THE YEAR IN REVIEW
Top 10 Stories of ’06
1. Hawaii football's magical season: The Warriors go 11-3, tying the school mark for most wins, and make AP's Top 25 for the first time since 1992. Led by record-setting junior quarterback Colt Brennan, who finished sixth in the Heisman voting, Hawaii wraps up its season by defeating Arizona State 41-24 in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.
2. Dean Wilson gets first win: The Castle High product becomes the third golfer from Hawaii to win a PGA Tour event -- and the first to do it on the mainland -- when defeating Tom Lehman in a playoff for The International title.
3. Brian Ching breaks through: The Kamehameha grad becomes the first from Hawaii to compete in the World Cup, and is named MVP of the MLS Cup, scoring the game-tying goal and the winning penalty kick to lift Houston over New England 4-3 for the title.
4. Rainbow Wahine volleyball's WAC streak ends: Hawaii (29-6) has its regular-season conference win streak ended at 112 by New Mexico State, the first match after losing a third player to a season-ending injury. UH goes on to beat Long Beach State for the first time at The Pyramid and advances to elite eight with an upset of USC. Along the way, setter Kanoe Kamana'o becomes the program's second player to receive All-America mention four times, finishing as the school and WAC leader in career assists.
5. Hawaii Winter Baseball returns: After a "rain delay" of nine years, the pro league returns for its sixth season, with four teams on Oahu, major league funding and U.S. minor league prospects and pros from Japan and Korea.
6. Rainbow baseball returns to regionals: Hawaii makes its first trip to a regional since 1993 and is the last team eliminated in Corvallis, losing to host Oregon State, the eventual College World Series champion.
7. Junior golfers excel: Pahoa's Kimberly Kim, 14, becomes the youngest winner in the 111-year history of the U.S. Women's Amateur and is youngest to make the cut at the U.S. Women's Open. Tadd Fujikawa, 15, caps his freshman year at Moanalua by becoming the youngest to play in the U.S. Open.
8. Wie keeps rolling, not winning: Punahou School student plays in eight LPGA events, has six top-fives and earns $730,921, 14th on the money list. She ties for the lead on the back nine of three LPGA majors, falters late to miss becoming the youngest major champion in history and ends the year still winless.
9. Kahuku football soldiers on: Despite the resignation of 10-year coach Siuaki Livai, the Red Raiders win their fifth state title, upsetting unbeaten Saint Louis.
10. Grand Slam leaves: The PGA event pitting majors winners moves to Bermuda after 13 years on Kauai.