UH women's soccer lands three
Advertiser Staff
Mahie Atay, The Honolulu Advertiser's 2002 Girls Soccer Co-Player of the Year, has signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Hawai'i.
Atay, a two-time all-state goalkeeper from Baldwin, led the Bears in back-to-back state championships in 1999 and 2000. She joins midfielders Seline Williams of Kamehameha and Stanford University transfer Erin Quattromani.
Pearl City standout Carmen Calpo was the first signee of the program this year.
MORE SOCCER
• Jolie Nitta, a two-time all-state soccer player for Mililani High, has accepted an athletic and academic scholarship to attend Azusa Pacific University in California.
Nitta, a midfielder, was chosen by the coaches as the OIA West Co-Player of the Year and by her teammates as Most Valuable Player of Mililani's state championship team. She was a Trojans' captain for two years.
By taking advanced placement courses, Nitta earned a 4.9 grade-point average at Mililani.
• Iolani's Kara Ishikawa, another first-team all-state midfielder, has committed to Cornell (N.Y.). She also made recruiting trips to California and Oregon State, but chose the Ivy League's academic reputation and a good financial package.
• Punahou striker Michelle Quensell of Waipahu also is headed for Cornell, which she picked over Wellesley.
No athletic scholarship, but "really good money" in Cornell's financial aid package, she said.
• Another member of Punahou's ILH championship team, forward Jennifer Proudfoot of Lihu'e, turned down recruiting offers at Air Force Academy and West Point to walk on at the Naval Academy.
"It's been my dream to go there since I was a little girl, and I liked their style of soccer best," Proudfoot said.
She'll start her plebe summer June 28.
FOOTBALL
• Kamehameha's Kelena Ho'okano, a first-team all-state running back, Kahuku's Joshua Hodge, an honorable mention all-state linebacker, Pac-Five's Alika Durington, another honorable mention all-state linebacker, and Lahainaluna center Daniel Kauvaka have all committed to play football at Eastern Arizona junior college.
Durington and Ho'okano are NCAA full qualifiers and can transfer to a four-year college after amassing 24 credits.
All four will receive Eastern Arizona's maximum athletic aid of tuition, room and board, leaving them with books, fees and incidentals to pay, according to Doris Sullivan of Hawai'i Sports Network, who helped place them.
Sullivan has reopened the door for Hawai'i football players to Eastern Arizona, which had none on its roster last year.
"It took the last penny their coach had to spend, but he really wanted these Hawai'i kids," Sullivan said.
SOFTBALL
• Brianna Tsukamoto, All-ILH softball player from University, signed to play at Colgate (New York). She was also courted by Ohio State, Dartmouth and others.
Georges Gilbert, former assistant to his father as University coach, said Tsukamoto "should make an immediate impact at Colgate. She can play every position except pitcher, because she basically did for my father."
"Her upbeat style of play will be a great addition," said Vickie Sax, Colgate softball coach.
SWIMMING
• Waiakea's Nicole Okuna signed a scholarship agreement to swim at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. Okuna was the state 100 butterfly champion in 2000 and 2001 and was second this year, when she helped Waiakea set two state-meet relay records.
• Hawai'i Prep's Justin Lee of Honoka'a, the state 100-yard freestyle champion, is going to University of Washington to swim.
Staff writer Dennis Anderson contributed to this report.
