Kahuku alum Kai joins Wahine soccer

By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer

Natasha Kai, one of the most accomplished female high school athletes ever in Hawai'i, will finally join the University of Hawai'i Wahine soccer team when it opens practice Wednesday.

Kai, who signed with UH well before her graduation from Kahuku High in 2001, took a year off from organized sports and organized academics. "She really wasn't ready (for college) last year", said her mother, Sharon, "but now she's excited and ready to play."

For the past year, the only sports Kai has played were touch rugby and playground basketball, her mother said. "She worked and had fun."

In high school, she competed year-round in soccer, basketball, volleyball and track and field. She was first-team all-state in soccer and a six-time state champion in track and field.

Wahine soccer coach Pinsoom Tenzing said it was "fine with me" that Kai took a year off. "She comes in with extraordinary credentials, and obviously we are very, very excited she is coming in, but she's going to have to prove it (on the field). We need to assess everybody fairly," Tenzing said.

"She is a superb athlete," he added.

Kai led Kahuku to an unbeaten 2001 season in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Eastern Division and scored 22 goals in regular and post-season games.

Kai set state meet records in the low hurdles and high jump and statistically, was the best all-around female jumper (long, high, triple) in state history. But her mother said Natasha will concentrate on soccer at UH.

Kai did not return seven phone calls.

The Wahine open their season in an exhibition game against Douglas of Canada at 7 p.m. on Aug. 22 at Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Park. They were picked to finish second to Southern Methodist in preseason poll of Western Athletic Conference coaches.

"I'm comfortable with that," Tenzing said. UH was 10-10 overall last year.