Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance and Elks Lodge of Waikiki hosted a letter of intent signing ceremony on Wednesday morning.
More than 30 signees participated in the event.
Among the seniors ready to start college was volleyball standout Kupono Fey of Punahou. But unlike his peers, the 6-foot-6 senior was at home. He had contracted pinkeye the day before the ceremony.
“I love the team and the coaches,” he said by phone on Wednesday. “The recruiting class is great. A lot of them are friends. Nainoa Frank (of Kalaheo), Tui (Tuileta).”
Tuileta, for the record, is just a junior. But the feeling is still special.
“It was a hard decision. All of the other offers were basically my second choice,” Fey said of Lewis, USC and Pepperdine.
As for the pinkeye, that’s a mystery.
“I don’t know how I got it. Maybe during our match (on Tuesday). Once i get on medication, it’ll be OK,” said Fey, who was also a basketball standout for the Buffanblu.
Punahou golfer Ryan Lloyd was healthy and made it to the signing ceremony. Lloyd’s bumpy road to the next level isn’t typical of most Buffanblu. But he’s on his way to Loyola-Chicago.
“My mom’s from the Midwest and we have some family in the Chicago area,” Lloyd said. “I’ve never been to the campus, but I’ve visited the area before.”
Lloyd was academically ineligible to play golf last year.
“And my sophomore year, too,” he said.
But if things go right and he keeps improving, he could crack the travel roster at Loyola-Chicago.
“That would be significant,” he said. “I can’t imagine another Hawaii kid going there.”
| Athlete | Sport | School | College | Parents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amamalin, Kapili | Basketball | Mililani | Blue Mountain CC | Peter and Sherry Amamalin |
| Cabagbag, Micah | Soccer | ‘Iolani | Santa Clara | David and Joyce Cabagbag |
| Camanse-Stevens, Makoa | Football | Kamehameha | Arizona Western College | Shana Camanse & Daly Stevens |
| Falatea, Lutena | Football | Saint Louis | Notre Dame College (OH) | Mary Falatea |
| Fey, Kupono | Volleyball | Punahou | Hawaii | Kyle and Shelly Fey |
| Foy, Reece | Football | ‘Iolani | U. of San Diego | John and Terry Foy |
| Grace, James Kela | Football | Aiea | Linfield | Wendell and Becky Grace |
| Harper, Rebecca | Soccer | Maryknoll | UNLV | Gus Harper and Jill Takaezu Harper |
| Hayashi, Tyman | Football | University Lab | Minnesota Crookston | Eddie and Lia Hayashi |
| Julius, Andrew | Football | Kapolei | St Francis (PA) | Jon and Arnette Julius |
| Kaniho, Jared | Volleyball | Kamehameha | Grand Canyon | Russell and Jessica Kaniho |
| Katagiri, Kalehua | Volleyball | Kamehameha | Washington U. (St. Louis) | Kanoe and Robert Katagiri |
| Kila, Darius | Football | Kapolei | Lane College | Heide and Stephen Kila |
| Kumashiro, Casey | Football | Kaiser | Notre Dame College (OH) | Paul and Julianne Kumashiro |
| Lewis, Jacob | Football | Damien | Lewis & Clark | Tami Wilcox and Patrick Lewis |
| Lloyd, Ryan | Golf | Punahou | Loyola Chicago | Sara and Keola Lloyd |
| Markowitz, Winnie | Track & Field | Kaiser | U. of St Mary's | Taffy and Barry Markowitz |
| Meyer, Keenan | Volleyball | Saint Louis | Hope International | Kevin and Kim Meyer |
| Mosher, Cullen | Volleyball | Kamehameha | Grand Canyon | Scott Cullen |
| Murakami, Jason | Baseball | Kamehameha | Concordia/Portland | Clinton and Lori Murakami |
| Passi, Taimane | Volleyball | ‘Iolani | Western New Mexico | Maria and Greg Passi |
| Pestano, Dane | Wrestling | Kamehameha | Iowa State | Corey and Darilyn Pestano |
| Rapoza, Bree | Wrestling | Kamehameha | Missouri Baptist | Danette Cabbab and Neal Rapoza |
| Rosen, Jason | Baseball | Punahou | U. of Portland | Bruce and Liane Rosen |
| Santiago, Logan | Football | Campbell | Missouri Valley College | Earl and Rexana Santiago |
| Santiago, Mariah | Soccer | Campbell | Graceland | Melissa and Craig Santiago |
| Satele, Lexis Leilani | Volleyball | St. Francis | New Mexico Highlands | Wayne and Leslie Satele |
| Smith, Trey | Baseball | Kamehameha | Arizona Western College | Kaleo and Stacie Smith |
| Tinao-Rabellizsa, Zachary | Football | Radford | Pacific University | Danny and Laurie-Ann Rabellizsa |
| Torres, Jalen | Baseball | Kamehameha | Wenatchee Valley College | Jarvis and Lehua Torres |
| Torres, Kaylee | Basketball | Mililani | Southwestern Oregon | John and Kathleen Torres |
Photos provided by PIAA.
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