2013-2014 Academic All-PacWest Teams Announced

Earning good grades while playing a collegiate sport is no easy task to accomplish, but 1,469 student-athletes from across the PacWest Conference managed to achieve it this season.

The conference, which sponsors 15 different sports for schools in Hawai`i, California, and Utah, honored those distinguished athletes by releasing its 2013-2014 Academic All-PacWest selections Tuesday.

In order to qualify, a student-athlete must receive a minimum 3.0 grade point average while being eligible to practice or play in their sport.

The University of Hawai`i at Hilo was represented by 76 student-athletes spanning 12 different sports. Baseball boasts the highest amount of academic selections with 13. Softball followed closely behind with 12 while women’s soccer followed with 11.

Each of the 12 sports sponsored by UH-Hilo were represented by at least three student-athletes. There were no selections in men’s cross country and men’s and women’s track and field, since the university does not field teams in those sports.

California Baptist and Azusa Pacific led the way with 150 honorees this year. Dixie State was next with 147 academic selections.

Six other athletes with either Big Island or Hawai`i-Hilo ties also received recognition by the PacWest. Four of them (Kai Fink, Ryan Torres-Torioka, Ryley Chong, Chelsea Buyuan) are products of Big Island high schools. Amu Rosen, a Hilo-born basketball player who joined Chaminade from Kingwood High School in Texas, was also honored by the conference. Former Vulcan softball player Jasmine Dickenson, now at Academy of Art, also made the list.

Baseball

Kai Fink (Sophomore) – Academy of Art (3.69, Acting)*

Keanu Arke (Fresnman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.40, Kinesiology)

William Cleary (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.17, Kinesiology)

Ryan Fukunaga (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.21, Kinesiology)*

Harrison Guiol (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.00, Communication)

Christopher Hubocan (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.08, Communication)

Adrian Huff (Redshirt Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.28, Computer Science)*

Jarin Kadooka (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.53, Kinesiology)

Samuel Kim (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.13, Business Administration)

Sean Nearhoof (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.18, Communication)

Keenan Nishioka (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.54, Mathematics)*

Sheldon Shishido (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.37, Kinesiology)*

Travis Stancil (Redshirt Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.06, Business Administration)*

Will Thayer III (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.26, Business Administration)

Ryan Torres-Torioka (Freshman) – Hawai`i Pacific (3.06, Business Administration)*

Men’s Basketball

Amu Rosen (Redshirt Freshman) – Chaminade (3.75, Computer Science)**

Derek Owens (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.33, Business Administration)

Daniel Perry (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.58, Communication)

Lucas Swanson (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.17, Administration of Justice)

Women’s Basketball

Danielle Kooyman (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.55, Kinesiology)

McKenzie Mangino (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.20, Communication)

Hayley Reynolds (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.28, Communication)

Women’s Cross Country

Jordan Concannon (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.48, Physics)

Keri Fujiwara (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.27, Kinesiology)

Brenna Halverson (Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (4.00, Geology)

Kaylee Rapoza (Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.10, Pre-Nursing)*

Shelby Tanaka (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.85, Nursing)

Megan Washburn (Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.44, Astronomy)

Men’s Golf

Corey Kozuma (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.53, Business Administration)

Kyeton-Allen Littel (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.05, Business Administration)

Takashi Murayama (Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.42, Undeclared)

Ryley Chong (Freshman) – Notre Dame de Namur (3.67, Business)*

Women’s Golf

Dayna Bersamin (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.14, Business Administration)

Erika Morihiro (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.47, Psychology)

Kristen Sawada (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.33, Biology)

Men’s Soccer

Maxwell Darris (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.08, Biology)*

Cassidy Dixon (Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.46, Kinesiology)*

David Robinson (Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.06, Undeclared)*

Justin Shiigi (Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.84, Mathematics)*

Bennjamin Siemers (Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.57, Kinesiology)

James Yamane (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.00, Business Administration)*

Women’s Soccer

Kailah Buchanan (Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (4.00, Marine Science)

Lauren Grace-Finley (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.25, Kinesiology)*

Danalynne Llacuna (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.56, Kinesiology)

Alexandra Marin (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.55, Kinesiology)

Chloe Nishioka (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.92, Biology)*

Kristine Pasek (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.88, Kinesiology)

Lindsey Poulsen (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.66, Accounting)

Analysa Rodriguez (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.19, Kinesiology)

Jenna Rubin (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.00, Marine Science)

Caroline Stromick (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.80, Kinesiology)

Abcde Zoller (Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.51, Hawaiian Studies/Anthropology)

Softball

Jasmine Dickenson (Junior) – Academy of Art (3.17, Photography)***

Colleen Aubrey (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.42, Kinesiology)

Kaylie Drew (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.64, Sociology)

Emily Greene (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.36, Communication)

Margaret Harris (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.66, Communication)

Brittany Huff (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.11, Kinesiology)

Rebecca Lee (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.44, Business Administration)

Arren Nunez (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.24, Kinesiology)

Hannah Peterson (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.04, Biology)

Danielle Pulido (Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.28, Computer Science)

Kristina Victa (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.11, Kinesiology)

Danielle Wilson (Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.21, Business Administration)

Mariah Wyckoff (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.17, Psychology)

Men’s Tennis

Thomas Dols (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.21, History)

Nicolas Franco (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.12, Kinesiology)

Thomas Greer-Smith (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.13, Kinesiology)

Kainoa Rosa (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.75, Administration of Justice)

Makoa Rosa (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.63, Communication)

Spencer Travalino (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.11, Undeclared)*

Women’s Tennis

Trixie Croad (Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.94, Sociology)

Megan Fujitake (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.29, Pre-Veterinary Science)*

Morrisa Kahakui (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.68, Psychology)

Robin Lockwood (Sophomore) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.14, Marine Science)

Volleyball

Mariya Heidenrich (Redshirt Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.26, Kinesiology)

Meagan Mahiko (Redshirt Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.11, Communication)

Kelia Parrilla (Senior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.05, Pharmacy)

Kyndra Trevino-Scott (Freshman) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.26, Biology)

Abbey Wade (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.22, Kinesiology)

Stacey Witt (Junior) – Hawai`i-Hilo (3.60, Communication)

Chelsea Buyuan (Senior) – Hawai`i Pacific (3.78, Biology and Health Services)*

* – Former Big Island high school athlete

** – Born in Hilo. Played high school basketball in Texas.

*** – Former Hawai`i-Hilo student-athlete.