Peterson, Naish, Ishii, DeSoto named to Hall
Advertiser Staff
A foursome that helped put Hawai'i on the national and international sports map will be inducted into the Hawai'i Sports Hall of Fame today at Honolulu Country Club.
Sharon Peterson, Robbie Naish, David Ishii and John DeSoto Jr. make up the class of 2003-04.
Peterson played on the first two U.S. Olympic women's volleyball teams (1964 and 1968) before coming to Hawai'i. She coached at Punahou, then moved to the Big Island where she guided the University of Hawai'i-Hilo to seven national titles.
Peterson was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1988.
Naish took up windsurfing in 1974 at the age of 11. He won the first of 24 world titles two years later. Naish was the world windsurfing champion four consecutive years (1976-1979) and won six world crowns overall, helping popularize the sport internationally.
In 1999, CNN/SI named Naish one of the 50 greatest sports figures from Hawai'i.
Ishii is the last Hawai'i player to win on the PGA Tour, capturing the 1990 Hawaiian Open. The 1973 state high school champion from Kaua'i still plays professionally in Japan, where he has won 16 titles and more than $8 million.
Ishii was also a member of the University of Houston's 1977 NCAA national championship team, and has won six Hawai'i Pearl Opens and five Rainbow Opens.
DeSoto, who spent four terms on the Honolulu City Council, was the Hawai'i State Motorcycle Champion from 1965 to '67. He is a two-time national motocross champion (1971-72) and was the first American to represent the United States on the World 250cc Motocross Grand Prix Circuit in Europe.
DeSoto was a world record holder in the 24-Hour Enduro Race's 40-and-older class, and was inducted into the American Motorcyclist Association Hall of Fame as a pioneer in 1999.
The Hall of Fame is a nonprofit, educational partnership with the state of Hawai'i. Its purpose is to "record for all time, with pictures, videos and in cyberspace, the outstanding accomplishments of Hawai'i's world-class athletes."
This induction will bring the number of athletes, pioneers and contributors honored to nearly 100. The hall started in 1997.
The Hall's Web site is at www.alohafame.org.
