[ HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS ]
Nancy Hoist, who led Konawaena to the state girls basketball title Saturday, was named to the Hall of Honor.
12 inducted into Hall
Derrick Low, Sam Wilhoite and
Matt Bell are among those honored
Choosing the most deserving athletes for year-end honors is usually a matter of deciding who to put in.
For the Nissan Hawaii Hall of Honor 15-person committee yesterday, it was a matter of making tough choices on who to leave out.
Many top-notch high school athletes didn't make it -- 87 were nominated -- but any harm done in that area is quickly mitigated by a glance at the 12 senior athletes who make up the 22nd class of inductees.
Nissan Hall of Honor
Class of 2004
» Matt Bell, Farrington (football, basketball, baseball)
» Tamarah Binek, Waiakea (swimming, cross country, track, water polo)
» Todd Blankenship, Iolani (volleyball, basketball, track)
» Jordon Dizon, Waimea (football, basketball, track)
» Tia Ferguson, Seabury Hall (cross country, track, soccer)
» Nancy Hoist, Konawaena (volleyball, basketball)
» Kami Kapaku, Baldwin (soccer, basketball)
» Derrick Low, Iolani (volleyball, basketball)
» Kyle Teves, Kealakehe (volleyball, basketball)
» Sunshine Misa-Uli, Farrington (wrestling, basketball, volleyball)
» Abel Werner, McKinley (football, basketball, baseball)
» Sam Wilhoite, Kalaheo (basketball)
Two schools -- Iolani and Farrington -- placed two athletes each into the Hall, and six are from neighbor island schools.
Iolani's Derrick Low, a three-time All-State basketball player of the year who also starred in volleyball, heads the list. He's taking his exceptional talents as a point guard to Washington State next season.
Low's Iolani classmate and basketball teammate Todd Blankenship, the Star-Bulletin's All-State player of the year in volleyball, is another pick. Blankenship, who will attend the University of Arizona, was also an All-State basketball second-team pick and he placed fourth in the high jump at the state meet earlier this month.
The two Farrington choices are three-sport standouts Matt Bell and Sunshine Misa-Uli.
Bell was the All-State offensive player of the year in football and a team leader in basketball. He's also a power-hitter in baseball and is being pursued by pro scouts.
Misa-Uli was an All-State pick in basketball as a junior and a two-time state wrestling champion who also played volleyball.
Another selection, Waiakea's Tamarah Binek, competed in four sports -- swimming, cross country, track and water polo. She was an all-tournament team pick in the inaugural water polo state tournament and she was a member of the Warriors state swimming champions in her sophomore and junior years.
Konawaeana's Nancy Hoist, who led the Wildcats to the girls basketball championship Saturday and who also played volleyball, is another of the neighbor-island choices. She is likely to make the All-State team in hoops for a third year in a row.
Two other girls from the neighbor islands were chosen -- Baldwin's All-State soccer and basketball player Kami Kapaku and Seabury Hall's Tia Ferguson, the state cross country champion and the winner in the 800-, 1,500- and 3,000-meter runs in track.
Waimea's Jordon Dizon, who starred in football, basketball and track and is off to play for Colorado in football, rounds out the neighbor island picks.
Kalaheo's Sam Wilhoite, a two-time All-State pick in basketball and a standout in volleyball, and McKinley's Abel Werner, the Gatorade Player of the Year in football, were also selected. Werner played quarterback in football and point guard in basketball for the Tigers and he also suited up for the baseball team this spring.
The 12 seniors were chosen for the Nissan Hall of Honor based on athletic skills and success, integrity, work ethic, academics and community service. The Big Island Interscholastic Federation and Oahu Interscholastic Association placed four each in the Hall. Two athletes are from the Interscholastic League of Honolulu and one each are from the Maui Interscholastic League and Kauai Interscholastic Federation.
The seven boys and five girls will be honored at an upcoming banquet June 13 at the Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki's Pacific Ballroom.
