breaststroke events in 1959-62. He was a member of the 400-yard medley relay team at Indiana University which set a collegiate record in 1963. |
JOHN NIELSEN
John D. Nielsen was an All-American high school water polo goalie and an outstanding swimmer at Iolani School. He went on to Occidental College in Los Angeles where he continued in water polo, becoming a four-time First-Team All-Conference water polo player, 1973-76, and a conference champion in the 100-yard breaststroke. In the 1980s John coached numerous water polo teams locally and nationally: Head Coach of the USA Water Polo South Team in the US Olympic Festival (1986), Head Coach of the Chaminade University men’s water polo team, assistant coach for the US National Olympic Women’s Team clinic, and chairman of the Water Polo Committee for the Outrigger Canoe Club which competed in surfboard water polo. |
SUSAN NISHIOKA
Susan Nishioka, born and raised in Hawaii (Roosevelt ’72) was a founding member of the first University of Hawaii women’s water polo team in 1972 and ended her collegiate career by being named to the 1976 All American Women’s water polo team. After college she began coaching swimming in high school and water polo at the club level in Hawaii. She continued playing water polo and was a First-Team Honorable Mention for Senior Women’s Outdoor Nationals in 1981. She was also a member of the US Olympics Festival South Team which finished first. But one of her proudest achievements was getting women’s water polo to be officially sanctioned as a letter sport by the OIA in 2002, which opened the doors for many of her players to continue playing water polo in college. |
CHRIS WOO
Christopher W. T. Woo, born and raised in Hawaii, swam for Punahou (’76), and in 1976 he set the U.S. national high school record in the 100-yard breaststroke at 55.99 seconds, which would stand for 16 years. In 1976 he also qualified for the US Olympic swim team which competed at Montreal. He qualified for the finals of the men's 100-meter breaststroke and finished eighth with a time of 1:05.13. He also swam in the preliminary heats of the men's 4×100-meter medley relay which won a gold in the finals. Woo later attended UCLA, where he won an individual title in the 100-yard breaststroke and was a member of the Bruins' winning relay team in the 4x100-yard medley. |
HAWAI'I SWIMMING HALL OF FAME |
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