The hours, days, months and years went by quickly for Kristi Oshiro.

With Guy, her dad, at her side, she fielded grounder after grounder and hit ball after ball. She honed her skills to an elite level, voted by coaches and media to the Star-Bulletin All-State softball team last spring.

Oshiro, along with 14 other student-athletes, stepped up for the next leg of their journeys yesterday. The 15 athletes, including six softball players and five girls volleyball players, signed their letters of intent during a press conference hosted by the Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance at the Honolulu Design Center.

Five of the six softball players hail from one softball club: Guava Jam, which is based in Central Oahu.

Oshiro, who signed with East Carolina, is one of many Mililani High School athletes who toil away at the school's athletic complex. She and Guy could be found under the afternoon sun working on fundamentals. It was work, no question.

“;You practice so much, sometimes it's a hassle. You wonder, what are you going to get out of it? But it pays off in the end,”; said Oshiro, who is interested in pre-med. “;Coach James (Millwood) and my dad, they're always our coaches. Sometimes we didn't understand why they pushed us, but now it makes sense.”;

Oshiro, who hit .470, scored 24 runs and stole 12 bases, is pegged to continue playing second base for ECU. Teammate Rebecca Lee, a second-team All-State catcher, also signed with the Pirates. They visited the campus for three days and stayed with a group of island players (five total) who play softball there.

The other three Guava Jam players who signed with D-I universities yesterday are two-time state player of the year Courtney Senas of Mililani (Florida State), Gericka Pantohan of Campbell (Hawaii) and Jamie Millwood of Kamehameha (Stanford).

Senas and Oshiro were a superb double-play combo at Mililani, helping coach Rose Antonio's program win the state title in May.

Millwood, a senior first baseman, was stoked about her club teammates getting together on signing day.

“;I think it's a great success that we'll be all over the country,”; the All-State infielder said. “;I'd like to thank my coaches and my dad (James) for working with me for so long, and my mom (Arlette) for being supportive.”;

Other sports were represented at the conference. Kamehameha's Harley Holt signed with Cal State Northridge and Punahou's Kaiana Eldredge, son of Southern Utah coach Boy Eldredge, inked his letter to play baseball at Kansas.

Mid-Pacific basketball standout Keaton McFadden signed with Portland State. Another Punahou athlete, golfer Bradley Shigezawa, signed with Northwestern.

These aren't the only athletes of the class of 2010 to sign, but it was the largest gathering of female student-athletes in Hawaii at a single signing event this early in the academic year.

Among other athletes who signed yesterday, '09 Star-Bulletin girls volleyball player of the year Sarah Palmer of HBA faxed her letter to the University of Texas.