Hawaii Grown Report: College Athletics
Billy Hull
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Dizon named a finalist for Butkus Award
Colorado linebacker
Jordon Dizon (Waimea '04) was named a finalist yesterday for the Dick Butkus Award that is given annually to the nation's top linebacker.
The 6-foot, 220-pound senior is fifth in the country with 119 tackles and has four sacks and two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown.
Dizon is believed to be the first local athlete ever to be a finalist for the award.
"I'm honored and blessed that something like this could happen for me," Dizon said in a news release by the school. "But in front of every great linebacker is a great D-line and supporting every great linebacker are great coaches. Even if this is the end of the line, I'm happy where I am."
The other finalists for the award, which will be handed out in December, are Ohio State's James Laurinaitis and Penn State's Dan Connor.
Dizon is currently fourth in school history with 413 tackles. He's had at least 10 stops in all but one game this year and set a career high with 22 tackles against Colorado State in the season opener.
"One of the most impressive things about Jordon is that the most important thing to him is doing what he's asked or expected to do," said linebackers coach Brian Cabral, a Saint Louis graduate.
» Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada (Kapolei '04) threw his only touchdown pass in the third overtime and his 2-point conversion pass to Reggie Campbell was the difference as Navy ended a 43-game losing streak to Notre Dame by beating the Fighting Irish 46-44 in triple overtime.
Kaheaku-Enhada accounted for 47 of the team's 257 rushing yards and finished 6-for-8 for 81 yards passing with the one touchdown.
» Junior starting safety Al Afalava (Kahuku '05) had six tackles and Naymon Frank (Roosevelt '03) made his fourth tackle of the season in a 24-3 loss to Southern California.
» Wilson Afoa (Saint Louis '05) had a sack to help Washington snap a six-game losing streak with a 27-9 victory over Stanford.
Women's Volleyball
» Oregon State sophomore
Camilla Ah-Hoy (Kahuku '06) had 14 assists, six digs and two kills in a loss to California and came back the next day with 25 assists and nine digs in a loss to Stanford.
Both the Golden Bears and Cardinals are ranked in the top 10.
» Tamari Miyashiro (Kalani '05) had 21 digs in two matches and Ashley Aratani (Iolani '04) contributed two aces to lead Washington to a sweep of the Arizona schools.
» Fairfield senior Jazmin Pa'akaula (St. Joseph '04) was named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference defensive player of the week. She averaged 6.5 digs a game in two shutout wins over Iona and Manhattan College.
» Pacific senior setter Anela Iseke (Kamehameha '04) became the first Boxer named to the Northwest Conference first team in 13 years. Iseke finished second in the league with 11.62 assists per game.
Women's Golf
» Idaho senior
Kelly Nakashima (Baldwin '04) was named the Western Athletic Conference golfer of the month for October. Nakashima had two top-20 finishes in three tournaments, including a third-place result in the Give 'Em Five Intercollegiate in Las Cruces, N.M.
She averaged a 74.3 in nine rounds played and helped the Vandals finish in the top three in two tournaments.
Men's Golf
» Oregon freshman
Sean Maekawa (Honokaa '07) fired a final -round 2-under-par 70 to finish tied for ninth in the Stockton Sports Commission Pacific Invitational.
The Ducks wrapped up the fall season with their fifth straight top-four finish.
Women's Soccer
» Pacific freshman
Ashley Kanda (Castle '07) scored the game-winning goal in overtime to help the Boxers beat Puget Sound for the first time in more than 20 years.
Twin sister Lauren Kanda (Castle '07) assisted on the play. Both Lauren and Ashley also scored goals in the first half for the Boxers, who had lost 29 matches in a row to the Loggers. It was Puget Sound's first defeat of the season.
Men's Soccer
» Gonzaga senior goalkeeper
Vito Higgins (Academy of the Pacific '03) made four saves and recorded his second consecutive shutout and sixth of the season in a 0-0 tie against St. Mary's (Calif.).