Hall of Honor Induction Includes HPA’s Ewing

Hawa’i Preparatory Academy can now claim a seventh student-athlete into the Enterprise Rent-a-Car/Hawai’i High School Athletic Association Hall of Honor.

Gabbie Ewing, a soccer and volleyball standout for Ka Makani, was officially inducted into the prestigious hall during a dinner ceremony Sunday night at Dole Cannery’s Pomaikai Ballroom in Honolulu.

The Hall of Honor is nothing new to Ewing. “My cousins, Jessica Hanato and Dawnyelle Awa, have been in the Hall of Honor before, so I kinda felt like I was accepted into the sisterhood.”

Her cousins were pivotal players in Konawaena High School’s girls basketball dynasty, with Hanato helping to start the championship tradition and Awa, along with another Hall of Honor inductee in Lia Galdiera, keeping it alive.

Ewing, unlike Hanato and Awa, was a key force in multiple sports. In girls volleyball, she was a key attacker for Ka Makani, leading her team to two league championships and the same amount of state tournament appearances. HPA lost in the state title match in her junior year. Ewing also dabbled in track and field and softball.

It was soccer, however, where Ewing really made her mark. She played in four consecutive state championship games, helping lead her team to wins in her junior and senior years. In both championship seasons, she was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Volleyball was what Ewing initially wanted to excel in, but things changed early on in high school at Hawai’i Prep. “Once I got to high school, in my sophomore year, I just completely fell in love with soccer. My goals completely changed.”

Ewing received guidance from coaches who have had years of experience and success behind them: volleyball coach Sharon Peterson and soccer coach Stephen Perry, who also serves as the school’s athletic director.

“For Sharon, she teaches a lot of mental toughness, and that has been such a huge part of shaping my character and helping me to be a better athlete, better student, better person,” Ewing explained. “For (Stephen) Perry, he’s just always taught me to work hard. No matter what you do, be humble and work hard.”

Concordia University was one of four schools to offer Ewing a scholarship to play soccer. The Cavaliers, a Division II school in Portland, Ore., beat out Southern Utah, Colorado Mesa, and Highline Community College for Ewing’s talents.

Ewing won’t be the only Hawaiian-born player to play for Concordia and coach Grant Landy. Joining her will be Mililani graduate Kayla Braunthal, a midfielder who played on the same club team with Ewing, the Honolulu Bulls.

Another Big Island graduate and Hall of Honor inductee, Francesca Weems, was the guest speaker at Sunday night’s event. Weems graduated from Kealakehe High School in 2005. She returned to the islands earlier this year as sports anchor and reporter at Hawai’i News Now.

Eleven other student-athletes, all from Oahu, joined Ewing in this year’s class. New members included Kamuela Borden of ‘Iolani (football, basketball, track and field), Sabrina Hollins of Waipahu (judo, track and field, wrestling), BJ Hosaka of Hawai’i Baptist Academy (basketball, volleyball), Punahou’s Kawika Lam (tennis), Kamehameha-Kapalama graduate Sarah Lau (volleyball, soccer, track and field), Lau’s teammate, Tiyana Hallums (volleyball and track and field), Lena Hayakawa of Mid-Pacific (swimming), Campbell ace pitcher Ian Kahaloa (baseball), Kamehameha-Kapalama’s Kanoa Kaleoaloha (swimming), Micah Ma’a of Punahou (football, basketball, volleyball), and fellow Buffanblu athlete Kanawai Noa (football, basketball, track and field).