Nearly 50 student-athletes take part in Signing Day event at Elks Lodge

Nearly 50 student-athletes take part in Signing Day event at Elks Lodge

Nov 13, 2024

 

Nearly 50 student-athletes take part in Signing Day event at Elks Lodge

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 13, 2024

WAIKIKI — Wednesday morning was the culmination of a lot of hard work for nearly 50 high school seniors at the annual Hawai’i State National Letter of Intent Signing Day.

With their family and friends gathered at the Honolulu Elks Lodge, the student-athletes from the class of 2025 signed their binding letters to their respective universities and colleges across the country.

The group included athletes signing to play baseball, softball, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, golf, water polo, tennis, rowing and equestrian.

The event continued a 23-year tradition of annual signing day events in Hawai’i since 2001, that was first established by Doris Sullivan and her Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance (PIAA). Kawika Kane and the Aloha Kane Leadership Development Foundation is the latest organizers of the event.

A full list of all the seniors that signed at the event is listed below:

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

Bruin Agbayani (Saint Louis) – Michigan – Baseball

Elyse Akimoto (Campbell) – Lower Columbia College – Women’s Soccer

Aukai Araujo-Waiau (Mililani) – Hawai’i – Baseball

Lila Badham (Punahou) – Baylor – Equestrian

Hazel Campbell (Punahou) – Cal Berkeley, – Rowing

Sydney Capello (Punahou) – Menlo College – Softball

Savanna-Leigh Casuga (Waianae) – Feather River College – Softball

Kendalyn Cordeiro-Felise (Kapolei) – Saint Martin’s – Softball

Gabriella Ferrante (Mililani) – Northern Colorado – Women’s Soccer

Mari Furoyama (Mid-Pacific) – Rice – Women’s Volleyball

Lexi Himahara (Punahou) – Idaho State – Softball

Taryn Ho (Punahou) – Oregon – Softball

Hayden Imai (Kapolei) – Eastern Arizona College – Softball

Deizha Lyn Jacinto (Waipahu) – South Dakota State – Women’s Soccer

Reia Kimi (Punahou) – Villanova – Women’s Water Polo

Adam Kobayashi (Mid-Pacific) – Stevens Institute of Technology – Baseball

Erin Kumasaka (Waipahu) – Whitworth – Women’s Soccer

Leila Leano (Mililani) – Seattle – Women’s Soccer

Kezia Lucas (Kamehameha-Kapalama) – Arizona – Softball

Tayah Lyons (Mililani) – Pima Community College – Softball

Kandi Malama-Ahlo (Kapolei) – Cal State Bakersfield – Softball

Erika Marciel (Punahou) – Cal Lutheran – Women’s Soccer

Malosi Mataafa-Alferos (Mililani) – Oregon – Baseball

Amber McIntosh (Punahou) – Westminster – Women’s Soccer

Fisher Migita (Mid-Pacific) – Chaminade – Baseball

Kendall Miyasato (Mililani) – Illinois Institute of Technology – Baseball

Kahea Moriwaki (Punahou) – Hawai’i – Women’s Volleyball

Mia Moss (Mililani) – University of Colorado Colorado Springs – Women’s Soccer

Kaylisa Nakoa (Kapolei) – Menlo College – Softball

Julia Oka (Pearl City) – Utah – Women’s Soccer

Kyla Okamoto (Mililani) – Cal Poly Humboldt – Women’s Soccer

Rayvin Pagan (Kailua) – Hawai’i Pacific – Baseball

Brooke Perreira (Kaiser) – Chaminade – Women’s Soccer

Brandon Ramos (Punahou) – Marist College – Men’s Tennis

Haley-Scott Recarte (Punahou) – Azusa Pacific – Women’s Soccer

Dylan Sakasegawa (Moanalua) – Hawai’i Pacific – Men’s Golf

Xeyana Salanoa (Punahou) – Western Oregon – Women’s Soccer

Ashlyn Sera (Kalani) – Pacific Lutheran – Softball

Kyler Shojinaga (Moanalua) – Hawai’i Pacific – Baseball

Paige Sur (Moanalua) – Hawai’i Pacific – Women’s Golf

Taylor Thomas (Moanalua) – Pacific Lutheran – Women’s Soccer

Bryson Toner (Kaiser) – Loyola Marymount – Baseball

Angela Tong (Kaiser) – Hawai’i Pacific – Women’s Soccer

Alyssa Umemoto (Mid-Pacific) – Saint Martin’s – Softball

Rylee Unebasami (Mililani) – SUNY Poly – Women’s Soccer

Kayla Whaley (Campbell) – Cal State Bakersfield – Softball

Allin Yap (Maryknoll) – Hawai’i – Baseball

Kelsey Yoshikawa (Punahou) – Emerson College – Women’s Soccer

Kaiaomalie Zoller (Punahou) – Oral Roberts – Women’s Soccer

Saint Louis’ Bruin Agbayani signs his National Letter of Intent to play baseball for the University of Michigan with father Benny and mother Niela beside him.

Punahou’s Hazel Campbell will attend University of California, Berkeley and will row for the Golden Bears.

Mid-Pacific’s Mari Furoyama will remain an Owl by continuing her volleyball career at Rice University.

 

Pair of standout Mililani infielders to play Division I collegiate baseball

Pair of standout Mililani infielders to play Division I collegiate baseball

Nov 13, 2024

 

Pair of Standout Mililani Infielders to play Division I Collegiate Baseball

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 13, 2024

WAIKIKI — The Mililani Trojans boasted the best shortstop and third baseman in the OIA Division-I West baseball season in 2024.

They also are two of the top prospects in the class of 2025 that have signed on to play Division I collegiate baseball.

Malosi Mata’afa-Alferos and Aukai Araujo-Waiau affirmed their year-long verbal commitments to their respective college programs Wednesday morning at the annual Hawai’i State National Letter of Intent Signing Day at the Honolulu Elks Lodge.

Mata’afa-Alferos, a 5-foot-11, 165-pound shortstop, inked his commitment to play for the University of Oregon while Araujo-Waiau, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound third baseman, is staying home to play for the University of Hawai’i. The pair earned first team league honors in the spring as juniors.

“It’s a big accomplishment. I’m forever grateful for this opportunity,” said Mata’afa-Alferos, who owns a 4.07 GPA. “I thank God for putting me where I am. I thank my parents for shaping me into the person I am today. It’s just a big blessing.”

Wednesday morning cemented a commitment that Mata’afa-Alferos made more than 13 months ago on social media. He said that the way the Ducks ran their program influenced his decision to pick them.

“Everything was so high tempo,” Mata’afa-Alferos said. “They have a plan for me. It just felt like a family. It felt like home. I just want to thank the coaches for giving me the opportunity and helping me adjust and I know they’ll develop me into a better player.”

Mata’afa-Alferos, who is also an accomplished Samoan fire knife dancer, had a hit in 11 of 12 regular season games last season and finished with a .391 batting average for the year. He plans to major in business management, but isn’t ruling out a possibility of a career in the big leagues. 

“Future plans is to go to college, hopefully get drafted out of high school. If it doesn’t go my way, I’m totally find with that, get to develop at the University of Oregon. After that, get drafted, play in the MLB for 10 years plus and just take life slow.”

Mililani’s Malosi Mata’afa-Alferos comes home to score a run against Pearl City in the 2024 OIA opener. | Michael Lasquero for ScoringLive

Araujo-Waiau, announced his commitment nearly a year ago in late November of 2023. He said it “means everything” to put pen to paper after Hawai’i coach Rich Hill and the Rainbow Warriors gave him “love and support” and make him feel at home.

“It’s really nice to make everything official and I’m just really excited for this opportunity.”

The Mililani senior intends to study sports medicine while playing collegiate baseball. But before he plays at the next level, he is focused on helping the Trojans bounce back after missing the state tournament for the first time since 2012.

“We have a lot of work to do, but coming off of last year, we need to work on some things, but we should bounce back this year. We have some new people that came in and we’ll be prepared,” said Araujo-Waiau.

Mililani coach Mark Hirayama, who was in attendance at the signing day event, said his two senior infielders have worked hard to get to this moment.

“It’s great for the program, but more importantly, it’s good kids that worked hard to achieve their goals,” he said.

“All comes down to work ethic and being good young men that are going to go out and do good things. Proud of those guys for the work that they put in.”

Kapolei softball seniors ink commitments to play at the next level

Kapolei softball seniors ink commitments to play at the next level

Nov 13, 2024

 

Kapolei softball seniors ink commitments to play at the next level

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 13, 2024

WAIKIKI — A quartet of Kapolei softball seniors enjoyed a special moment together Wednesday morning.

The Hurricanes’ Kendalyn Cordeiro-Felise, Kandi Malama-Ahlo, Hayden Imai and Kaylisa Nakoa were among 49 student-athletes that put pen to paper at the annual Hawai’i State National Letter of Intent Signing Day at the Honolulu Elks Lodge.

“Honestly it’s really a surreal feeling being able to share this moment with them,” said Cordeiro-Felise, who will play at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington.

“We all wanted it cause we’re all seniors so we all wanted to have our last time together before we go off to college in different states,” said Malama-Ahlo, who signed with California State University, Bakersfield.

Imai will play at Eastern Arizona College while Nakoa signed with Menlo College (Atherton, Calif.). The four players were part of a 2024 squad that reached the OIA Division I final and state quarterfinals in the spring.

“I’m very happy for this years class and their commitment to college and playing at the next level,” Kapolei coach Enson Queypo said. “These girls are built with high character and are very respectful people. They will be great assets to their respective colleges.”

For Cordeiro-Felise, Wednesday morning was a validation of all her hard work and choices that she had to make for her softball career.

She spent her freshman and sophomore year and played with two older sisters at Waipahu, who competes in Division II, before transferring to Kapolei as a junior.

The move up to D1 did not hinder Cordeiro-Felise as she batted .500 with 29 hits, 22 runs scored, 13 RBIs, nine doubles and two home runs and was named second team All-OIA D1 West at catcher, which was a loaded position last season.

“This moment means a lot,” Cordeiro-Felise said after signing her letter of intent. “Going to a different place and also moving schools changing from a D2 to a D1 and going from a different setting to a more competitive setting, it was a lot and I think it was the right choice to further my softball career.”

Saint Martin’s has a lot of students and athletes from Hawai’i and was a campus that Cordeiro-Felise knew she wanted to be a part of early on in her journey.

“I went there my freshman year and I just fell in love with the place and the coaching. They’re really good coaching and I think that’s where I’m meant to be,” said Cordeiro-Felise.

She said she is planning on majoring in kinesiology and hopes to become an athletic trainer or a physical therapist some day.

For Malama-Ahlo, location mattered with selecting her college team.

“I liked it because it was close to home and it wasn’t like a big school, it was like small, it wasn’t too big for me. I felt comfortable with my decision,” Malama-Ahlo, said of CSU-Bakersfield.

“I’m excited to start my next chapter of life and I just can’t wait to see what happens to me and how my future pans out.”

Malama-Ahlo, who will major in business management, was a second-team All-OIA D1 West selection as pitcher in 2024. She led the state in innings pitched at 100 while also finishing in a tie for the second-most hits in the state (33) and batting .550.

She is eager for one more season with the Hurricanes before going to play for the Roadrunners.

“I feel like we just have to be more confident this year. I feel like we have to work harder more than we worked last year and I feel like we just need to have more fun.”

Kapolei infielder Hayden Imai and pitcher Kandi Malama-Ahlo meet in the circle during the 2024 OIA Division I title game.

Imai was also a second team selection while Nakoa earned honorable mention honors.

Queypo added that all four Kapolei seniors are versatile players.

“Kandi is a great hitter and can also play in the outfield as well as pitch. Hayden is very versatile and can play any position you put her at. Kendall is a plug-and-play athlete. Kaylisa is a great infielder that can play anywhere you need her to play.”

Kapolei’s Kaylis Nakoa poses for a photo during the signing day event at the Honolulu Elks Lodge.

Pagan keeps Kailua-to-HPU baseball pipeline going

Pagan keeps Kailua-to-HPU baseball pipeline going

Nov 13, 2024

 

Pagan keeps Kailua-to-HPU baseball pipeline going

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 13, 2024

WAIKIKI — From a Surfrider to a Shark.

Kailua senior Rayvin Pagan inked his commitment to play for the Hawai’i Pacific University baseball team Wednesday morning at the Honolulu Elks Lodge in the annual Hawai’i state National Letter of Intent Signing Day.

The 6-foot utility player follows in the footsteps of 2024 All-OIA Division I-East Player of the Year Kaimana Burgo, who is currently playing fall ball with the Sharks. Both Pagan and Burgo helped the Surfriders claim their 15th league title in April.

“First of all, glory and thanks to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” said Pagan. “I just wanted to stay home. I love the weather, I love the coaches and I didn’t want to leave this island. I want to thank my dad, my mom, grandmas, my two grandpas, my uncles, aunties, cousins, my friends and everybody that supported me.”

The all-time HPU leader in career saves that is currently on the Sharks’ roster in Ryan Inouye, is also a Kailua alumnus.

“It’s great, I can play with the boys, feel like Kailua High School again,” Pagan said of playing with former teammates at the collegiate level.

Pagan earned second team All-OIA D1 East honors as a first baseman earlier this year after starting off on a tear before finishing with a .267 batting average. His best game came in a 9-1 win over Moanalua on March 30 when he drove in three runs and had a home run.

The Sharks are projecting to use him as a pitcher on the next level. Pagan wasn’t use much (six innings pitched) at that position with a deep pitching staff in 2024, but as a sophomore he went 3-0 in 18 innings pitched with 16 strikeouts and a 1.96 ERA against four walks and 14 hits given up.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Rayvin and his family to HPU,” Sharks coach Dane Fujinaka said. “HPU has had a lot of success with players from Kailua. Former players Kale Sumner, Dylan Kurahashi-Choy Foo and current players Ryan Inouye and Kaimana Burgo have all made their mark at HPU.”

Kailua has won its last nine OIA titles under alumnus and former University of Hawai’i player Corey Ishigo, whose teams usually have a “us against the world” mentality.

It’s a mindset that Fujinaka is excited to have in the clubhouse.“I know Kailua boys are coached hard and are tough, making it very easy to coach them when they get to us. Rayvin checks every box and we are pumped to continue to have that Kailua pipeline.”

Kailua’s Rayvin Pagan (center) poses for a photo Wednesday morning at the signing day event.

Moanalua’s Kyler Shojinaga (center) will also play for the HPU Sharks baseball team after his high school career.

Shojinaga bolsters HPU infield for class of 2025

Another future HPU baseball player that also took part in the signing day event was Moanalua’s Kyler Shojinaga.

He spent his sophomore season at Mid-Pacific and saw some time at pitcher, but Fujinaka says he will play in the infield when he joins the Sharks’ roster.

“Kyler was our first 2025 commit. We offered him as early as we possibly could. Just his focus and dedication alone separates him from his peers. Kyler’s defense is game changing. He’s as sure handed of a shortstop as we’ve ever had here at HPU. Look for a gold glove at some point in Kyler’s career here at HPU.”

Punahou’s Moriwaki joining Rainbow Wahine volleyball’s back row in 2025

Punahou’s Moriwaki joining Rainbow Wahine volleyball’s back row in 2025

Nov 13, 2024

 

PUNAHOU’s Moriwaki joining Rainbow Wahine volleyball in 2025

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 13, 2024

WAIKIKI — The Hawai’i women’s volleyball team is stocking up with another standout local girl for the future.

Punahou libero Kahea Moriwaki inked her commitment with pen and paper to play for the Rainbow Wahine Wednesday morning at the annual Hawai’i State National Letter of Intent Signing Day.

One of three student athletes who had given a verbal commit to Hawai’i from the class of 2025, the signing day event was the culmination of countless hours of hard work and sacrifices by Moriwaiki and her family.

Punahou’s Kahea Moriwaki poses with her family, friends and supporters after signing her national letter of intent to stay home to play with Hawai’i women’s volleyball.

“I’m very excited and excited that I made it official today,” said Moriwaki, who posted her initial commitment on social media in May.

“I want to thank my parents who have made so many sacrifices to get me to where I am and I also want to thank my Kuikahi club coaches for also helping me commit to UH.”

Moriwaki cited the team’s vibe and fanbase for why she chose to play for the home team.

“What really drew me to UH was the culture and I’m really excited to have the opportunity to play in the Stan (Sheriff Center) in front of all the fans.”

Defense, which includes serve receive and passing, has always been a key tenant on Hawai’i coach Robyn Ah Mow’s squads.

In her final match of her high school career, Moriwaki racked up 26 digs with two assists and an ace.

She said she is excited to learn from coach Ah Mow, as well as assistant coaches Kaleo Baxter and Nick Castello, a former Libero for the Hawai’i men’s volleyball team.

“I’m super excited to be mentored by (coach Robyn) and all the other very experienced assistant coaches. I think they have a lot to teach me on defense and anything in the back row.”

Moriwaki, who is 5-foot-3, will also have an opportunity to play with former Punahou setter Jackie Matias on the Rainbow Warriors.

“I’m super excited to play with all the local girls on the team,” said Moriwaki, who will major in business.

The other two players from the class of 2025 that will be joining the Rainbow Warriors with Moriwaki are Kahuku outside hitter Chalei Reid and Agoura High (Calif.) middle blocker Makena Biondi.