Kaiser’s Aholelei OIA East Softball Player Of The Year
Kaiser High’s Seli Aholelei has been selected as OIA East Softball Player of the Year, the league announced recently.
A junior pitcher, Aholelei was one of the catalysts for the Cougars this spring, going 9-1 on the mound with an earned run average of 1.38 in 50.6 innings pitched.
She was also a force at the plate, batting .543 with seven home runs and a state-best 34 RBI. Of Aholelei’s 38 hits, 23 went for extra bases.
OIA All-Star teams are chosen in a vote of league coaches at season’s end.
With Aholelei and a stellar supporting cast, Kaiser went 15-3 overall this past season, including a 12-0 mark in the East.
The Cougars won their first 13 games before losing to eventual OIA champion Mililani in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Kaiser finished third in the OIA and went on to take sixth at the Division I state softball championships.
Aholelei was joined on the East’s First Team by pitcher Crystal Ching-Lake, third baseman Rainelle Matsuoka and outfielder Kai Hasegawa.
Ching-Lake went 6-2 on the mound to go with a couple of saves in 58 innings of work. She also gave the Cougars a huge boost, offensively, batting .529. Matsuoka hit .436 with a pair of home runs.
The Cougars also placed first baseman Marissa Oda and out-fielder Elyse Tsutsui on the East’s Second Team. Both are juniors.
Tiana Ching-Lake, Chelsea Soong, Haley Suzuki and Kayla Russell all received Honorable Mentions from Kaiser.
Kaimuki saw four players earn Honorable Mentions: Dacyleen Amond, Kaela Nera, Brandi Kekoa-Phiffer and Kuuipo Sefo.
In DII, Kalani High senior outfielder Kassidy Misaki was named to the OIA’s Second Team.
Receiving Honorable Mention from the Falcons, who finished 4-8 this spring, were Jacianne Furuya, Tony-Lynn Ibara and Logan Luke.
Nam Leads East All-Stars in Golf
Kaiser’s Malia Nam was named the OIA East’s Player of the Year in girls golf, the league revealed recently.
Nam was the OIA’s Individual champion this spring and went on to finish seventh at the state golf championships.
Nam was joined on the East’s First Team by Cougar teammate Keila Baladad, who had finished fourth in the OIA.
Mika Walker and Soo Min Joo were named to the Second Team from Kaiser.
Additionally, Kaiser’s Wade Nakamura was chosen as the East’s Coach of the Year by his peers.
Kalani had a pair of players make the First Team in Miki Manta and Kaia Takaki.
Manta took third in the OIA and 11th overall in the state. Kainani Ho and Melissa Yago were both named to the Second Team from Kalani.
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