Power, persistent bats lead Mililani to third straight HHSAA D1 softball state crown

Power, persistent bats lead Mililani to third straight HHSAA D1 softball state crown

May 9, 2026

Power, persistent bats lead Mililani to third straight HHSAA D1 softball state crown

Mililani softball celebrates after winning the program’s third consecutive state championship. | Photo Credit: CJ Caraang

HONOLULU – The Trojans have morphed Millville into “Title Town” – three times in a row.

For the third consecutive year, the Mililani softball team saw themselves standing alone atop the Hawai’i high school softball ranks on as the Trojans dispatched Moanalua (16-4, 9-1 league) in the 2026 DataHouse/HHSAA Division I softball championship game on Friday night, 9-3.

The state championship three-peat placed Mililani into rare air, joining Kailua and Campbell as the only high school programs to win three straight crowns at the HHSAA Division I level. The Surfriders tallied a trio of titles on the softball diamond from 1981-1983 and again from 1995-1997 before the Sabers joined the illustrious club with a mini-dynasty from 2015-2017.

Star junior Hinano Bautista (9-0) picked up the win for Mililani (16-1, 10-0 league) after 5.0 innings of work, allowing three runs (1 ER) on seven hits and two walks while striking out four Na Menehune batters after getting the start for the Trojans.

Fellow junior hurler Taylor Adriano closed out the victory for the defending state champions, spinning 2.0 innings of scoreless softball in relief while allowing two total baserunners (one walk, one HBP).

Moanalua, who was playing for the first softball state title in school history after never advancing to the final day of a season before, struck first on Friday inside Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium on the campus of the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa as Alia Anzai smacked an RBI single to give a 1-0 lead to Na Menehune after half a frame.

The battle-tested Trojans didn’t flinch despite Moanalua drawing first blood, striking back in the bottom half of the first with a massive two-run homer from Bautista that put Mililani ahead for the rest of the night.

Aubri Nakashima added on in the bottom of the third for Mililani, lifting a two-run single that scored Bautista and Kahiau Aina before coming home two batters later on a single from Kaylie Kihara to make it a 5-1 cushion for the Trojans after three innings.

Bautista added her third and final RBI of the night in the bottom of the fourth with a single to right, helping the junior earn Most Outstanding Player honors for the tournament after racking up four HRs and 12 RBI over the four-game title run by the Trojans.

Hinano Bautista celebrates running the bases during the 2026 DataHouse/HHSAA Division I softball state championship game. | Photo Credit: CJ Caraang

Nakashima picked up her second RBI of the championship game on a sac fly and Lana Nakayama brought home Kamryn Aoki to give an 8-1 advantage to Mililani in the fourth.

Moanalua rallied a bit in the top of the fifth, getting two runs back on an RBI single to center from Ava Atagi, but Na Menehune could not climb any closer.

Bautista scored one last insurance run for Mililani in the bottom of the sixth, putting a bow on the Trojans third title in a row and sixth overall D1 state softball crown.

Sophomore standout pitcher Kaylah Sato was tabbed with the loss for Moanalua, allowing five earned runs in 3.0 innings of action as she gave up six hits and walked a pair of Mililani batters. Na Menehune, who started only two seniors, picked up valuable experience for a crew that could see more than two-thirds of the starting lineup returning next season.

Mililani, who suffered a surprising upset against Campbell in the OIA semifinal, bounced back with four consecutive victories in the state tournament with impressive victories over Lahainaluna, Maryknoll and Kapaa before dispatching Moanalua on Friday night. The Trojans, who return Bautista and a few other major contributors from this year’s title team, will look to become the first program in Hawai’i high school softball history to win four straight state championships next year.

HPU Cross Country Builds on Consistency, Community in 2026

HPU Cross Country Builds on Consistency, Community in 2026

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Hawai‘i Pacific University cross country is underway in 2026 with a 22-athlete roster and an emphasis on consistency, growth and building a strong team environment. Head coach Kevin Schwarz joined Sharks Weekly alongside sophomore Drake Hanley and...

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Gibson Johnson elevated to associate HC role among handful of Hawai’i coaching moves

Gibson Johnson elevated to associate HC role among handful of Hawai’i coaching moves

May 8, 2026

Gibson Johnson elevated to associate HC role among handful of Hawai’i coaching moves

Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

HONOLULU – Stop the music, the chairs are filled.

The University of Hawai’i announced a smattering of men’s basketball coaching moves on Friday, headlined by the elevation of current assistant coach Gibson Johnson to associate head coach.

After the departures of Brad Davidson (USC) and Rob Jones (Saint Mary’s) from last season’s Big West champion coaching staff left big holes on the bench, the Rainbow Warriors supplemented the coaching cadre by bringing a trio of familiar faces back to the program with Adam Jacobsen, John Montgomery and Noah Allen being added in assistant coaching roles.

A former standout for the Rainbow Warriors, Johnson has held a handful of different titles for his alma mater since his playing days ended, all the way up to the second chair for Hawai’i. The 6-foot-8 forward was a captain in both seasons at UH and returned to the bench as a graduate assistant from 2019 through 2021. He was promoted to Director of Player Development for the 2021-22 season and spent the following two campaigns at Utah Tech.

Johnson came back to the islands again in 2024, spending the past two years as an assistant coach with more responsibility on his plate. Tasked with defensive coordinator duties, additional scouting and practice planning and rebounding, Johnson also took a larger role in recruiting in his most recent stint at UH as he took the lead on recruiting recent Rainbow Warriors in Tanner Christensen, Hunter Erickson, Isaac Finlinson and Isaac “Big Fish” Johnson, among others.

The first of the three familiar faces joining Eran Ganot’s staff in 2026-27, Jacobsen comes back to the islands after spending the past two seasons with WAC powerhouse Utah Valley. He helped the Wolverines go 50-18 over his two-year tenure as an assistant coach.

Jacobsen spent 2019 through 2023 at Cal Baptist as an assistant, helping the Lancers finish above .500 in all four seasons while still in the infancy stages of moving up into Division I competition. Before CBU, he spent four seasons as the associate head coach at UH at the start of Ganot’s tenure.

According to UH’s website, Jacobsen wore the hats of recruiting, offensive and shooting coordinator in his four years with the Rainbow Warriors. He also was the associate head coach on the Hawai’i staff during new associate HC Gibson Johnson’s playing days.

John Montgomery also re-joined the Rainbow Warriors after spending the past two years at Long Beach State. While at the Beach, Montgomery was tasked with scouting, player development, recruiting and had an emphasis on the offense, which finished in the top half of scoring efficiency (FG, 3PT) in the Big West last season.

Prior to his time at LBSU, Montgomery spent nine seasons at Hawai’i as one of Ganot’s original staff hires in the islands. While with the Rainbow Warriors, Montgomery oversaw development of post players while coordinating the defense and handling typical scouting duties on top.

Noah Allen is the “new” face of the bunch, getting his start in collegiate coaching back at his alma mater after playing professionally in Argentina this past season. Allen spent the first three years of his collegiate playing career at UCLA, seeing the Bruins advance to a pair of Sweet 16s in his time in Westwood.

He broke out into stardom in his senior season after transferring to Hawai’i, earning 1st-team All-Big West honors in his lone year with the Rainbow Warriors after averaging 15.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 30 games.

After the two big-name departures from the Hawai’i staff, Clay Wilson, Juan Munoz and Jake Nishimura remain from last year’s conference tournament-winning group and have tried to help keep the program’s positive momentum entering the Mountain West despite the laundry list of changes.

Wilson, in particular, took a lead role in recruiting for a handful of the recent transfer portal class for the Rainbow Warriors. Heading into his second year with the program and first transfer cycle, Wilson was the first point of contact on players like Bol Dengdit and Kellen Hampton. The young assistant should continue to take on more responsibilities after settling in last year on staff.

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HPU Cross Country Builds on Consistency, Community in 2026

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Irimata’s gem helps Hawai’i hold off UC Santa Barbara in Big West quarterfinal

Irimata’s gem helps Hawai’i hold off UC Santa Barbara in Big West quarterfinal

May 7, 2026

Irimata’s gem helps Hawai’i hold off UC Santa Barbara in Big West quarterfinal

Hawaii Softball pitcher Taryn Irimata celebrates. | Photo by Michael Lasquero/HSRN

After waiting a day to get active in the 2026 Big West Softball Championship tournament, the No. 2-seeded University of Hawai’i softball team took care of business on Thursday with a 2-0 victory over No. 3 UC Santa Barbara at Anderson Family Field on the campus of Cal State Fullerton.

Sophomore RHP Taryn Irimata, named the 2026 Big West Pitcher of the Year on Tuesday after leading the conference in ERA, spun a complete-game shutout on the way to punching UH’s ticket into Friday’s tournament semifinal round against top-seeded Cal State Fullerton.

Thursday was the first time that UCSB’s offense was held completely off the board in over a month, last going scoreless on April 4 in the first game of a doubleheader in the islands against the Rainbow Wahine. The Gauchos saw Irimata twice during the regular season, tagging UH’s star pitcher for four earned runs each time while taking two out of three in the series against Hawai’i.

The postseason presented different results for both sides as Irimata masterfully worked around nine hits by UCSB throughout the seven frames, keeping the Gauchos without a single run as she racked up four strikeouts while improving her record to 13-8 overall on the year.

Irimata pointed to the support of her defense, specifically the communication with her infielders, for the change in results.

“They talked to me every pitch, just kept me in the game,” the sophomore said during a postgame interview with ESPN+ following the win. “I knew they were going to come up clutch for me and so that helped me get through the game.”

Hawai’i (30-18) provided the standout pitcher with the early run that she needed with a pair of doubles in the first inning, getting a leadoff two-bagger from 2B Carys Murakami before 1B Millie Fidge delivered an RBI double just inside the third baseline with two outs to put the Rainbow Wahine ahead, 1-0.

Murakami helped Hawai’i add an insurance run in the next frame after the Rainbow Wahine put some traffic on the base paths with two outs. After Rhea Furtado drew UH’s second walk of the 2nd inning, Murakami smacked an RBI single to center to make it a 2-0 advantage through two full stanzas.

UC Santa Barbara threatened to strike back in nearly every inning, putting a runner in scoring position in all but the first and sixth frames. The Gauchos brought the go-ahead run to the plate with two outs in the top of the seventh, but Irimata tallied her fourth and final strikeout of the afternoon to close out the victory for the Rainbow Wahine.

Hawai’i will take on top-seeded Cal State Fullerton on Friday, May 8 and 10 a.m. HT with the winner earning a spot in the Big West Championship with two chances to win once. The Rainbow Wahine went 1-2 during the regular season against the Titans, beating CSUF in the opener of the three-game set in the islands and dropping both ends of the weekend doubleheader in close finishes.

“I think if we just go out there with the same energy, have fun, play hard and do what we know how and play as a team … we’ll be just fine,” Irimata said ahead of the rematch with the regular season conference champions.

Sylvester snags Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week honors

Sylvester snags Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week honors

Oct 19, 2026

 HONOLULU – Host a block party, reap the rewards after. University of Hawai’i middle blocker Miliana Sylvester was named the Old Trapper Mountain West Women’s Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week on Monday morning after posting 22 total...

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Former Husson star Eric Ahlers II pledges commitment to Hawaii Pacific

Former Husson star Eric Ahlers II pledges commitment to Hawaii Pacific

May 3, 2026

Former Husson star Eric Ahlers II pledges commitment to Hawaii Pacific

Eric Ahlers II (4) plays defense for Husson. | Photo Credit: Husson Athletics

HONOLULU – From coast to coast, Jesse Nakanishi’s staff refuses to leave any stone unturned.

Hawaii Pacific looked to the east coast and dipped back into the Division III pool of talent in the transfer portal on Sunday, gaining the commitment of former Husson forward Eric Ahlers II for his final season of eligibility.

The 6-foot-5 wing was on the shortlist of standouts in contention for the North Atlantic Conference Player of the Year award, earning 1st-team All-NAC honors after averaging 20.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game as a senior for the Eagles.

Husson finished in second place in the regular season conference standings in 2025-26, going 15-3 against league opponents while pacing the North Atlantic Conference in points per game (88.4 PPG).

Ahlers finished as the conference’s fourth-highest scorer as a senior and was the second-leading rebounder in the NAC, tallying 14 double-doubles for the Eagles. He also shot 46% overall from the field and drilled 37% of his 3-point attempts, connecting 66 times from beyond the arc in his final year at Husson.

The third addition in the portal for the Sharks, Ahlers provides an elite scoring option for Nakanishi’s squad after the graduation of all-PacWest 1st-team wing Joshua West – who also made the leap from Division III star to Division II impact player in the islands.

Ahlers scored in double figures in all 26 games (23 starts) last season at Husson, posting a high of 35 points (13-for-18 FG, 6-for-10 3PT) to go along with 14 rebounds against Maine Maritime in a late January victory for the Eagles. He scored 20 or more points in 14 games, including five of the final six contests of the campaign for Husson.

Hawaii Pacific also picked up former USCB guard Evan Kilminster and Northern Iowa forward Marino Dubravčić out of the portal, two players who are also expected to make their marks on the Sharks’ rotation next winter.

Along with the three transfers, HPU returns captain Avi Halpert along with Nemanja Sarenac, Zane Gaul, Ike Sutton and Shawn Villanea. The Sharks also received a commitment from Walnut Grove (TX) standout Chase Brooks, a 6-foot-1 guard who averaged 13.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while knocking down 40% of his 3-point attempts as a high school senior.

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Hawai‘i Pacific University cross country is underway in 2026 with a 22-athlete roster and an emphasis on consistency, growth and building a strong team environment. Head coach Kevin Schwarz joined Sharks Weekly alongside sophomore Drake Hanley and...

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USA Volleyball Hall of Famer Robyn Ah Mow steps down after nine years with Hawai’i

USA Volleyball Hall of Famer Robyn Ah Mow steps down after nine years with Hawai’i

Apr 29, 2026

USA Volleyball Hall of Famer Robyn Ah Mow steps down after nine years with Hawai’i

HONOLULU – It’s always hard being the coach after the coach, but it’s even harder to ask for anything more than what Robyn Ah Mow gave the University of Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine volleyball program.

After nine years and eight seasons at the helm of one of the most notable women’s volleyball programs in the country, Ah Mow announced that she would be stepping down from the head coaching role at her alma mater on Wednesday.

“This decision was not easy,” Ah Mow said in a press release sent out by UH. “It came after a great deal of reflection and soul searching, but the time has come to focus on my family who have sacrificed so much time with me so I could fulfill my dream of being the head coach of this storied program.”

The Rainbow Wahine went 165-72 under the watch of Ah Mow, dominating Big West play to the tune of a 114-28 record since 2017. Hawai’i made the NCAA Tournament in seven of her eight campaigns leading the program, missing out on the national tournament last season after going 12-17 and 8-10 in conference play.

Ah Mow took over as the program’s third-ever head coach after legendary coach Dave Shoji’s retirement following the 2016 season. In 42 years under his watch, Hawai’i won four national titles and racked up four other national runner-up finishes while finishing with 20-plus victories in 38 of the 42 campaigns.

Shoji finished his career with a record of 1,202-204-1, the second-most wins of any coach in the history of collegiate women’s volleyball at the time of his retirement. Ah Mow was a two-time AVCA 1st-team All-American setter for Shoji, going 66-4 and finishing as the national runners-up once in their four years together.

Ah Mow went on to compete in three different Olympic Games for the U.S. Women’s National team, serving as a team captain in 2008 and helping guide the Stars and Stripes to a silver medal. At the time, it was the third-ever medal that the USA women’s volleyball team had earned and matched the 1984 group for the best finish in the nation’s history.

She was inducted into the University of Hawaii Sports Circle of Honor in 2005 and joined fellow Rainbow Wahine great Heather Bown as part of USA Volleyball’s Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

“Robyn Ah Mow is the epitome of what it means to be a Rainbow Wahine,” Hawaii’s director of athletics Matt Elliott said in a statement released by the school. “She is a fierce competitor, a dedicated mentor, and an undeniable legend in the state of Hawai’i and the global volleyball community. We are incredibly grateful for the dedication and passion she poured into this program over the last nine years as the lead of Wahine Volleyball, and more than 30 years since she first stepped on campus. We will all miss her dearly as our head coach and wish her the absolute best in her next chapter.”

After her playing career concluded, Ah Mow joined the Rainbow Wahine coaching staff under Shoji and spent four seasons as an assistant from 2011 to 2015. She was officially tabbed as Shoji’s successor in 2017, becoming the first female head coach in the program’s illustrious history.

Her coaching career saw more success in the islands as she was named Big West Coach of the Year on three separate occasions (’19, ’21, ’22) while helping pilot the Rainbow Wahine to tournament appearances in all but one season.

“I gave everything I had to this team, pouring into each and every player with the goal of helping them become not only the best volleyball players they could be, but strong, successful women in life,” Ah Mow’s statement continued. “Playing for the ‘H’ was a privilege. Coaching this program has been an incredible honor.”

Photo Credit: HSRN

The consistent changes in collegiate athletics have accelerated the expiration date on a plethora of big-name coaches over the past half-decade with transfer portal madness, Name, Image and Likeness bidding wars and conference realignment as a few of the biggest reasons for early retirements and surprise new life ventures for coaches becoming more common.

Laura Beeman, who spent the previous 14 seasons leading the UH women’s basketball team to bundles of success in the Big West, stunned the local sports world as she announced her retirement from coaching at the end of March.

Bob Coolen, the winningest coach in UH softball history, called it a career last spring after 34 years as the head coach of the Rainbow Wahine.

Now, Ah Mow becomes the latest of the bunch to say “aloha” to the college coaching ranks as she focuses on spending time with her family.

“To the people of Hawai’i, thank you for your unwavering support and aloha throughout my time as both a player and a coach,” Ah Mow’s statement from UH closed with. “Mahalo and Aloha.”

Associate head coach Kaleo Baxter will serve as the interim head coach for UH, though a national search for a permanent head coach is set to begin immediately.

HPU Cross Country Builds on Consistency, Community in 2026

HPU Cross Country Builds on Consistency, Community in 2026

Sep 19, 2026

Hawai‘i Pacific University cross country is underway in 2026 with a 22-athlete roster and an emphasis on consistency, growth and building a strong team environment. Head coach Kevin Schwarz joined Sharks Weekly alongside sophomore Drake Hanley and...

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Hawai’i gains commitment of former Davidson fan favorite wing Manie Joses

Hawai’i gains commitment of former Davidson fan favorite wing Manie Joses

Apr 28, 2026

Hawai’i gains commitment of former Davidson fan favorite wing Manie Joses

Davidson F Manie Joses (0) looks on during a game. | Photo Credit: Tim Cowie, DavidsonPhotos.com

HONOLULU – The NBA Global Academy to islands pipeline is alive and well.

Former Davidson forward Manie Joses became the latest player to announce their commitment to the University of Hawai’i on Tuesday, joining the Rainbow Warriors after spending the past two seasons with the Wildcats.

A 6-foot-7 wing with pogo-stick athleticism and a motor that would make a Bugatti jealous, Joses appeared in 54 games (6 starts) in his time at Davidson and quickly made himself a fan favorite after showing off a tendency for big blocks and dunks. He shot 53% from the floor and grabbed 14.3% of the total rebounds while he was on the court for the Wildcats.

His defensive profile projects to be an impact level with a chance to continue developing with more time, averaging 3.6 steals and 3.6 blocks per 100 possessions last year at Davidson. Dre Bullock led all qualified Rainbow Warriors with 3.4 steals per 100 possessions last year while Isaac Johnson’s 2.7 blocks per 100 possessions paced Hawai’i.

Originally from London, England, Joses moved to Australia to gain more exposure to Division I college programs while developing his game at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra with coach Marty Clarke. He was rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports, checking in as the 79th-best small forward prospect in the Class of 2024.

With recruitment led by assistant coach Gibson Johnson, Joses gravitated towards Hawai’i thanks to trust that the staff had built up with his circle previously. After some of his own digging, Joses found UH head coach Eran Ganot had a strong relationship with Clarke which allowed trust to be built quicker between the springy wing and Rainbow Warrior staff.

“Playing for such a decorated staff that is so similar to what I came from at the NBA Academy and knowing I’ll be in an environment that will push me every day so I can develop is exciting,” Joses said in an interview with HSRN.

UC Davis, Western Michigan, UIC and Bucknell were some of the other schools that Joses considered before landing on the islands for his next home. Along with the coaching staff, the sophomore wing said the level of competition and type of community in Hawai’i helped make his decision easier.

“The sense of community is very important to me, and I feel like Hawai’i has it in abundance,” Joses said. “Playing at such a level as the Mountain West excites me [too].”

Joses becomes the eighth player out of the portal to join Hawai’i along with Marcus Adams Jr., Jaden Matingou, Zack Davidson, Houran Dan, Chance Trujillo, Kellen Hampton and Bol Dengdit, who is also an alum of the NBA Global Academy in Australia.

Hawai’i also returns Tanner Cuff and Isaiah Kerr from last year’s Big West champions while prep standouts Tiger Cuff and Scotty Belnap prepare for the freshman seasons.

Sylvester snags Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week honors

Sylvester snags Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week honors

Oct 19, 2026

 HONOLULU – Host a block party, reap the rewards after. University of Hawai’i middle blocker Miliana Sylvester was named the Old Trapper Mountain West Women’s Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week on Monday morning after posting 22 total...

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