Big Island Kids Participate in NFL PPK Finals

Three Big Island children participated in the National Finals of the National Football League’s Punt, Pass, and Kick competition, held Saturday in Renton, Wash.

Jarom Alani, Tylana Abraham, and Jayla Medeiros, represented the San Diego Chargers. They recorded one of the four top scores after the regional finals to advance to the final stage in the competition.

Each competitor was given two opportunities to punt, pass, and kick the football. The total cumulative distance from each attempt determined the champion in each division.

Ho’okena’s Jarom Alani competed in the Boys 8-9 year old division. He finished fourth out of four competitors, putting together a cumulative distance of 226 feet and nine inches. Omar Zachery Jr. of Lawrenceville, Ga. won the division with a distance of 264 feet and seven inches.

Tylana Abraham of Kailua-Kona finished second in the Girls 8-9 age group. Her distance of 192 feet and five inches was not good enough to beat Macy Richardson of Tecumseh, Neb. Her winning distance was 204 feet and six inches.

Kealakekua resident Jayla Medeiros also finished second in her age bracket, the Girls 10-11 division. Her cumulative distance was 258 feet and four inches. Olivia Osborn of Waukesha, Wis. won the division with a total distance of 270 feet and one inch.

All ten division champions were honored on the field at CenturyLink Field during the NFC Divisional Round playoff game between the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks. The on-field celebration was shown live on FOX.

Kailua-Kona’s Tylana Abraham, a finalist in the NFL’s Punt, Pass, and Kick competition. Courtesy photo.

Ho’okena resident Jarom Alani, a finalist in the NFL’s Punt, Pass, and Kick competition. Courtesy photo.