But the past few months it's been lonely at the top.

In September, Hawai'i was stripped of its NCAA championship after it was determined that two-time national Player of the Year Costas Theocharidis was a member of a professional team in Greece before he enrolled at UH.

While the NCAA's action is being appealed, the forfeiture was The Advertiser's pick as the Hawai'i Sports Story of the Year in 2003.

Theocharidis, a four-time All-America outside hitter who finished his UH career in April, told The Advertiser in August he was the target of the NCAA investigation.

The NCAA ruled that Theocharidis, who was raised in Greece, played in 22 matches for a professional team in Europe before enrolling at UH in August 1999. Although UH officials said the accused player did not receive a salary or sign a contract, a player forfeits his amateur status by being a member of a professional team, according to NCAA rules.

The Warriors, who beat Pepperdine in four games to win the 2002 national title, were ordered to relinquish their championship and pay a $5,000 fine.

Theocharidis' achievements — he is the only player named to the NCAA All-America volleyball team four times — will be erased from the record books. He must return all of his NCAA awards.

UH officials said the penalty was harsh for the infraction and appealed. A ruling on the appeal is expected soon.

Even if they lose the appeal, the other Warriors will be allowed to keep their championship rings.

"I'm keeping my ring," former UH outside hitter Tony Ching told The Advertiser in September. "I won it. According to the NCAA, they said I didn't win it. According to me, my family, my teammates and, hopefully, the state, we won. Everybody saw it. We won fair and square. We didn't use anything supernatural."

Theocharidis, who graduated last month, was given UH's Jack Bonham Award at the school's scholar-athlete breakfast in May.

Last week, it was reported that 2003 national champion Lewis (Ill.) notified the NCAA, following an internal investigation, that it used an ineligible player this past season. An NCAA ruling is pending.

2. Megabucks: New contract for Jones

(No. 2) June Jones: UH football coach became state's highest-paid employee.

In June, the university's Board of Regents unanimously approved a contract calling for an annual salary of $400,008, which would be matched by private donations. The $800,016 made Jones Hawai'i's highest-paid state employee.

Jones signed his first UH contract in January 1999 and it was set to expire this month. The new contract, which he signed in September, superceded the old one and will run through June 2008.

At first, Jones balked at signing the new contract partly because he wanted assurances that details of the contract would not be made public.

But in August, the state's Office of Information Practices ruled that Jones' current and previous contracts would be disclosed.

"We find that, because of the public nature of his position and the fact that he is one of the, if not the, highest-paid state employees, Coach Jones' privacy interests relating to the contract are outweighed by the public's right to know," the OIP wrote in its ruling.

In the new contract, in addition to the annual salary, Jones could earn as much as $130,000 per year in bonus pay, including $50,000 for taking UH to a BCS bowl game and $20,000 for winning the Western Athletic Conference championship. Jones can also earn $15,000 if football season ticket sales reach 32,500, and an additional $15,000 if sales reach 40,000. None of those incentives was reached this season.

Unlike the previous contract, the new deal did not include a bonus or payment for the team's academic progress, achieving a winning record or private school tuition for two children.

The private donors to Jones' salary were not part of the contract and were not required to be made public. All but two of the donors, one of which was the football team's booster club, wished to remain anonymous, according to a UH official.

3. Wie's world: Teen goes national

(No. 3) Michelle Wie: Teen golf phenom won U.S. Women's Public Links title.

Wie, then 13, spent the summer prior to her freshman year at Punahou School playing in several Mainland tournaments, a trek of more than 20,000 miles, highlighted by her victory in the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.

On June 22, Wie beat former NCAA champion Virada Nirapathpongporn, 1-up, to become the youngest player to win a U.S. Golf Association adult event.

Wie also played in the final group on Sunday before placing ninth in her first LPGA major, the Nabisco Classic in March.

She played in seven LPGA tournaments as well as against male pros in Nationwide and Canadian tour tournaments this year.

Wie was featured in Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine, and was interviewed by Bryant Gumbel for his HBO show, "Real Sports."

Her splash on the national scene wasn't without controversy. After a run-in with pro Danielle Ammaccapane over course etiquette, Wie's father, BJ, temporarily removed himself as her caddy.

But her smile, friendly demeanor, and powerful swing were hard to ignore.

"I loved it," Wie told The Advertiser when asked about her summer odyssey. "I like school, too, but I loved those three months I had with my parents and coach every day on the golf course, just having fun."

Coming up for Wie: another busy year, including an exempt spot in the PGA's Sony Open in Hawai'i in two weeks and possibly her first high school golf season.

(See more about Wie in the Golf Report )

4. Magnificent seven: Rainbows return to final 4

(No. 4) Women's volleyball: Led by seven seniors, UH returned to final four.

Almost everything was going in their favor until the Rainbow Wahine (36-2) lost to Florida in four games in the national semifinals at Dallas.

Prior to that Hawai'i's only loss was to defending national champion Southern California in the second match of the season.

The 'Bows, once again, dominated the Western Athletic Conference season (13-0) and won their fourth WAC tournament in a row.

The Rainbow Wahine also were given the rare opportunity to host first- and second-round matches as well as a regional en route to the final four.

Seniors Kim Willoughby, Melissa Villaroman, Nohea Tano, Karin Lundqvist, Lily Kahumoku, Maja Gustin and Lauren Duggins compiled 130 victories in their UH careers.

"At the end, they were just solid people, so solid as a group and individuals," coach Dave Shoji said. "I gained a lot of respect for all of them. Every player has had ups and downs, but in the end everyone was there for each other. That was really nice to see."

Willoughby, a three-time first-team All-American, was named national Player of the Year and setter Kanoe Kamana'o was Freshman of the Year.

Kahumoku, who was named to the All-America team last year, was a second-team choice this year.

Hawai'i finished third in the national poll, behind Southern Cal, which defeated No. 2 Florida for its second consecutive title.

Willoughby finished as the UH career leader in kills, digs and aces.

5. Fantastic finish: Kahuku champs

(No. 5) Kahuku football: Red Raiders edged Saint Louis in state final.

Kahuku defeated Saint Louis, 27-26, on Darren Magalolo's 3-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds remaining to win the Division I title.

What happened shortly before and after that play, however, were keys to the victory.

Magalolo's touchdown was set up by Toriano Taulogo's 62-yard punt return that gave the Red Raiders — who were without any timeouts — first-and-goal on the 3 with 22 seconds left.

On the kickoff after Magalolo's touchdown, the Red Raiders were penalized for being offsides. They then committed a 15-yard late-hit penalty, moving Saint Louis from its own 47 to the Kahuku 38 with seconds left.

C.J. Santiago's 55-yard field-goal attempt was short, but Kahuku was called for roughing the kicker, moving the ball to Kahuku's 23.

But Santiago, who made four field goals earlier in the game, couldn't convert the fifth — a 40-yarder — as time expired.

"It was good to the last second," Red Raiders coach Siuaki Livai said. "The fans couldn't ask for a better game."

Either Kahuku or Saint Louis had won the four prior state championships. Kahuku finished 14-0 this season to win its third state title.

Saint Louis (9-2) nearly won its second consecutive title with a new head coach. Last year, the Crusaders won with Delbert Tengan. This season, 26-year-old Darnell Arceneaux guided his alma mater to the Interscholastic League of Honolulu title and the state championship game.

6. UH football: See-saw season

(No. 6) UH football: Warriors capped up-and-down season with Hawai'i Bowl win.

In between, the road was anything but smooth for the Warriors, who finished 9-5.

After the season opener, there were consecutive road losses to then-No. 4 (now No. 1) Southern California and UNLV.

The Warriors were picked to win the WAC by the media. But losses at Tulsa and Nevada contributed to UH's 5-3 conference record and a fourth-place finish.

The Warriors secured their seventh win and second Hawai'i Bowl berth with a victory over Army. They also avenged a 2002 loss to Alabama with a 37-29 victory behind quarterback Jason Whieldon, who replaced a struggling Chang.

The regular season ended with a 45-28 loss to WAC champion Boise State.

Chang finished strong, sparking a 54-48 victory over Houston in triple overtime in the Hawai'i Bowl on Christmas Day.

An announced crowd of 25,551 watched Chang, a junior, finish 26 of 42 for 475 yards, moving into third place in the NCAA career passing list with 12,814 yards.

Hawai'i might have received a black eye when a post-game fight was broadcast live on national TV.

LaBoy was named WAC Defensive Player of the Year, while slotback Chad Owens, defensive tackle Isa'ako Sopoaga, safety Hyrum Peters and cornerback Kelvin Millhouse also were on the all-WAC first-team.

7. Grand exit: Musashimaru retires from sumo

The retirement of Musashimaru — Wai'anae's Fiamalu Penitani — in November from Japan's national sport of sumo signaled the end of an era.

Hawai'i wrestlers have been part of Japan sumo for 39 years; for the past 35 years at least one Hawai'i sumotori has held a ranking in the sport's top division, an unbroken line from Jesse (Takamiyama) Kuhaulua to Salevaa (Konishiki) Atisanoe, Chad (Akebono) Rowan, George (Yamato) Kalima and Penitani.

But now there are none.

The 6-foot-3, 521-pound Musa-shimaru rose to the highest rank of yokozuna and became the most decorated of all the Hawai'i sumotori with 12 championships, sixth best all-time. He succumbed to a chronic wrist injury, which has forced him to either sit out or drop out of every tournament since November 2002.

Since starting in sumo when he was 18, Musashimaru was among the sport's most consistent performers, with a string of 55 tournaments with a winning record.

8. Major leap: Williams in the bigs

Four years after graduating from Waipahu High in 1999, Jerome Williams found himself pitching for the San Francisco Giants.

Williams shared a locker room with the game's most feared hitter in Barry Bonds, veteran outfielder Marquis Grissom, infielder Ray Durham and pitcher Jason Schmidt.

"In the beginning, I was real nervous, seeing the guys I've seen on TV," Williams, 21, told The Advertiser. "There's Barry's locker, Marquis' locker, Ray's locker. Jason Schmidt. All these veteran guys. Just being around these guys, the atmosphere, it was a great feeling. They treated me like a kid. That's how they treat rookies, especially for me, being at a young age. They treated me well, but like a kid."

In his rookie season, The Kid went 7-5 with an 3.30 earned run average in helping San Francisco win the NL West pennant.

During the regular season, Williams beat Arizona Diamondbacks aces Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix.

9. D2 football: Hit for inaugural game

The state high school Division II football tournament — the brainchild of Hawai'i High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya — had people talking from the start. Not all of it was positive.

Despite resistance from the O'ahu Interscholastic Association, the concept was approved by the HHSAA board on a recommendation from the state's athletic directors.

Amemiya promised to help fund the tournament with his own money if it was approved. But First Hawaiian Bank and other companies stepped up to sponsor the Division I and II tournaments.

Teams were asked to declare for Division I or II status prior to the season, and it made for interesting story lines entering the tournaments.

Waimea, which had dominated the Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation in recent years, was the only KIF team to declare for Division II and got an automatic tournament berth. The two other Garden Island schools battled for the Division I berth, won by Kaua'i High.

Lahainaluna and Pac-Three were the only Division II schools on Maui and the Lunas won the tournament berth with one regular-season victory.

But in the end, the six-team Division II tournament sparked interest at the schools and communities involved with games played on O'ahu, Kaua'î and Maui.

'Aiea defeated Damien, 9-7, giving coach Wendell Say his first championship after 12 years as head coach. Say was The Advertiser's state Coach of the Year.

10. Irons age: Surfer repeats as world champion

Last year, Andy Irons won professional surfing's world championship in the second-to-last meet of the season — this time he saved the best for last.

Kaua'i's Irons became the first male surfer from Hawai'i to win back-to-back world championships, surpassing Kelly Slater in the final meet of the year, the Pipeline Masters championships last month.

Irons entered the Pipeline Masters ranked second in the world, but beat out Florida's Slater by winning the contest. Slater finished fourth in the event.

"Last year was incredible, but this year more so," Irons said. "To come from behind against a champion like Kelly — nobody's supposed to do that."

Irons made it a clean sweep of the championships, also winning the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing title, which is awarded to the best overall performer in the three North Shore contests held over the past six weeks.

Derek Ho (1993) and Sunny Garcia (2000) are the only other surfers from Hawai'i to win the World Championship, which started in 1976.

Honor roll

Other stories receiving consideration:

• The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team finished 19-12, including an 84-70 loss to Minnesota in the second round of the NIT in March. UH finished sixth in the WAC and lost to Tulsa in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament.

Junior guard Carl English was selected to the All-WAC first team. In April, English left the Rainbow Warriors for a shot at the pros.

The 'Bows capped the year by defeating Fairfield for an unprecedented third consecutive Rainbow Classic title.

• Even after a $1 million loan from the school, the University of Hawai'i athletic department projected a $480,472 deficit for the last fiscal year. Based on unaudited figures, UH said it spent $18.1 million for the fiscal year that concluded June 30, approximately $1.3 million more than the previous year, which also involved a deficit.

Revenues fell $1.8 million short of projections in 2003, according to the report.

• Cornell University's Travis Lee, a three-time state high school wrestling champion from Saint Louis, became the first Hawai'i athlete to win an NCAA wrestling title.

Lee, a sophomore, won the NCAA Division I 125-pound wrestling championship, scoring a takedown with 24 seconds left to upset top-ranked Chris Fleeger of Purdue, 6-4, at Kansas City, Mo., in March. Lee's season record was 33-0.

• Saint Louis' Jonathan Spiker became the second wrestler to win four Hawai'i High School Athletic Association boys championships in March. Spiker was ranked No. 9 at 152 pounds in the final Intermat.com rankings of high school seniors. He is wrestling at Harvard this season.

Moanalua's Caylene Valdez became the first four-time girls state champion.

• Derrick Low, the most highly recruited basketball player in Hawai'i high school history, made a verbal commitment in August to play for Washington State.

As a junior, Low led Iolani to its second consecutive state high school title with a 61-37 victory over Saint Louis in February.

• Hilo defeated Central Chesterfield, Va., 16-8, to win the Senior League World Series championship at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor, Maine, in August.

The Big Island team was the first from the West region since 1982 to claim the title for 14- to 16-year-olds.

• The University of Hawai'i softball team won the WAC championship and an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships. Hawai'i lost to Southwest Texas State, 2-1, in the regional semifinals.

The Rainbow Wahine finished 40-20. First baseman Stacey Porter earned first team All-America honors from Easton Sports.

• Mililani High School's boys soccer team defeated Punahou, 2-1, in double overtime to win its third consecutive state championship in February.

• Stephanie Kono, a 14-year-old Punahou eighth-grader, won four events (including two state majors): the Jennie K. Wilson Invitational, the HSWGA Stroke Play Championship, the Hawai'i State Women's Open and the Hawai'i State Junior Golf Association's Tournament of Champions.

• The University of Hawai'i women's soccer team tied with Southern Methodist for the regular-season WAC title, but lost to Rice, 4-1, in the conference tournament semifinals in November. Sophomore forward Natasha Kai was named WAC Player of the Year.

The Rainbow Wahine finished 13-5-2.

• Six Kamehameha varsity football players were suspended for the Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship game in November. Saint Louis beat the Warriors, 51-19, for the ILH title.

• Ernie Els opened the PGA season with consecutive victories at the Mercedes Championships and Sony Open in Hawai'i in January.

• Kalaheo High's Pete Smith, one of most successful basketball coaches in Hawai'i high school history, lost consciousness after a heart attack following colon cancer surgery in November. Smith, who retired in March, regained consciousness more than a week after suffering the heart attack, according to a family friend. Smith's Kalaheo boys team won state championships in 1985, 1995 and 2001.

• Mike Sheldt, a freshman swimmer at UH, died at practice in March at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex. Sheldt, of Charlotte, N.C., had an undetected heart problem that likely caused him to lose consciousness and drown, according to the medical examiner.