Hawai‘i Class of 2026 Student-Athletes Celebrate NLI Signing Day at Elks Lodge

Honolulu’s oceanfront served as the backdrop for a special milestone moment on Wednesday morning, as over 50 of Hawai‘i’s high school student-athletes from the Class of 2026 officially signed their National Letters of Intent (NLI) to continue their athletic and academic careers at the collegiate level.

Hosted at the Honolulu Elks Lodge 616 in Waikiki, the annual signing day event brought together athletes, families, coaches, and supporters in celebration of years of hard work paying off. The program, which began shortly after sunrise, highlighted the achievements of local athletes across a wide range of sports, from baseball and volleyball to soccer, flag football, and track and field.

Continuing a Hawai‘i Tradition

The event is part of a long-standing tradition in the islands, with Hawai‘i State National Letter of Intent Signing Day tracing its roots back more than two decades. Originally established in 2001 by Doris Sullivan and the Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance (PIAA), the initiative has helped hundreds of student-athletes pursue opportunities at the collegiate level.

Since 2017, the event has been organized under the Hawai‘i State National Letter of Intent Signing Day organization, continuing its mission to support and promote student-athletes across the state.

From early morning check-ins to the formal signing ceremony, the atmosphere reflected both pride and gratitude — a celebration not just of individual accomplishments, but of the broader community that supports Hawai‘i’s athletes.

Below is the full list of student-athletes and their collegiate commitments:

Student-Athlete — High School — College signed with — Sport

Leleanne Ah Kuoi – Waipahu High School → Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma, WA) – Track and Field

Blaze Bailey – Punahou School → California Lutheran University (Thousand Oaks, CA) – Soccer

Brooklyn Barrett – Le Jardin Academy → Whitman College (Walla Walla, WA) – Basketball

Liliana Brandt – Punahou School → Amherst College – Volleyball

Maile Burnett – Mililani High School → San Francisco State University – Soccer

Ka’eo Bush – Roosevelt High School → Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma, WA) – Football

Leah Camello – Waipahu High School → Columbia Basin College (Pasco, WA) – Women’s Volleyball

Rylie Doon – James Campbell High School → Saint Martin’s University (Lacey, WA) – Women’s Soccer

Layna Faria – Kalani High School → Eastern Arizona College (Thatcher, AZ) – Softball

Kona Flanagan – Punahou School → California Baptist University (Riverside, CA) – Swimming

Natalyn Fujikane – Mililani High School → Cal Poly Pomona – Soccer

Emma Fujino – Kalani High School → Union Commonwealth University (Barbourville, KY) – Softball

Jake Fujita – Punahou School → Santa Barbara City College – Baseball

Lia Hamamura – Kaiser High School → University of Hawai‘i at Hilo – Softball

Caleb Hamasaki – Kaiser High School → William Jessup University (Rocklin, CA) – Baseball

Pacey Hatanaka – Kalani High School → Linn-Benton Community College – Baseball

Kate Iida – Hawai‘i Baptist Academy → Pacific Lutheran University (Parkland, WA) – Softball

Priya Jackson – Moanalua High School → Alverno College (Milwaukee, WI) – Women’s Soccer

Laʻakea Kamahele – Le Jardin Academy → Long Island University – Men’s Volleyball

Paisley Kuba – Kaiser High School → Willamette University – Softball

Dylan Kunz – Kailua High School → University of Providence (Great Falls, MT) – Men’s Basketball

Autumn Lagafuaina – Mililani High School → University of Redlands – Basketball

Sienna Lamblack – Hawai‘i Baptist Academy → Chaminade University – Women’s Basketball

Brady Lau – Punahou School → Jessup University (Rocklin, CA) – Men’s Soccer

Brennin Lee – Punahou School → Pitzer College (Claremont, CA) – Baseball

Delancey Lee – Mililani High School → Adrian College (Adrian, MI) – Men’s Volleyball

Gunnar Lee – Moanalua High School → Linfield University (McMinnville, OR) – Golf

Logan Lee – Mid-Pacific Institute → Soka University of America (Aliso Viejo, CA) – Women’s Soccer

Isabella Leguizamon – Mililani High School → Arizona Christian University (Glendale, AZ) – STUNT

Aiden Leong – Kaiser High School → Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma, WA) – Football

Maille Malone – Mililani High School → Niagara University (Lewiston, NY) – Women’s Volleyball

Makenna Mello – Punahou School → Menlo College – Volleyball

Sava Miočinović – Mid-Pacific Institute → Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, CT) – Volleyball

Kacie Miyahira – Hawai‘i Technology Academy → Fisk University (Nashville, TN) – Indoor Volleyball

Bri-Ela Nakagawa – Punahou School → Saint Martin’s University (Lacey, WA) – Women’s Golf

Samantha Nakamatsu – Pearl City High School → Lewis & Clark College (Portland, OR) – Softball

Colt Nakamura – Punahou School → Willamette University – Baseball

Mayah Nakasato – University Laboratory School → Hawai‘i Pacific University – Women’s Volleyball

Brennan Nakayama – Le Jardin Academy → Arizona Christian University – Volleyball

Madeline Nelson – Kaiser High School → Pacific University (OR) – Softball

Kira-May Nosse – Kalani High School → Bates College (Lewiston, ME) – Soccer

Harley Ota – Pearl City High School → Whitworth University (Spokane, WA) – Women’s Soccer

Tori Lynn Passos – Radford High School → Pacific University (OR) – Volleyball

Cameron Porter – Punahou School → UC San Diego – Men’s Volleyball

Synnove Robinson – Punahou School → Harvard University – Water Polo

Neyo Simon – Punahou School → Soka University of America – Soccer

Jae Siu – Kaiser High School → Diablo Valley College (Pleasant Hill, CA) – Baseball

Jai’Lyn Smith – Moanalua High School → Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, AZ) – Flag Football

Zaira Sugui – Moanalua High School → Menlo College (Atherton, CA) – Wrestling

Jordan Takai – Punahou School → Dartmouth College – Golf

True Takemoto – Punahou School → University of San Francisco – Volleyball

Kelsie Taketa – Kalani High School → Olympic College (Bremerton, WA) – Softball

Kwynn Tanita – University Laboratory School → Mohave College (Bullhead City, AZ) – Women’s Soccer

Treysen Taoka – Punahou School → George Fox University (Newberg, OR) – Baseball

Jake Tripp – Punahou School → Cerritos College (Cerritos, CA) – Baseball

Anthony Uehara – Punahou School → Saint Martin’s University – Golf

Camila Valdivia – Kalaheo High School → Menlo College – Soccer

Eden Waqainabete – Le Jardin Academy → Biola University – Swimming

Ellana Watson – Mililani High School → Graceland University (Lamoni, IA) – Soccer

Alisa Yamamoto – University Laboratory School → Concordia University Irvine – STUNT

Rylee Yamasaki – Kaiser High School → Chaminade University – Softball