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Saydee Aganus Teniya Alo Corey Cabanban Andre Ilagan

KS-Hawaii H Volleyball H Basketball H Track and field Kahuku/Hawaii Tech.Academy H Wrestling H Judo Saint Louis H Wrestling Farrington H Tennis

Saydee
Aganus spent
the early part of
her high school
career in the
shadow of the
Konawaena bas-
ketball dynasty
and 2016 Hall of
Honor inductee
Emma Taylor.
By the time she was finished, she
met those heights and in some ways
surpassed them.
Aganus took her Kamehameha-Ha-
waii girls basketball team to the state
Division II final three times before the
buzzer sounded to make the Warriors a
champion this year. She scored 18
points and pulled down 11 rebounds in
that win over St. Francis with four steals
to earn the tournament’s most out-
standing player award to go with her
previous two selections to the all-tour-
nament team. She was the BIIF’s Divi-
sion II player of the year three times.
Aganus earned nine medals in the
state track and
field champion-
ships, falling
short to Taylor
and 2017 in-
ductee Kristen
O’Handley. In her
junior year, she
claimed the
100-meter hur-
dles title with a
record time of 14.11 seconds, leaving
2011 Hall of Honor inductee Zhane San-
tiago’s record of 14.55 far behind and
breaking Taylor’s venue record as well.
Aganus failed to repeat in the event
in her senior year, losing to Hawaii
Baptist’s Madison Moku, but her leg-
acy had already been cemented.
Aganus, who was her senior class
vice president, will take her scholar-
ship to West Point after being nomi-
nated by congresswoman Tulsi
Gabbard and receiving her appoint-
ment two months ago. She is the first
girl from her school to be inducted
into the Hall of Honor.
Injuries
slowed Teniya
Alo, but she re-
fused to let them
stop her.
Alo won five
gold medals in
combat sports
— three in wres-
tling and two in
judo — putting
her in a club re-
served for six other Hall of Honor
members, including her sister, Teshya.
Midway through her junior year, Alo
went up in weight to challenge former
training partner Angela Peralta of Rad-
ford for the top spot in Hawaii Prep
World’s pound-for-pound rankings and
beat the fellow state champion 5-4.
She earned three state titles in
wrestling, breaking a career record
with 15 pins in her 17 state matches.
Her lone loss (in her sophomore year)
was a controversial 3-2 decision while
battling an injury, but she blocked it
out to pin two opponents to take third
place. She had
her third sur-
gery shortly af-
ter the
tournament.
Alo’s dream of
passing Teshya
in judo gold
medals was
dashed in her
sophomore year
when she lost
via disqualification, but she rebounded
to regain her crown as a junior. She did
not compete in judo in her senior year
to get ready for a national wrestling
tournament.
Alo began her career at ‘Iolani and
ended it at Kahuku while attending Ha-
waii Technology Academy.
Alo is deciding between the Univer-
sity of Hawaii and University of Colo-
rado while she begins to realize her
Olympic aspirations. She has won 11
national titles and has been mentioned
as a possible future Olympian since be-
fore she began high school.
Corey Caban-
ban can settle
with being two
points short of
perfect.
Cabanban,
one of five grand
slam winners in
boys wrestling,
began his career
with a narrow
4-3 loss to Puna-
hou’s Connor Lee at the Hawaii Wres-
tling Officials Tournament as a
freshman. The Saint Louis standout
never lost again, closing his career
with a sterling 110-1 record. Two of
those wins came against Lee after his
lone loss.
Cabanban, who will move on to
wrestle at national power Iowa State,
joins fellow Crusader and 2006 Hall of
Honor inductee Brandon Low as the
only two boys to win state titles in four
different weight classes. The other
three boys to complete the slam —
Patrick Higa (1986, ‘Iolani), Jonathan
Spiker (2003, Farrington’s Ilagan’s
Saint Louis) and Andre Ilagan state journey
Josh Terao took his fam- began with a
(2014, Mid-Pa- ily to new third-round
cific) — are in heights in the loss to 2015
the Hall of realm of high Hall of Honor
Honor. school tennis. inductee Kaw-
Cabanban, an Ilagan ika Lam and
All-American out joined his lost as a soph-
of the Ewa Wres- older broth- omore to the
tling Associa- ers, Mark and type of rival
tion, earned Anthony, on Lam never
special mention as one of the nation’s the list of OIA tennis champions as a had. Ilagan was swept by state doubles
best high school wrestlers following freshman but he didn’t stop there. By champion Phuc Hyunh of ‘Iolani in the
his sophomore season and jumped the time he was through, Ilagan be- singles final as a sophomore but beat
over ‘Iolani’s KJ Pascua for the top came the first boy ever to win four him in straight sets in the next two
spot in Hawaii Prep World’s pound-for- league singles titles, breaking the re- state title matches. Ilagan finished his
pound rankings midway through his cord of three held by Leilehua’s Brian state career 16-2, with all of his wins
junior year. He held on to the top spot Lee way back in 1999. Nobody else has coming via sweeps and four of them by
for the rest of his career. won more than two. 6-0, 6-0 scores.
Cabanban also won four ILH titles After the warm-up, Ilagan made his Ilagan is Farrington’s first inductee
and three Officials tournaments. Four of mark on the state tournament by be- into the Hall of Honor since Jacob
his matches at states were settled by coming the first boy from his school to McEnroe in 2014 and the first OIA ten-
one or two points. With the pressure of take the gold. And then he did it again nis champion to be so honored. He will
a slam mounting, he won his final two to become the first public school boy move on to play for the University of
state matches by scores of 13-2 and 7-2 to repeat since Jared Spiker of Kalani Hawaii after accepting a scholarship
and was never really threatened. in 2010. there.

Taegan Keep Gwen Maeha Cherilyn Molina Taysia Pimentel

Kauai H Basketball H Track and field H Volleyball Leilehua H Bowling H Softball Konawaena H Basketball H Volleyball H Track and field Seabury Hall H Paddling H Soccer H Track and field

Taegan Keep is the rare to move into second Word of Gwen Mae- She set a state record Cherilyn Mo- coach Bobbie Taysia Pi- 19 and under
athlete who can pick up a place. A throw of 135-07 ha’s bowling prowess with a 189.9 average lina is the third Awa’s dynasty, mentel’s in- division at
sport and compete with made her a state cham- is not limited to this as a junior and it is up girl from her fam- scoring 10 points duction into the Va’a
the best of them immedi- pion, the only one from small island. to 196 during her cur- ily to go from in her debut the Hall of World Sprints
ately. Kauai that year. The three-time rent youth league. Konawaena to against Punahou as Honor was a in Brazil
Kauai’s Keep was al- On the basketball state bowling cham- But Maeha’s ac- Washington State a freshman, second group effort. when she
ready a standout basket- court, Keep led the KIF pion from Leilehua complishments are with a quick stop on the team to Pimentel was 14 years
ball and volleyball player in scoring three times earned one of two not limited to bowl- in the Hall of Chanelle’s 16. She combined old.
going into her sopho- and took the Red Raid- scholarships from ing. She helped Leile- Honor along the improved from with Hi‘ilei Pimentel
more year when she de- ers to the state tourna- Nebraska, the No. 1 hua to its first state way. there, scoring 10 or Lu‘uwai and spent her
cided to try out track ment in her junior and program in the nation softball title, appear- Molina joins more points in nine Kaya Given- time on land
and field. She picked up senior seasons and par- and an annual power ing in every game in sisters Celena of her 12 state sel to break as a member
a discus on her first day ticipated in the Mufi with 12 national titles the state tournament and Chanelle in games. She aver- the spell Kamehameha and Punahou of Seabury Hall’s vaunted track and
and spun it 105 feet, put- Hannemann All-Star to its credit. and driving in two the elite club, giving the Wildcats a se- aged 16 points and six rebounds per held over the state canoe paddling field team, winning the Maui Interscho-
ting her among the top Jamboree twice. Maeha is one of runs for one of the lection for the third straight year. game in her junior and senior seasons championships. Those schools won 13 lastic League shot put title as a senior
10 in the state without Keep is the first Kauai only two girls to win most daunting offen- She is a four-time state champion in on her way to the tournament’s most of 15 races before the Seabury Hall trio and her leadership contributed to the
any training. By the time High girl to be selected three straight state sive teams the state basketball and was selected to the outstanding player award both years. came along to win a gold medal in the Spartans’ team championship as a ju-
her career was over, for the Hall of Honor bowling titles, joining Kalani’s Dara Aji- has ever seen. She hit .457 with three Star-Advertiser’s Fab 15 all four years, In addition to her basketball exploits, girls race in 2017 and a three-peat in nior despite not scoring any points in
Keep won gold twice in since Tiffany Ikeda-Simao mine (2006-08). The 80-pin margin be- home runs in 35 at bats during her se- the last two as the newspaper’s player Molina appeared on the Star-Advertis- the mixed race. Pimentel and Givensel her event. She did score points as a se-
the event at the state in 2008. Rachel Kyono tween her and second place in her nior season. of the year and top defensive player er’s Fab 15 in volleyball as a freshman were in the vessel for each of the victo- nior, though, placing fifth in the shot
meet to become the first (2001) is the only other senior year was the largest gap since Maeha, who is also a member of the along with the Gatorade Hawaii player when her perfect performance from the ries, making them the most decorated put with an effort of 36 feet, 31⁄2 inches,
girl in nearly a decade to win back-to- girl from Kauai High to be inducted. 2011 and her 1,799 pins over nine National Honor Society, is the first girl of the year. With Molina running the service line helped her program to its girls in the history of the sport with almost 3 feet farther than her effort the
back and the first girl from a neighbor Keep’s performance in track and games established an HHSAA record. from Leilehua to be inducted into the point, Konawaena extended its record last state championship in the sport to their four gold medals. previous year.
island to repeat. field earned her a spot as a thrower at Maeha has one OIA title to add to the Hall of Honor. The only other Mules on winning streak in league and state play go with four BIIF crowns. Pimentel, who will go on to row at Pimentel played one year of soccer
When Keep won her first gold Brigham Young in Provo, where the haul in addition to numerous victories the legendary list are Bryce Jenkins to 116 and will carry it into next year Molina also helped Konawaena to San Diego State, also contributed to for Seabury Hall, helping the program
medal, she qualified eighth before un- student with a 4.04 GPA will study in club bowling, including rolling her (2009), Adrian Murrell (1989) and without the benefit of a Molina. the BIIF title in the 4x400 relay as a eight victories for Hawaiian Canoe to an MIL Division II title and a place in
leashing an effort of 128 feet, 2 inches engineering. first 300 game during her senior year. Koldene Walsh (1983). Molina was a force immediately for sophomore. Club and a second-place finish in the states after a year away.

Mikayla Tablit Ally Wada Ryan Wilcox Veronica Winham

Konawaena H Basketball H Volleyball H Track and field Hawaii Baptist H Volleyball H Basketball H Track & field Punahou H Volleyball Seabury Hall H Cross country H Track and field

Mikayla Tablit Konawaena Ally Wada’s and the first Ea- Players produced by over .300 in seven of his The hills on the titles. Five of them are in
is living proof teammates have classmates at gle to be named the Punahou boys vol- nine matches and top- Seabury Hall campus in the Hall of Honor, with
that defense shared the stage Hawaii Baptist to the newspa- leyball program seem ping .400 four times. Makawao produced yet Radford’s Tammy Cart-
does indeed win since Dawnyelle elected her as per’s list in vol- to be getting better and Wilcox led his power- another elite distance wright predating the
championships. Awa and Lia Gal- “Miss HBA.” Now leyball three better. ful team in kills in eight runner. program. The Spartans
The 5-foot-5 deira in 2012. Ta- it is up to the times since Ryan Wilcox is the of his nine tournament Veronica Winham is the won the Division II team
Konawaena blit and Molina school’s brass if Palmer. latest from the dynasty matches, leading him to latest Spartans star to title in all four of Win-
guard was join 1993 Hall of it wants to retire Wada’s resil- to be selected to the be named most out- grace the stage at the Hall ham’s years, outscoring
named to the Honor inductee the award that ience was on dis- Hall of Honor, joining a standing player twice. of Honor, joining former Division I champion
Star-Advertiser’s Nani Cockett of has been given play in her final list that includes Kevin He led Punahou to a teammate Ava Shipman Punahou the last two.
Fab 15 three Kamehameha as out since 1955. basketball sea- Wong (1990), Spencer No. 1 national ranking (2017), Dakota Grossman Winham picked up
years in a row and judged to be one of the only girls to play for a four-time Because it is son, when she McLachlin (2007) and and was rewarded with (2014) and Tia Ferguson her first gold medal in
the top five players in the state twice. state champion. Tablit and Molina are unlikely that another person like Wada suffered a gruesome neck injury Micah Ma‘a (2015). Of All-America status, fol- (2004). She is third in the track and field as a se-
She did it largely with a stifling de- the only ones to see the court in every will come along. against rival St. Francis but came back those, only Wilcox and lowing all-tournament school’s history in state nior, sweeping the 800-,
fense, being named to Hawaii Prep game during the run, as Cockett in- Wada joins Sarah Palmer (2010) and in time to play in the state tournament McLachlin were named team selections at the gold medals behind 1,500- and 3,000-meter
World’s all-defensive team twice and jured her knee and didn’t play for the Lauren Ho (2006) as the third girl from 10 days later. a newspaper’s player of 15-under and 16-under Grossman and Ferguson. races. She is only the
earned honorable mention on the list Warriors at states in her freshman Hawaii Baptist selected for the Hall of As if she didn’t have enough going on, the year more than junior nationals. He has Winham began to state fifth girl to sweep those
as a sophomore. Despite her size, Ta- year. Honor. Other Eagles in the select club Wada ran on the track and field team as once, with Wilcox earn- played in national tour- her case as one of the events in the same state
blit led the team in rebounding in the Tablit’s only other foray into varsity include BJ Hosaka (2015), Michael a sophomore and helped the 4x100 relay ing it in his junior and senior seasons. naments for Wong’s Spike and Serve state’s elite runners during her junior meet, and the third from Seabury Hall
tournament in her senior season while athletics was when she ran with the Fisher (2013) and Matthew Stevens team to a place at the state meet. Wilcox is the first Buffanblu volley- since 2011. year when she beat Shipman by 20 sec- to do so. She scored 28 of her team’s
averaging 11.6 points and providing se- track and field team as a sophomore (1997). Wada, who ended her high school ball player in the Hall of Honor who Wilcox, who holds a 3.7 grade-point onds at the state cross country cham- points during its team title in 2017 and
nior leadership that caused coach and contributed to Konawaena’s BIIF She helped the school to state Divi- career with a 4.11 grade-point average, played a single HHSAA sport, but he average and intends to study econom- pionships. She had never finished outscored all but three teams during
Bobbie Awa to single her out as the title in the 4x400 relay. She plans to sion II championships in volleyball and will move on to the University of San dominated in that field of endeavor. ics while playing volleyball at UC Santa higher than 15th as a freshman and the Spartans’ runner-up finish this
biggest difference-maker after the title take her 4.0 grade-point average down basketball and led the Eagles to a state Francisco, where she hopes to major His Buffanblu won all nine of the state Barbara, gives Punahou an athlete in sophomore. year.
win over Maryknoll. the road to University of Hawaii Hilo, final two other times. Wada is the first in kinesiology and minor in psychol- tournament matches his team played the Hall of Honor for the 12th straight She repeated largely unchallenged Winham sports a 3.74 grade-point
Tablit joins teammate Cherilyn Mo- where she intends to major in phar- HBA girl to be named to the Honolulu ogy when she isn’t playing collegiate in, averaging 14 kills per match and year, tying Kamehameha’s record that as a senior, winning by 31 seconds to average and will move on to run at
lina in the Hall of Honor, the first time macy studies. Star-Advertiser’s Fab 15 in basketball volleyball. never being held below 11 while hitting ended this year. become the sixth girl to win successive Dartmouth College.

STORIES BY JERRY CAMPANY, STAR-ADVERTISER • PHOTOS BY STAR-ADVERTISER AND COURTESY HHSAA

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