Hawaii prep athletes take a step toward their future

By Paul Honda, Star-Advertiser

PAUL HONDA / PHONDA@STARADVERTISER.COM

Athletes signed their documents during a National Letter of Intent signing ceremony Wednesday at the Honolulu Elks Lodge in Waikiki.

The alarm went off at 4 a.m., but Saxoni Frank didn’t hear a thing.

Soon enough, the Radford senior had help, as did 25 other student-athletes who were up before dawn Wednesday morning. Frank and his peers brought their National letters of intent to the ceremony hosted by Education 1st at the Honolulu Elks Lodge in Waikiki.

“I’m excited to have this opportunity to sign my letter,” Frank said. “I set my alarm for 4 o’clock. I usually get up at 6 so my dad got me up. I slept on the way here. It was interesting. I just signed for my future.”

Frank, an acrobatic All-American member of Radford’s cheer squad, signed his NLI with Purdue. There were opportunities at other schools, including Ohio State, Bowling Green and Hawaii. Purdue coaches saw Frank perform as a sophomore during national competition.

“They were impressed with my tumbling and my stunting skills from a very young age,” Frank said.

Frank, who has a 3.8 grade-point-average, plans to major in aviation management.

“Shout out to my parents, my family, my mimi and my papa who’s here with me in spirit,” Frank said.

The signing ceremony began at 7 a.m., coordinated with the noon Eastern time letters that were inked across the country.

University Lab senior Kylie Oshita signed with Willamette (Salem, Ore.). The short-term vision is playing second base for the Bearcats softball team.

“I’m ready. I like the people and I like the weather. It’s really different,” said Oshita, who has a 4.0 grade-point average.

She will major in biology. Long term, she plans to become a pediatric surgeon. That will require four years or so of undergraduate study, followed by four years of med school.

“I want to help kids. I told my mom (Kelli) during freshman year. Science is one of my favorite subjects in school,” she said. “When I told her, I think she was happy and surprised with me. My dad (David) told me it’s a lot of school. I told him, ‘Yeah, I know.’”

Kalani senior cross country runner Samantha Morinaga will trek across the islands to Hawaii Hilo. She was interested in mainland schools, too.

“I decided that staying home is a better fit for me. Hilo is not too far from home, and it has that home feeling. I can fly home more than I would if I went to school on the mainland,” Morinaga said. “The change of pace is definitely noticeable.”

Morinaga plans to major in business administration.

“I’m hoping to become a real estate agent,” she said.

Sean Connell’s versatility and athleticism on the gridiron will help Brown. He played at Punahou for three years, with a season at Kaiser in between as a junior. Brown assistant coach Darryl Jackson visited Connell on the Kaiser campus.

“I met him in March (of 2023) and he invited me to their camp. I went with my dad (Steve). They offered me a roster spot at that camp,” said Connell, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound wide receiver/quarterback. “I love the campus.”

Connell returned to Brown for an official visit in December, wearing shorts in 27-degree weather.

“I wore shorts the first day. Then it was three layers after that,” he said. “It was really windy, too.”

He departs in July.

“I’m a hard worker. Whatever challenge you give me, I’ll give my all,” Connell said. “Everything worked out for the best.”

Signees, Education 1st ceremony

Honolulu Elks Lodge

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025

Name High school College Sport

Kodie Ancheta Mililani Lewis & Clark (Ore.) Softball

Rylind Butler Mid-Pacific Chapman (Calif.) Water polo

Kadie Carpio Kalani American River (Calif.) Softball

Sean Connell Punahou Brown (R.I.) Football

Kingston Costales Waianae Hawaii Football

Saxoni Frank Radford Purdue (Ind.) Cheer

Zairae Gauer Kapolei Lane County (Ore.) Soccer

Audrey Hoffman Radford Union Commonwealth (Ky.) Softball

Hunter Jackson Moanalua Hawaii Softball

Kristie Kagawa Mid-Pacific Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) Basketball

Alyssa Kauleinamoku Hawaii Baptist Oregon Institute of Technology Golf

Elana Kawai Punahou Soka University of America (Calif.) Soccer

Austen Kinney Punahou Washington University (Mo.) Softball

Kuhela Ledward Mililani Jamestown (N.D.) Soccer

Shawn Loui Mid-Pacific Pitzer College (Calif.) Baseball

Samantha Morinaga Kalani UH Hilo Cross Country

Alyssa Murakami Punahou Whitman College (Wash.) Soccer

Tyler Okihiro Mid-Pacific Jessup (Calif.) Baseball

Kylie Oshita University Lab Willamette (Ore.) Softball

Jordyn Pai Kaiser Lane (Wash.) Soccer

Je t’aime Paio Sacred Hearts Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) Volleyball

Braden Puapong Mid-Pacific Willamette (Ore.) Baseball

Harley Seminavage Kapolei Kansas Wesleyan Softball

Alexia Teranishi Roosevelt American River (Calif.) Softball

Bryce Toledo-Lue Punahou Willamette (Ore.) Golf

Eddy James Vallesteros Hawaii Baptist Trine (Ind.) Bowling