Chang chooses Victoria Chang does few things at a leisurely pace.
Rainbow Wahine
The cross country and track standout
will transfer to UH from StanfordJason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comThe Punahou graduate's speed on the track helped her become one of the nation's top high school distance runners, and her accelerated work ethic in the classroom has her just a few credits away from earning a degree from Stanford -- a couple years ahead of schedule.
"She can't do anything slow," said Anna Chang, Victoria's mother. "This girl has to do everything fast."
Chang is planning to bring her fleet feet and sharp mind to Manoa in the fall as she is set to transfer to the University of Hawaii and join the Rainbow Wahine cross country and track and field programs.
Chang is expected to sign a scholarship agreement with UH when she returns home this weekend, Anna said.
Chang graduated from Punahou in 2000 as one of the state's most decorated runners.
She won eight state championships and set the Hawaii High School Athletic Association and Interscholastic League of Honolulu records in the 1,500- and 3,000-meter runs.
She set a course record at the 1999 Foot Locker Cross Country National Championship and was named a Track & Field News High School All-American.
Chang finished fifth in the Pac-10 cross country championships her freshman year and helped the Cardinal win the conference title. She was named the Pac-10 women's newcomer of the year.
As a sophomore, Chang competed in four cross country meets last fall. Her best showing was a third-place finish at the Furman Invitational in October. Injuries caused her to redshirt for the track and field season.
She will have two years of eligibility remaining for cross country and three for track and field when she joins the UH program.
Chang is majoring in biological sciences at Stanford and is on track to earn her degree in December. She plans to complete her undergraduate work at UH in the fall and transfer the credits to Stanford. She will then take graduate courses while running for UH.
"She loved the academics (at Stanford)," Anna Chang said. "She has no regrets because she's going to get a degree."
Chang is slated to intern at UH's Institute for Biogenesis Research this summer, her mother added.
Chang's brother, Nicholas, recently graduated from Punahou and will enroll at Stanford in the fall.
Dignam chooses Washington: Iolani's Lauran Dignam, who won five state titles last month, has made a verbal commitment to join the University of Washington women's track and field program.
She is expected to sign a national letter of intent in a ceremony scheduled for 2 p.m. tomorrow at the school, Iolani coach Earl Hedani said.
Dignam led the Iolani girls squad to its first-ever Interscholastic League of Honolulu and state team championships this spring.
She won the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races and ran on Iolani's victorious 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams at both the ILH and state meets.
She set the 200-meter record at last month's state championship meet with a time of 25.69 seconds.
Dignam chose Washington after considering Cal State Fullerton, Colorado State, Oregon and Idaho State.
UH Athletics