Missouri Valley pipeline flows

By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer

Missouri Valley College women's basketball coach Bill Wolf announced yesterday that he has signed three more players from Hawai'i.

Wolf said seven of his 30 players will be from Hawai'i when practice starts in September. "I don't think any college will have that many," Wolf said. "I think Hawai'i has great girls basketball players."

He comes to the state tournament every May to scout them.

Wolf's shiniest new import is Jasmine Dias of 'Aiea, a 5-foot-1 1/2 defensive sparkplug of Na Ali'i's 2001 state championship team and honorable mention all-state this year.

The others are 5-11 post Konnie DeCaires of Kailua and 5-10 Dawnelle Nahinu of O'ahu Interscholastic Association champion Kalaheo.

They will join varsity sophomores Maricris Sierra (Nanakuli '01) and Megan Fong (Roosevelt '01), and JV graduates Carleen Harden (Sacred Hearts '00) and Kayla Richie (Mililani '01).

Sierra was coming off high-school knee surgery last season. "I really think she's going to take off this season," Wolf said. "I saw (her potential) last spring in pickup games."

Missouri Valley plays in NAIA Division II.

Mary Davis (Nanakuli '00) played for Missouri Valley two seasons ago, and still attends the college, but is no longer on the team.

The Missouri Valley men's team will have three players from Hawai'i — incoming freshmen Ely Sather (Kealakehe), Cheyne Dela Garza (Lahainaluna) and returning sophomore Leroy Nicolas (Iolani '01).

OTHER COMMITMENTS

• First-team all-state baseball outfielder Matt Terukina (Roosevelt) will play at San Joaquin Delta (junior) College in California.

• Second-team all-state softball second baseman Karyna Wilkerson (Mililani) will walk on at UC Santa Barbara.

• Softball pitcher/infielder Darcie Takemoto (Kalani) will play at Redlands (Calif.).