Hawaii's top teenage riders and ropers will wrangle with the best from the Mainland, Canada and Australia at the 53rd annual National High School Finals Rodeo in Illinois later the month. Hawaii sends 23
to rodeo finals
By Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comThe 23-member state team leaves for Springfield, Ill. July 19. The national rodeo runs from July 23-29.
The Hawaii participants are part of the 1,500 contestants expected to compete in the event billed as the world's largest rodeo.
Participants will not only compete for the national high school championship, but also $100,000 in prizes and $150,000 in college scholarships.
Members of the Hawaii team are Lindsey Akiona, Temehani Cummings, Kelliann Rita, Tanya Higa, Melissa Matsumoto, Krystle Estocado, Chelsea Branco, Re'al Dudoit, Bridget Napier, Alex Schuman and Jesse Dowsett. Also, Chris Watson, Jon Kapahu, Dustin Mendes, Austin Mendes, Calob Decasa, JR Henriques, Colby Costa, Erik Smith, Dustin Eguires, Ryan Porter, Steffan Ramos and Chantel Adrian.
The state team members qualified for the nationals by finishing in the top four in their divisions at the state rodeo finals in Kamuela on the Big Island over the Kamehameha Day weekend.
Student-athletes attend leadership conference
Eight Hawaii high school student-athletes will attend the first National Federation of State High School Associations leadership conference Friday through Sunday in Indianapolis.
Participating in the conference will be Joseph Graham (Waipahu), Erin Kimura (Castle), Chelsea Maeda (Castle), Kawika Nakoa (Iolani), Elizabeth Narkon (St. Francis), Jolie Okabe (Waiakea), Amber Ladera (Seabury Hall) and Marissa Bonilla (Kauai).
Joining the Hawaii contingent will be Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya and Big Island Interscholastic Federation executive secretary Roy Fujimoto.
The student-athletes will take part in group instruction, seminars and a city-wide community service project.
Wilton picks Utah State
Melissa Wilton, a 5-foot-8 outside hitter from Punahou, will walk-on to the women's volleyball team at Utah State next season.
The daughter of University of Hawaii men's volleyball coach Mike Wilton was a Star-Bulletin all-state honorable mention pick last fall.
She joins former UH men's assistant coach Matt Johnson as a member of the Aggie program. Johnson, who served seven years with the UH staff, was hired as an assistant to USU head coach Burt Fuller in March.
Staff writer Grace Wen
contributed to this story.
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