By KEVIN JAKAHI By KEVIN JAKAHI ADVERTISING Tribune-Herald sports writer The running joke in Bobbi Montibon’s family is that she may have never found her favorite sport of basketball, if not for a Hilo downpour that left her wet and
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
The running joke in Bobbi Montibon’s family is that she may have never found her favorite sport of basketball, if not for a Hilo downpour that left her wet and muddy as a 5-year-old playing soccer.
Her parents were huddled under an umbrella when Loretta told her husband, Gordon, “We need to find an indoor sport.” That discovery by raindrop has led to big moments in the Kamehameha senior’s life.
Montibon, a 5-foot-6 shooting guard, helped the Warriors win the Division II state title, after two runner-up finishes at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association tournament. The achievements didn’t end there.
She recently signed a national letter of intent with Louisiana State University-Eunice, a junior college that placed fourth at the national championships in 2007.
A record 28 Big Island Interscholastic Federation seniors have landed scholarships, so far. But Montibon is only the third to get one for basketball. Konawaena’s Dawnyelle Awa and Lia Galdeira signed with Washington State.
“It’s exciting and it’s far but I get to play and that’s good,” said Montibon, who also received an offer from Blue Mountain, a community college in Oregon. “I’ve always wanted to play college ball. It’s a steppingstone. I want to go to a four-year school by working hard at my JC.”
She’s no stranger to hard work.
During the summer, Montibon played on three club teams: Big Island All-Stars, coached by Daphne Honma and Kahea Schuckert in an Oregon tourney; Showtime, coached by the late Wayne Kawaha in a Maui tourney; and Keaukaha Lady Ballahs, coached by Ben Pana in a Las Vegas tourney.
LSU-Eunice coach Michael Bari scouted her at the Oregon tournament. And in the age of website recruiting, Montibon put a profile on hudl.com and captainu.com. Bari’s profile on the Bengals’ website also caught her attention.
In his six years, Bari’s student-athletes have earned a cumulative 3.02 grade-point average. Three years ago, the Bengals were an All-American Academic team with a 3.37 GPA. Montibon has a 3.7 GPA and plans to major in elementary education.
Montibon’s grades stand tall, despite a nonstop schedule. She’s on the Kamehameha track team, competing in the long and triple jump. She played on the softball team as a freshman and junior. If Montibon has free time, her hobby is working her upper and core muscles on a stand-up paddleboard.
Playing basketball and other various sports did more than improve her jump shot, according to her mom, Loretta, who works at Carpet Isle. Gordon Montibon works for the county’s Parks and Recreation department.
“Basketball has kept her focused on the important things in life, like maintaining her grades,” Loretta said. “It helps ground her and gives her responsibility to her team and school.”
That lesson was instilled early.
“A couple of times when I was younger I wanted to stop,” Montibon said. “But my mom told me I couldn’t quit during the middle of the season. It made me realize I didn’t want to quit and pushed through.
“They’ve told me to give 110 percent all the time and always be positive, and of course study hard in class because you’re a student-athlete and school comes first.”
Louisiana is far from home, over 3,900 miles away. But technology, like Skype, ensures Montibon can see her parents every day. Her grandparents, Alex and Arlette Mazarakis, live on Long Island, N.Y. And Loretta’s five siblings live in New York — about 1,450 miles from LSU-Eunice.
“I’m not worried about being far from home,” Montibon said. “I’m more concerned about the different level of competition.”
She was a team manager for Kamehameha in the seventh and eighth grade. The Warriors captured the state title in 2007. Montibon remembers wanting to be part of that championship glory, too.
On Feb. 10, Montibon contributed two points, two rebounds and two assists as Kamehameha took care of Kapaa 57-36 for the school’s third Division II state championship. Her wish came true and so did another one.
“I’ve always wanted to play college ball and getting that scholarship is about taking that step,” she said.
