WAHIAWA — With Hawai'i golf phenoms Tadd Fujikawa, Chan Kim and Kristina Merkle noticeably absent from the O'ahu Interscholastic Association golf championships yesterday, both the boys and girls titles were truly up for grabs.

But even eventual winners Haku Maluenda and Ha'aheo Manini-Hew Len did not expect to win the way they did.

Maluenda, a Campbell senior, began the second round yesterday at Leilehua Golf Course two strokes behind leader Jesse Aulelua of Castle.

"I thought I would have to shoot (2-under-par) 70 to win," he said.

As it turned out, Maluenda carded an even-par 72 and won by a whopping eight strokes. His two-day score was 144; he shot a 2-over 72 in the first round at Ala Wai on April 23.

Aulelua struggled to an 82—152 and finished in a three-way tie for second place with Moanalua's Tyler Shimomura and Kalani's Ryan Nagata.

Aulelua had a good start to yesterday's round and was 1-under through the first three holes. But Maluenda caught him at the turn and took the lead with a birdie on 10 while Aulelua ran into trouble in a greenside bunker.

Maluenda then birdied 11 and never looked back, except for a double-bogey on 17 when he already had built a big lead.

Maluenda said he knew the change in courses — from a short, flat and mostly wide-open Ala Wai to a longer, narrower Leilehua — might give him an opening to sneak into the lead.

"Whoever was going to hit the ball well and keep it in play was going to win," Maluenda said. "Over here, it's all carry; the ball doesn't roll as much."

Maluenda said his scores were "in the mid-70s" during the regular season, but he felt confident after winning the Western Division finale two weeks ago with a 2-under 69 at Makaha.

Fujikawa, a Moanalua sophomore who shared last year's OIA title with Kim before gaining national recognition with a 20th-place finish at the Sony Open in Hawai'i, missed last week's first round because he was in Japan preparing for the Chunichi Crowns professional tournament.

Kim, who was a junior at Kaimuki this semester and winner of the Hawai'i State Amateur Stroke Play Championship in March, moved to Arizona last month to improve his golf opportunities.

"I probably would have had to shoot a lot lower if they were playing," Maluenda said.

Manini-Hew Len, a Roosevelt junior, also thought she would have had to shoot a lot lower yesterday to repeat as OIA champion — especially since Kalani's Nicole Sakamoto began the round with a five-stroke lead.

But like Aulelua, Sakamoto saw her title hopes slip away with an uncharacteristic 85.

Manini-Hew Len's 7-over 79 ended up being good enough by one stroke for the victory. Her two-round total was 158.

"I thought even (par) or under would win it," said Manini-Hew Len, who shot a first-round 79 to Sakamoto's 74. "I knew that I was behind five strokes and I had to do a lot. (Sakamoto) is usually really good, but today she had a bad day."

Manini-Hew Len, who played in Sakamoto's group, said Sakamoto got off to a bad start, bogeying the first two holes, but she came back to par No. 6.

But Manini-Hew Len closed the gap and caught Sakamoto midway through the back nine, then held on for the one-stroke victory.

"It feels great, but it was tough," Manini-Hew Len said. "I wasn't really practicing and this (score) was actually better than I did in the (regular) season. I just played to have fun, win or lose."

Merkle, a Moanalua sophomore who won the prestigious Jennie K. Wilson Invitational last year and was 2007 Hawai'i High School Athletic Association state runner-up, has been ineligible this season.

Moanalua won the boys team title with a four-player, two-day score of 631. All four players broke 80 yesterday, with Shimomura carding a 76 and David Saka, Christian Agosto and Joshua Villiere each shooting 79.

Mililani (637) finished second.

Pearl City's trio of Stacy Ihori, Lauren Sugai and Lisa Sugai won the girls team title with a two-day score of 544.

BOYS

Haku Maluenda (Campbell), 72-72— 144; Ryan Nagata (Kalani), 77-75—152; Jesse Aulelava (Castle), 70-82—152; Tyler Shimomura (Moanalua), 76-76—152; Mark Arakaki (Kalani), 76-78—153; Ian Parrish (Radford), 79-75—154; Grant Shingaki (Mililani), 78-76—154; Bryson Watabu ('Aiea), 75-80—155; Inoka Kahawai'i (Kahuku), 78-77—155; Joshua Villiere (Moanalua), 76-79—155; Jared Sawada (Mililani), 81-74—155.

GIRLS

Ha'aheo Manini-Hew Len (Roosevelt), 79-79—158; Nicole Sakamoto (Kalani), 74-85—159; Maryssa Shigesato (Mililani), 83-83—166; Natalie Nakamine (Roosevelt), 86-81—167; Tiffany Oda (Moanalua), 87-86—173; Stacy Ihori (Pearl City), 91-84—175; Lauren Sugai (Pearl City), 89-87—176; Katrina Higa ('Aiea), 88-90—178; Natasha Fong ('Aiea), 89-95—184; Tawni Hirokawa (Kalani), 92-93—185.

BELL, SISLER EACH WIN BY ONE STROKE IN ILH

Kamehameha freshman Alika Bell defeated Maryknoll's Ryan Hironaka by one stroke in a sudden death playoff yesterday to win the Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship at Mid-Pacific Country Club.

Bell shot a 2-under-par 70 to tie Hironaka with a two-round score of 143; the first round was played on April 23 at Oahu Country Club.

The players then went to the 18th tee for the playoff, and Bell made par and Hironaka bogeyed.

Hironaka began the day with a three-stroke lead over Punahou's Bradley Shigezawa after carding a 2-under 69 in last week's first round. Bell was four strokes behind after a first-round 73.

Punahou's Katie Sisler won the girls title with a one-stroke victory over Mid-Pacific Institute's Hayley Young.

Sisler, a senior, shot a 6-over 78 for a two-day score of 154. She began the day tied for the lead with Kamehameha's Kaili Britos and won when she parred the 18th hole and Young bogeyed.

BOYS

Alika Bell (Kamehameha), 73-70—143; Ryan Hironaka (Maryknoll), 69-74—143; David Fink ('Iolani), 73-72—145; Bradley Shigezawa (Punahou), 73-72—145; Alex Chu (Maryknoll), 72-73—145; Thomas Kua (Kamehameha), 74-73—147; Rob Kishi (Punahou), 80-72—152; Michael Field ('Iolani), 74-78—512; Colten Knedler (Punahou), 78-75—153; Thomas Yamashita (Kamehameha), 74-79—153.

GIRLS

Katie Sisler (Punahou), 76-78—154; Hayley Young (Mid-Pacific), 77-78—155; Kaili Britos (Kamehameha), 76-81—157; Anna Jang (Punahou), 80-77—157; Caressa Matsuoka (St. Andrew's), 80-83—163; Ashlee Nagamine (La Pietra), 81-82—163; Jaymie Nakama (Mid-Pacific) 81-86—167; LIsa Okazaki (Mid-Pacific), 85-83—168; Alyssa Fukuoka (Kamehameha), 85-89—174; Brittany Isobe (Punahou), 85-89—174.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.