Kaiser’s Halvorsen earns girls Player of the Year

Kaiser senior Kaile Halvorsen took the long road to the top of the state, leading Oahu in scoring this season and being named the Star-Advertiser’s Player of the Year for girls soccer.

Halvorsen, who started at Punahou, is not only the first girl from her school to earn the award since 1998, she is the first girl from the OIA East.

The teams were revealed in today’s Star-Advertiser, which you can read here.

Some notes on the first team:

Kristin Masunaga, ‘Iolani
Masunaga is the first person to repeat as girls coach of the year by a newspaper since Matt Martinson of Punahou in 2009-11. She ties Martinson and Kamehameha’s Michele Nagamine for most total awards since 1998 with three.

Kaile Halvorsen, Kaiser, F, Sr.
Kaile Halvorson is the first player from Kaiser to be named player of the year by a newspaper and the first Cougar forward to make the first team since Erin Sayeusa in 1998.

Daelenn Tokunaga, Pearl City, F, Sr.
Daelynn Tokunaga is the first Pearl City soccer player to be named first-team all state three times.

D’Awncey Jones-Black, Kamehameha, F, Jr.
D’Awncey Jones-Black is Kamehameha’s first junior to be named first-team all-state since Kawai Makue and Sarah Lau in 2014.

Mia Watanabe, ‘Iolani, F, So.
Mia Watanabe is the first Iolani player to be named first-team all-state as a freshman and a sophomore.

Kelsey Takahashi, ‘Iolani, MF, So.
Kelsey Takahashi is one of four sophomores from Iolani on this year’s Star-Advertiser Stellar Eleven, breaking the record held by 2011 Punahou (Dempsey Banks, Kylie Chun and Anu Kehele-Manners)

Sierra Wheeler, ‘Iolani, MF, So.
Sierra Wheeler helps ‘Iolani get at least one player on the Star-Advertiser’s first team every year since 2009.

Karlin Wurlitzer, Mililani, FB, Sr.
Karlin Wurlitzer is the first defender from Mililani to repeat on the Star-Advertiser’s Stellar Eleven since Kristen Fujinaka in 2011-12.

Jodi Lillie, Mililani, FB, Sr.
Jodi Lillie joins Karlin Wurlitzer to give Mililani two defenders on the all-state team, the first time that has happened for the program since 2009 when Sasha Moscatello made it for the Star-Bulletin and Chelsea Miyake was selected by the Advertiser.

Tausani Tavale, Kamehameha, FB, So.
Tausani Tavale is Kamehameha’s first sophomore to reach the Star-Advertiser’s All-State first team since Caprice Dydasco in 2009.

Kelsey Wong, ‘Iolani, FB, So.
Kelsey Wong is the first sophomore defender from Iolani to make the Star-Advertiser’s Stellar Eleven since eventual Player of the Year Taylor Kipilii in 2011.

Naomi Takata, Pearl City, GK, Jr.
Naomi Takata joins Sydney Young (2016) and Chiristine Ayers (2000) as all-state first team goalkeepers from Pearl City.

Here is a table of each of the first-teamers over the years: