Posted on: Friday, September 26, 2003

ISLE FILE
Nakanishi named head coach at Kamehameha

Advertiser Staff

Former junior varsity coach Jesse Nakanishi has been named the new head boys varsity basketball coach at Kamehameha Schools, athletic director Blane Gaison announced yesterday.

Nakanishi, 26, replaces Darryl Gabriel, who resigned to spend more time with his growing family, according to a school press release. Gabriel guided Kamehameha to the state tournament in both his two years as head coach.

A 1995 Kamehameha Schools graduate, Nakanishi is a former Warrior basketball player who has coached the school's junior varsity team since 2001. Nakanishi, a dormitory advisor at Kamehameha, has also served as a boys varsity assistant coach and boys intermediate head coach.

"Jesse has played and coached for Kamehameha, and it's nice to see him come full circle at the varsity level," Gaison said in the press release. "We like the experience he brings to our program, and our kids just love him."

Nakanishi is a 1999 graduate of Lewis & Clark College (Ore.). He holds a master's degree in counseling and guidance from the University of Hawai'i.

"I definitely have a great sense of pride as an alumnus, former player, current employee and coach at Kamehameha Schools," Nakanishi said in the release. "Truthfully, to be named head coach of a program representing Kamehameha is the greatest honor I've ever been granted."

VOLLEYBALL

• HPU sweeps: Sandra Brunke pounded a match-high 12 kills as 14th-ranked Hawai'i Pacific swept Montana State-Billings 30-21, 30-18, 30-26, in a Pacific West Conference match yesterday in Billings, Mont.

Vera Oliveira had a match-high 34 assists for HPU, which improved to 8-2 overall and 2-0 in the PacWest. The Yellowjackets dropped to 3-9 and 0-2.

Hawai'i Pacific hit .314 and limited Montana State-Billings to .130.

WATER POLO

• BYUH routed: The fourth-ranked California men's water polo team smashed 18th-ranked Brigham Young-Hawai'i, 17-7, yesterday in Berkeley, Calif.

BYUH All-American Vanja Kalabic scored four goals and goalie Peter Caley stopped seven shots, but the Seasiders fell to 2-2 and the Golden Bears improved to 5-2.

The Seasiders continue their road trip today with two games against Santa Clara and MIT in the UC Santa Cruz Slugfest tournament.

GOLF

• UH 16th: The University of Hawai'i women's team stood in 16th place of the 17-team Dick McGuire Invitational after yesterday's first round in Albuquerque, N.M.

UH shot 31-over 323. New Mexico leads with 3-over 295, followed by Oklahoma State (306) and Pepperdine (306).

Rainbow Wahine Dale Gammie and Rene Krause are tied for 50th with 80s.

Kailin Downs of New Mexico leads with a 3-under-par 70. San Diego State's Shayna Miyajima, a Baldwin graduate, is tied for 12th with 75.

CORRECTION

• UH on second trip: The University of Hawai'i women's soccer team is on its second road trip this season. Another figure was reported in yesterday's Advertiser.