She's traveling a similar path as another young golfer, but Cyd Okino wants it known she is doing it her way.

“;I want to live up to expectations, but I don't want to just go to that point, I want to go onto my own point,”; Okino said. “;There was Michelle Wie and everyone was saying how I could be just like her, but I kind of want to just be my own self.”;

Like Wie, Okino enjoyed uncommon success and notoriety as a prodigy.

She became the youngest Hawaii state amateur match play champion as an 11-year-old, and played in the U.S. Women's Open before her 15th birthday.

“;After I played in the U.S. Open, nothing can get better than that,”; Okino said. “;But it taught me a lot. I wanted to get better after that. I realized that I can hit the ball just as good as a lot of them. They just know how to play better and I want to get to that point.”;

Okino is a junior at Punahou, Wie's alma mater. One difference between the two is Okino is playing for the Buffanblu while Wie didn't, turning pro her junior year.

“;Ever since I came to Punahou, my goal has been to win states,”; said Okino, who finished eighth last year and fifth as a freshman at the state championship. “;I always wanted to win the ILH, too, but states always seemed bigger to me.”;

She won the ILH championship as a freshman, but did not repeat last year. It was one of the few speed bumps in a young career that includes Hawaii State Open titles, HSJGA state championships and trips to numerous USGA events.

“;I have a drive to want to win this year,”; Okino said. “;As each year goes on, I try to get better and try to motivate myself to get better.”;

The drive that Okino talks about isn't something that has had to be forced upon her, according to Ed Kageyama, her coach at Punahou.

“;Cyd knows what she needs to do,”; Kageyama said. “;Coming in freshman year, she knew she was a better player and she had a successful freshman year. And coming into sophomore year, I wouldn't say that she took it too lightly but there is pressure to repeat and live up to what she did freshman year. And I think it just gets too much as some point.

“;I think this year she is much more focused and getting back to her core goals. I don't think Cyd has really gotten caught up in the outside stresses. She's been able to block all that out and really focus on herself and her against herself and her against the golf course.”;

Okino has five outright wins in six ILH tournaments this season, and tied teammate Kaci Komoto for first in the other. She and her Punahou teammates take to Oahu Country Club on Monday for the first round of the ILH golf championship; the final is April 26 at Waialae Country Club.

The Buffanblu go for their third consecutive state team championship at Turtle Bay, May 4-5.