BLAKE TIMM / PACIFIC UNIVERSITY
Pacific University in Oregon has 22 student-athletes from Hawaii this fall, 21 of whom are pictured above. FRONT ROW: Jean Kasamoto (Mid-Pacific), Stacey Sueoka (Kauai), Christine Toyama (Aiea), Daniel Park (Pearl City), Joni Kaitoku (Iolani), Karley Peterson (Leilehua). MIDDLE ROW: Kasey Chun (Maryknoll), Moani Lau (Kamehameha), Mariel Kim (Punahou), Jamie Furutani (Kalani). BACK ROW: Brooke Hayashi (Moanalua), Stefanie Kawatomari (Mid-Pacific), Stephanie Kawamura (Aiea), Graham Enomoto (Hawaii Baptist), Elliott Hirai (Aiea), Randy Shinn (Pearl City), Justin Davis (Seabury Hall), Brett Asato (Aiea), Kalei Titcomb (Kamehameha), Bobby Shinn (Pearl City), Jenae Barona (St. Francis). Barona and Furutani are volleyball players.
Home away
from homePacific University in Oregon
has attracted a number
of students from Hawaii,
including 22 student-athletes
NO mainland college has more students from Hawaii for its size than Pacific University in Oregon, where 21 percent of the undergraduates -- and 59 percent of the soccer teams' starting lineups -- are from the state.
There are more than 800 student-athletes from Hawaii attending mainland colleges, which is the reason this weekly Sunday report on their most significant achievements has been added to the menu of the Star-Bulletin and the Web pages of HawaiiSportsNetwork.com and the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (www.hhsaa.org).
Pacific University of Oregon (often confused with the larger University of the Pacific in California) has long been a favorite destination of Hawaii high school graduates.
The current undergraduate enrollment of nearly 1,100 includes 222 from Hawaii, and there are more than a thousand Pacific alumni in Hawaii according to Jeff Grundon, assistant director of athletics and admissions.
The men's and women's soccer teams, which had a combined record of 10 wins and 2 losses entering this weekend, have 19 players from Hawaii (12 women and seven men). Thirteen of the 19 are starters (seven women and six men), including the leading scorers of both teams.
Senior Moani Lau, a 2000 Kamehameha graduate from Kahala, was chosen Northwest Conference Women's Player of the Week on Monday after she scored her second hat trick (three goals in a game) of the season. She has six goals.
Junior Bobby Shinn (Pearl City '01) leads the men's team in scoring with five goals and 11 points.
For Shinn and his twin brother, Randy, this is the third college in three years.
"We love this place," Bobby Shinn said. "The weather is just perfect (it is Indian summer in Oregon -- the rain hasn't started yet) and there are a lot of Hawaii people. It's pretty much like home."
The Shinns played one year at Missouri Valley and one at York in Nebraska, but did not like the Midwest. "The level of soccer at Pacific is the same," Bobby said.
"We're happy where we are and we might as well enjoy our last couple of seasons. This is the place for us."
Randy Shinn, pegged to be a starting defender, has an ankle injury and has not played yet.
The Shinns' younger brother, Ricky, is a scholarship freshman who is struggling at Southern Methodist, the ninth-ranked men's team in NCAA Division I. Their dad Larry, of Waipio Gentry, dreams of all three brothers playing together again, as they did when they led Pearl City to an unbeaten regular season and the Oahu Interscholastic Association championship in 2001.
Pacific is in NCAA Division III, which doesn't allow athletic scholarships. Moani Lau gave up a full scholarship after one season at Division I Nevada to play at Pacific. Lau says she misses the competitive quality of Division I, but likes the atmosphere and "down to earth" relationships at Pacific.
"I wish there was more challenge, like D-I," she said, "but it's good that there is not as much pressure and you're not going to school based on a scholarship. It's a good, close atmosphere. Everybody is playing for fun. You can enjoy it more."
Financially, Lau said, she "makes do with some grants and the Kamehameha scholarship." She is a B-plus student who plans to volunteer with Earthwatch in Italy after graduation to study bottlenose dolphins.
Jim Brazeau, coach of both the men's and women's teams, has not been to Hawaii in 18 years, when he was 18. He did not know about Hawaii soccer players until he came to Pacific four years ago.
"Most of the Hawaii players are not the biggest kids in the world, so they are forced to develop their skills," Brazeau said. "They are technically gifted kids with close control of the ball.
"The underlying theme is that all of them are genuinely excited about playing. They battle every day and give you everything they have."
For submissions: Email: dennis@lava.net with name, high school, college and sport; Fax: 236-4195; Phone: 236-3654 or toll free 1-888-236-3654
Hawaii Athletes
at Pacific UniversityWOMEN'S SOCCER
Name Pos. Year* High School/residence Kasey Chun D Jr. Maryknoll '01 of Kaneohe Brooke Hayashi D Fr Moanalua '03 of Aiea Joni Kaitoku F Jr. Iolani '01 of Mililani Jean Kasamoto D Jr. Mid-Pacific '00 of Manoa Stephanie Kawamura GK Jr. Aiea '00 Stefanie Kawatomari M Fr. Mid-Pacific '03 of Aiea Mariel Kim D/M Jr. Punahou '01 of Wilhemina Rise Moani Lau F Sr. Kamehameha '00 of Kahala Karley Peterson F So. Leilehua '02 Stacy Sueoka F Fr. Kauai '03 of Koloa Kalei Titcomb M/F Jr. Kamehameha '01 of Kailua Christine Toyama M Fr. Aiea '02 MEN'S SOCCER
Name Pos. Year* High School/residence Brett Asato M Fr. Aiea '03 Justin Davis F Fr. Seabury Hall '02 of Makawao Graham Enomoto D Fr. Hawaii Baptist '03 of Foster Village Elliott Hirai M Jr. Aiea '01 of Mililani Daniel Park M So. Pearl City '02 Randy Shinn D Jr. Pearl City '01 of Waipio Gentry Robert Shinn F Jr. Pearl City '01 of Waipio Gentry Ryan Stanley (graduate assistant coach) Kaiser '98 VOLLEYBALL
Name Pos. Year* High School/residence Janae Barona OH Soph. St. Francis '02 of Salt Lake Jamie Furutani DS Fr. Kalani '03 GOLF
Names in bold-face type are starters.
Name Year* High School/residence Marisa Yamamoto So. Kapaa
* Year is eligibility year.
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Kahuku alum Mapu
excelling at TennesseeWhen the gun ended Tennessee's impressive 24-10 football victory at Florida last Saturday, Tennessee sophomore Jonathan "J.T." Mapu sprinted for the locker room and his cell phone.
It was not to tell anyone he had started his first college game and played so well in "The Swamp" that his coaches later would praise him and name him a starting defensive tackle for the next game, too.
"I ran straight into the locker room and tried to call my family to see how my brother was doing. I was just overwhelmed," said Mapu, Hawaii high school defensive player of the year for Kahuku in 2001.
Two days later, on Monday, Mapu's older brother Daniel emerged from the coma where his life had been suspended since he was smashed by a pickup truck alongside Kamehameha Highway in Kaaawa on Aug. 25.
Although his football career is taking off, "it is real hard being out here," Mapu said. "I try to think of what (Daniel) would want me to do ... he would be strong for me and would want to stay and go to school. He would like me to fight back through my injury (J.T. had arthroscopic knee surgery in February)."
J.T. has dedicated his season to Daniel. "I have a picture of us together when we were young and a picture of him on his mission. I take them to our games and put them up in my locker," he said.
Tennessee defensive line coach Steve Caldwell sees a bright football future for J.T. "We moved him inside from edge (defensive end) and it is an adjustment for him. He will get better and better each week as he gets more experience.
"He is giving the guy he is lined up over fits all the time with his quickness and movement," Caldwell said.
Mapu had just one tackle himself against Florida, but "he was standing up offensive lineman so our linebackers could make tackles," Tennessee spokesman John Painter said. "I think the fact that he was in the starting lineup for our biggest game of the season to date says something. ... Our defensive line is giving up an average of 53.3 yards per game."
Caldwell added, "J.T. is representing the islands very well, on the field and in the classroom. He is a pleasure to have around."
Mapu asked to join his family in "thanking everybody at home for their support. It feels good knowing everybody was supporting us" during Daniel's crisis.
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[ HAWAII GROWN BRIEFS ]
Blake inducted in Whitworth Hall of Fame
Allison "Nani" Blake was inducted in the Heritage Gallery Hall of Fame at Whitworth College in Spokane, Wash., yesterday.Blake, a 1990 Punahou graduate from Aiea, was the first individual national swimming champion in Whitworth history. She won the 1,650-freestyle (that's 66 pool lengths) at the 1993 NAIA championships in the time of 17 minutes, 30.94 seconds -- still a Whitworth record and fastest ever by a Northwest Conference swimmer.
Blake was a six-time NAIA All-American and conference swimmer of the year.
She currently resides and works in Portland, Ore.
Menlo's Miller tops 2,000 rushing yards
Senior Duane Miller, a 1999 Waianae High School graduate, became the first 2,000-yard rusher in Menlo (Calif.) College football history in yesterday's 41-19 victory over Willamette of Oregon.Miller carried 22 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 2,021 yards in three years since he transferred from Missouri Valley.
Every time he carries the ball (442 times after yesterday), gains a yard or scores a touchdown (18), Miller breaks his own Menlo career records.
Last year, he was Menlo's first 1,000-yard season rusher with 1,081 yards.
"It's a lot of fun over here," Miller said. "Lot of local kids, everybody gets along, we have barbecues, it's like you're at home."
Although they lost to Whitworth 30-24 last week, the 25 Menlo players from Hawaii wanted it known that all three of the Oaks' touchdowns were scored by Hawaii guys: a 1-yard run by Miller, a 16-yard pass reception by Dustin Cabico (Maui '02) and a 59-yard pass-and-run by Elia Akau (Kamehameha '00).
Cabico caught five balls for 132 yards.
Mundo notches her first collegiate goal
Western Oregon senior Moani Mundo (Castle '00), a two-time All-Great Northwest Conference goalkeeper, came out of the box and scored on a header against Northwest Nazarene last week, her first official collegiate goal."One of my goals this year was to score in an official game. I guess I got lucky," Mundo said. Western Oregon won the game 6-0.
Erin Ota (Maryknoll '01 of Kaneohe), who was a standout at Western Oregon last season, transferred to Oregon State and is not playing soccer. "She was our biggest loss," Mundo said.
