By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist

When the University of Hawai'i won its first conference softball title, the Big West in 1994, the milestone was commemorated by giving Hawaiian bracelets to the team.

Coach Bob Coolen's was offered to his wife, Nanci. But she chose to wait, figuring, "In my mind, this was going to be happening a lot. It was like, 'what am I going to do, put eight or 10 of them up my arm?' " Nanci said. "So, I said I'd wait."

And, she waited ... and waited ...

The future that had appeared so promising in the Big West, thanks in part to departure of perennial national power Fresno State to the Western Athletic Conference, suddenly got rockier when the Rainbow Wahine were shortly reunited with their tormentors in the WAC.

After too many years of finishing behind the Bulldogs in the Big West, the Rainbow Wahine suffered six even more humbling years in Fresno's shadow, sometimes by the narrowest of percentage point margins, until winning their first WAC title this past weekend.

It is that haunting history of frustration, and how the Rainbow Wahine went about turning it around, that should make this championship the most rewarding. It is an accomplishment to savor this week while awaiting word of where they will appear in the NCAA Tournament.

Indeed, three months ago when this most remarkable of seasons began, it was hard to imagine such an ending to the regular season ... much less the school's first automatic NCAA Tournament berth that has come with it.

Back then, Fresno State was 15th in the polls and the Rainbow Wahine looked to have their hands full to just finish in their accustomed runner-up spot. First, pitcher Sheri Oronoz, who had accounted for more than half of the team's wins in 2002 with 18, decided not to return. Then, a couple of prize recruits were sidelined with injuries.

Small wonder the Rainbow Wahine struggled to stay above .500 in a 16-14 start. But in developing an ironwoman lineup of seven players who would play at least 96 percent of the games, and discovering an enduring ace in Melissa Coogan, things began to fall into place.

Buoyed by their first doubleheader sweep of Fresno — at the house of horrors that has been Bulldog Diamond — the Rainbow Wahine won 21 of their final 25.

In the process, they accomplished at 37-18 (17-3 WAC) a season every bit as glittering as the jewelry that will finally accompany it.