Posted on: Friday, December 24, 2004

ISLE FILE
Shoji heads Hawai'i Hall's class of 2005

Advertiser Staff

Dave Shoji, University of Hawai'i women's volleyball coach, heads the Hawai'i Sports Hall of Fame and Cybermuseum class for 2005.

Joining Shoji for induction will be former sumo grand champion Fiamalu Penitani and soccer organizer Jack Sullivan.

They will be formally inducted at a banquet Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. at the Honolulu Country Club.

Shoji earned selection as a pioneer in Hawai'i women's volleyball, having coached at UH for 30 years.

Penitani, a former Wai'anae High football player who wrestled as Musashimaru, is one of only three foreign-born sumotori to reach yokozuna, the highest rank in the sport of sumo.

Penitani won 12 Emperors' Cups, symbolic of tournament championships, the sixth-highest total in the sport's history. He competed in his last match in Nov. of 2003 and formally retired in Sept. 2004 ceremonies. He remains involved in the sport as a coach.

Sullivan helped organize the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) in Hawai'i. What started with 225 boys at the Ko'olau Boys Home in 1974 has become an organization involving more than 27,000 boys and girls today.

Sullivan was also involved in the development of the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Complex and still actively promotes the sport.

Their induction will bring to more than 100 the number of athletes, pioneers and contributors honored since the hall was started in 1997.

Nominations for the next round of selections may be made in writing to: Hawai'i Sports Hall of Fame, P. O. Box 30666, Hono-lulu, HI 96820-0666. Additional information is available at www.alohafame.org.

FOOTBALL

Kauha'aha'a leaves Baldwin for Weber St.

Although Chad Kauha'aha'a will be making Ogden, Utah, his new home, that doesn't mean he won't be returning to Hawai'i.

Kauha'aha'a became Weber State's defensive line coach after three seasons as varsity football coach at Baldwin High. He was hired by Ron McBride, his former college coach at Utah. McBride was an assistant at Kentucky before landing the Weber State job.

"I love it," Kauha'aha'a said. "I'm getting to do what I've always wanted to do."

In keeping with McBride's tradition of recruiting players from Hawai'i, Kauha'aha'a said he will do the same for Weber State, which is an NCAA I-AA program in Ogden.

Weber State presently doesn't have any players from Hawai'i.

In three seasons at Baldwin, Kauha'aha'a compiled a 24-5-2 record and led the Bears to two Maui Interscholastic League titles.

A successor has yet to be named.

BASKETBALL

Dobson sparks UHH to road victory

Justin Dobson hit all four of his shots and finished with 15 points, lifting the University of Hawai'i-Hilo to a 69-63 victory over host Cal State-Dominguez Hills in a non-conference game last night.

Brian Graham, Osadonor Esene and Joe Marsh each added 10 points for the Vulcans, who improved to 9-1.

Les Norman scored 19 points and Saul Lankster 14 for Dominguez Hills (1-8).