Hawaii Grown: College Athletics
Al Chase
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Latu earns league honors again
Una Latu (Saint Louis '00) is a first-team All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference selection for the second consecutive season. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound senior defensive back for the Northern State (Aberdeen, S.D.) Wolves only played in eight games due to injury but still made 40 tackles -- 18 solo, 22 assisted.
Latu also returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown, second longest in school history, and blocked a field-goal attempt which he returned for a 13-yard TD.
He was the 2005 NSIC defensive player of the year.
» Kala Latuselu (Kahuku), a 6-foot, 225-pound senior running back, also saw limited action for the NCAA Division II Wolves. In four games, he rushed five times for seven yards.
Two Hawaii football players for the Colorado Buffaloes were honored in a vote of their teammates.
» Jordon Dizon (Waimea '04), a 6-foot, 225-pound senior inside linebacker, will be a defensive captain for the Buffaloes this fall according to Brian Cabral, Colorado linebackers coach.
» R.J. Brown (Punahou '04), a 6-1, 230 junior linebacker, will be a special-teams captain.
David Niumatalolo (Kahuku '05), a 6-foot-2, 265-pound sophomore defensive end for the New Mexico State Aggies, qualified for the 2006 academic all-Western Athletic Conference list. Niumatalolo had a 4.0 grade-point average.
MVP honors for Colonials' Lee
Kaimana Lee was named the most outstanding player on the George Washington women's volleyball team.
Lee (Seabury Hall '03), a senior setter, led the 14-12 Colonials in assists with 936 for an average of 10.52 assists per game. She also had 239 digs (2.69 dpg) and 40 total blocks. A co-captain, Lee started all 26 matches.
She plans to pursue a career in foreign service or environmental law.
Shigematsu, Wong conclude careers
Kami Shigematsu (Honokaa '03), a 5-foot-3 guard, and Jesse Wong (Kaimuki '02), a 5-9 guard, concluded their careers with the Pacific Boxers last Saturday.
Shigematsu averaged 6.8 points a game and led the Boxers with 49 3-pointers. She started 16 of the Boxers 25 games.
Wong averaged 3.7 ppg, had 32 assists and 46 rebounds in 25 games.
More accolades for Hawaii athletes
Drew Russ (Seabury Hall '03), a senior at Amherst College in Massachusetts, is one of 321 student-athletes on the New England Small College Athletic Conference 2006 Fall All-Academic team. To qualify, a student-athlete must have reached junior academic standing and be a varsity letter winner with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.35. Russ competes for the Lord Jeffs golf team.
» Forrest Schwartz, a redshirt junior on the Stanford men's water polo team, is on the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation fall academic all-conference list. Schwartz (Punahou '03), a 2-meter defender, compiled a 3.61 GPA as a human biology major.
» Lacey Lavarias (Iolani '04), a junior defensive specialist for the Utah women's volleyball team, and Kristin Koochi (Iolani '03), a senior defensive specialist at UNLV, are on the all-Mountain West Conference fall academic list. Lavarias has a 3.87 GPA in parks, recreation and tourism. Koochi, majoring in kinesiology, has a 3.26 GPA.