THE usual suspects were there. These UH athletes
go by the booksChris Shinnick, the two-time national academic All-American football player, maintains a 3.9 grade point average and says, "I'm no genius." BJ Itoman, who arrived at college with a bushel full of advance credits and also hovers near 4.0, plays fundamentals on the fast break, but goes for degree of difficulty in course selection. Joyce Lum challenges 4.00 in the classroom and .400 at the plate.
And don't forget the Jack Bonham Award winners, Naveh Milo in volleyball and Nani Cockett in basketball -- star performers on the court and in the community.
The best, and especially the brightest -- including football player Ben Bright III -- were all there yesterday morning as the University of Hawaii at Manoa honored its top scholar-athletes.
Well, not all. Some of the record 108 were missing in action.
Football player Alan Hackbarth, a dancing fool but a studying stud, was attending a class. Between study sessions for an exam, softball second baseman Regina Ka'aihili spent last weekend clobbering New Mexico pitching with two home runs on her way to conference player of the week. Unfortunately, her test was at the same time as yesterday's breakfast.
BUT such is the life of a student-athlete. Many have tried, but you just can't be in two places at one time.
"It presents a challenge," communications professor Richard Vincent said of student-athletes. "But the students are performing an official school activity, so we try to work with them."
Vincent, who came to the breakfast as Shinnick's guest (each athlete was allowed to invite a teacher), said that for the most part, he enjoys working with student-athletes.
"Many have stronger direction than other students. They often have a better sense of discipline," Vincent said. "Sometimes it's hard to get students to come out of their shells. Student-athletes have mastered that from their other realm, and tend to be very creative."
Baseball coach Les Murakami said Randon Ho used to be creative, but not in a positive way. The pitcher had trouble maintaining his academic eligibility early in his Rainbow career.
"Randon's always been smart, but he always looked for shortcuts," Murakami said. "It was just a matter of him getting discipline and direction."
Ho's GPA has definitely found a new direction -- up. Last spring, mostly through his own doing, but with an assist from volunteer tutor Gordon Mark, Ho put it together with a 3.5, and yesterday morning he had eggs with the eggheads.
"I just found I had to apply myself. I tried to get by like I did in high school and found that doesn't work," Ho said. "There was too much freedom all at once. Now I know what I have to do. It was just a realization that I'm not going to be playing baseball all my life."
ROBBIE Robinson's story also is inspirational.
Not content with just being on the football team for four years, he was a valuable practice player for the basketball team this season.
More impressively, Robinson didn't have the grades coming out of high school to play NCAA sports, but worked as hard in the classroom as he did on the field. He might graduate in four years, a tough feat for any student, and one that would gain him another year of eligibility in both sports. He was one of yesterday's honorees.
"These students put the student part before the athlete part or they wouldn't be here," said volleyball player Kelli Cordray, speaking for the group.
"We're not trying to be the Harvard of the West," athletics director Hugh Yoshida said. "But we're trying to show our commitment to excellence."
These 108 certainly have.
Dave Reardon is a magazine editor and freelance
writer who has covered Hawaii sports since 1977.
He can be reached via the Star-Bulletin or
by email at dreardon@hmsa.com.
