By BILL O’REAR By BILL O’REAR ADVERTISING Tribune-Herald sports editor A multitalented foursome with a combined seven state championships and 21 league titles has been named the recipients of the 10th Annual Roy Fujimoto Athletic Scholarships. Each student athlete will
By BILL O’REAR
Tribune-Herald sports editor
A multitalented foursome with a combined seven state championships and 21 league titles has been named the recipients of the 10th Annual Roy Fujimoto Athletic Scholarships.
Each student athlete will be awarded a $1,500 stipend to be used for college. The scholarship winners are Konawaena’s Dawnyelle Awa, Keaau’s Jaclanne Pagala, Honokaa’s Chayce Moniz and Kamehameha’s Megan Aina.
The annual scholarship program, named after former Big Island Interscholastic Federation executive director Roy Fujimoto, who retired in 2004, is for senior student-athletes. It is sponsored by KTA Super Stores and the BIIF.
The recipients are chosen based on their athletic and academic achievement as well as community service.
“Roy dedicated a lot of his life to the BIIF,” said current BIIF executive director Lyle Crozier, who oversees the nine-member scholarship selection committee that met May 6 at Honokaa to select the honorees.
Crozier said Fujimoto worked hard to improve the league in various ways, and he worked well with the athletic directors and principals.
“But his thoughts were always with the student-athletes first and how we could make things better for them,” Crozier said.
Thirty-nine Big Island student athletes applied for the 2012 scholarships.
“This was one of the toughest years for the selection committee,” Crozier said. “In getting down to the final four, there were a handful of other high quality applicants in the running. But after thoroughly combing over each application, the committee selected four student-athletes that we believe are outstanding recipients for the scholarships.”
Crozier added:“The selection committee felt that Dawnyelle, Jaclanne, Chayce and Megan excelled in their athletic accomplishments as well as in their strong academic work and community service.”
KTA Super Stores President Barry Taniguchi said the title sponsor “is honored to participate in this annual program, working hand-in-hand with the BIIF.”
“We would like to extend our congratulations to the 2012 recipients,” Taniguchi said. “We wish them well academically and athletically as they move on to the collegiate level.”
The 2012 honorees are:
• Dawnyelle Awa, a Konawaena senior who was a four-year standout in basketball and two-year starter in volleyball. In basketball, she earned All-BIIF first team honors four straight seasons, including co-Player of the Year in 2010 and Player of the Year in 2011. She was named all-state first team her final three years, including the prestigious Gatorade Player of the Year in 2012, and earned a spot on the state championships’ all-tournament squad four years in a row.
In basketball, Awa, a four-year starter and three-time team captain, helped lead the Wildcats to four straight BIIF titles and three state titles in four seasons under her coaches and parents, Bobbie and Donny Awa. During those four years, the Wildcats finished with a 110-8 record overall, including 49-0 in the BIIF.
In volleyball, she was a two-year starter and as a senior helped lead Konawaena to its first state tournament appearance in 13 years. The Wildcats placed fifth at states.
Awa had a 3.42 cumulative grade point average and scored 1320 on her SAT. She will attend Washington State University next year on a basketball scholarship, along with all-state Konawaena teammate Lia Galdeira.
Awa plans to major in business administration.
Dawnyelle is the daughter of Bobbie and Donny Awa of Captain Cook.
• Jaclanne “Jacy” Pagala, a Keaau senior who was a four-year standout in basketball, soccer and softball. She earned All-BIIF first team honors in basketball and soccer the past two years and All-BIIF first team in softball in 2012. She also competed in track and field as a senior.
Pagala was an outstanding role model as a student-athlete and leader at Keaau High, and earned various school awards during her four-year career.
Pagala was a four-time selection on the Hawaii Tribune-Herald’s All-Academic Basketball Team. She had a 3.9 cumulative GPA and scored 1510 on her SAT. She plans to attend Chaminade University next year and major in health studies.
Jaclanne is the daughter of Jun and Brandi Pagala of Keaau.
• Chayce Moniz, a Honokaa senior who was four-year standout in soccer and cross country and a two-year standout in track and football.
In soccer, he helped lead the Dragons to three straight BIIF titles, two state crowns and a state runner-up finish. He earned All-BIIF first team honors his final two years, including BIIF Player of the Year and all-state first team in 2012.
In cross country, Moniz helped Honokaa claim four straight league titles. He was named All-BIIF first team his final three years and captured the BIIF individual crown in 2011.
In track, he was the league champion in the 1,500 and 3,000 meters as a junior and BIIF runner-up in the 800 meters as a sophomore.
In soccer, cross country and track, he was a team captain.
In football, he was the Dragons’ kicker his final two years.
Moniz had a 3.51 cumulative GPA and scored 1770 on his SAT. He plans on attending the Colorado School of Mines next year and majoring in engineering.
Chayce is the son of Jason and Jeri Moniz of Paauilo.
• Megan Aina, a Kamehameha senior who was a four-year standout in wrestling and judo. She was the BIIF champion in both sports four straight years while also capturing a state gold medal in wrestling as a sophomore and a state gold medal in judo as a senior.
She is believed to be the only BIIF athlete to ever win four straight individual championships in two different sports during her prep career. Add in the two state gold medals to go along with first-place wrestling finishes in the Punahou Invitational (twice), Maui Invitational (twice) and Officials Tournament (once) and that equals an amazing 15 individual titles.
Aina helped lead Kamehameha to three BIIF wrestling team titles and four judo team crowns.
Aina had a 3.32 cumulative GPA and scored 1250 on her SAT. She plans on attending the University of Hawaii at Hilo next year and majoring in business.
Megan is the daughter of Charles, Jr. and Jamie Aina of Hilo.
Annual recipients include:
• 2003: Mikela Yarawamai (HPA), Bronson Ganir (Pahoa), Erica Chong (Hilo High) and Brad Lau (HPA).
• 2004: Susan Gleed (HPA), Matt Haasenritter (Hilo High), Kyle Teves (Kealakehe) and Kelsey Harrity (Konawaena).
• 2005: Jessica Hanato (Konawaena), Johanson Quist (Hilo High), Francesca Weems (Kealakehe) and Michael Kopra (HPA).
• 2006: Landon Kurata (Waiakea), Katrina Chong (Hilo High), Leon Peralto (Kamehameha) and Jackie Ganiron (Pahoa).
• 2007: Kela Fitzgerald (HPA), Kellie Kitaoka (Konawaena), Kimberly Kopra (HPA) and Keoni Ucker (Christian Liberty).
• 2008: Ryan Higa (Waiakea), Cecily Kimura (HPA), Preston Vierra (Honokaa) and Megan Wery (Kamehameha).
• 2009: Jake Shiraki (Honokaa), Noelani Vargas (HPA), Johnathan Viernes (Pahoa) and Sam Unger (Konawaena).
• 2010: Kaitlyn Chock (Waiakea), Sage Johnson (Honokaa), Tayler Wang (HPA) and Brandon Bautista (Kohala).
• 2011: Richard Handy, Jr. (Keaau), Anuhea Wall (Konawaena), Tialana Greenwell (Honokaa) and Morgan Rapozo (Waiakea).
• 2012: Dawnyelle Awa (Konawaena), Jaclanne Pagala (Keaau), Chayce Moniz (Honokaa) and Megan Aina (Kamehameha).
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Members of the selection committee are Lyle Crozier (BIIF Executive Director), Ron Tomosada (Pahoa AD), Keith Tolentino (Honokaa AD), Kalei Namohala (Ka’u AD), Stan Costales (Sports Line), Bill O’Rear (Tribune-Herald sports editor), Joe Ferraro (West Hawaii Today sports editor) and Craig Hamamoto (KTA Super Super Stores).
Roy Fujimoto (ex-BIIF executive director) is an honorary member.
