Four multitalented athletes with a combined seven Hawaii High School Athletic Association state championships and 21 Big Island Interscholastic Federation titles have been named recipients of the 10th annual Roy Fujimoto Athletic Scholarships.
The scholarship winners are Konawaena’s Dawnyelle Awa, Keaau’s Jaclanne “Jacy” Pagala, Honokaa’s Chayce Moniz and Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Megan Aina. Each student-athlete will receive a $1,500 stipend to be used for college.
The annual scholarship program, named after former BIIF Executive Director Roy Fujimoto, who retired in 2004, is for high school seniors. It is sponsored by KTA Super Stores and the BIIF.
The recipients are chosen based on their athletic and academic achievements, and community service.
“Roy dedicated a lot of his life to the BIIF,” said current BIIF Executive Director Lyle Crozier, who oversees the nine-member scholarship selection committee that met May 6 at Honokaa High to select the honorees.
Crozier said Fujimoto worked hard to improve the league in various ways, and he worked well with the athletic directors and principals.
“But his thoughts were always with the student-athletes first and how we could make things better for them,” Crozier said.
Thirty-nine Big Island seniors applied for the 2012 scholarships.
“This was one of the toughest years for the selection committee,” Crozier said. “In getting down to the final four, there were a handful of other high-quality applicants in the running. But after thoroughly combing over each application, the committee selected four student-athletes that we believe are outstanding recipients for the scholarships.”
Crozier added: “The selection committee felt that Dawnyelle, Jaclanne, Chayce and Megan excelled in their athletic accomplishments as well as in their strong academic work and community service.”
KTA Super Stores President Barry Taniguchi said the title sponsor “is honored to participate in this annual program, working hand-in-hand with the BIIF.”
“We would like to extend our congratulations to the 2012 recipients,” Taniguchi said. “We wish them well academically and athletically as they move on to the collegiate level.”
The 2012 honorees are:
c Dawnyelle Awa, a four-year starter in basketball and a two-year starter in volleyball.
In basketball, Awa, a three-time team captain, helped lead Konawaena to four straight BIIF titles and three HHSAA state titles in four seasons under her coaches and parents, Bobbie and Donny Awa of Captain Cook. In that four-year period, the Wildcats finished with a 110-8 record overall, including 49-0 in the BIIF.
Along the way, Awa earned first-team All-BIIF honors four straight seasons, including co-Player of the Year in 2010 and Player of the Year in 2011. She was a first-team all-state selection her final three years, and she also earned a spot on the HHSAA state championships’ all-tournament squad four years in a row.
This season, Awa was named Hawaii’s Gatorade Player of the Year.
In volleyball, Awa helped lead Konawaena to its first state tournament appearance in 13 years. The Wildcats placed fifth at states.
Awa had a 3.42 cumulative grade point average and scored a 1,320 on her SAT. She will attend Washington State University next year on a basketball scholarship, along with all-state Konawaena teammate Lia Galdeira.
Awa plans to major in business administration.
c Jaclanne “Jacy” Pagala, a four-year standout in basketball, soccer and softball.
She earned first-team All-BIIF honors in basketball and soccer the past two years, and she was a first-team All-BIIF pick in softball this season. She also competed in track and field as a senior.
Pagala was an outstanding role model as a student-athlete and leader at Keaau High, earning various school awards during her four-year career.
Named to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald’s All-Academic Basketball Team four times, Pagala had a 3.9 cumulative GPA and scored a 1,510 on her SAT. She plans to major in health studies at Chaminade University next year.
Pagala is the daughter of Jun and Brandi Pagala of Keaau.
c Chayce Moniz, a four-year standout in soccer and cross country, and a two-year standout in track and football.
In soccer, he helped lead the Dragons to three straight BIIF titles, two consecutive HHSAA state crowns and a state runner-up finish. He earned first-team All-BIIF honors his final two years, and he was named BIIF Player of the Year and first-team all-state in 2012.
In cross country, Moniz helped Honokaa claim four straight league titles. He was named first-team All-BIIF his final three years, capturing the BIIF individual crown in 2011.
In track, he was the league champion in the 1,500- and 3,000-meter runs as a junior, and he was the BIIF runner-up in the 800 run as a sophomore.
In soccer, cross country and track, he was a team captain.
In football, he was the Dragons’ kicker his final two years.
Moniz had a 3.51 cumulative GPA and scored a 1,770 on his SAT. He plans on majoring in engineering at the Colorado School of Mines next year.
Moniz is the son of Jason and Jeri Moniz of Paauilo.
c Megan Aina, a four-year standout in wrestling and judo. She was the BIIF champion in both sports four straight years while also capturing an HHSAA gold medal in wrestling as a sophomore and a state gold medal in judo as a senior.
She is believed to be the only BIIF athlete to ever win four straight individual championships in two different sports during her high school career. Add in the two state gold medals to go along with first-place wrestling finishes in the Punahou Invitational (twice), Maui Invitational (twice) and Officials Tournament (once), Aina has won an amazing 15 individual titles.
Aina’s Kamehameha teams have won three BIIF wrestling titles and four judo crowns.
Aina had a 3.32 cumulative GPA and scored a 1,250 on her SAT. She plans majoring in business at the University of Hawaii at Hilo next year.
Aina is the daughter of Charles Aina Jr. and Jamie Aina of Hilo.
Members of the selection committee are Lyle Crozier (BIIF Executive Director), Ron Tomosada (Pahoa athletic director), Keith Tolentino (Honokaa AD), Kalei Namohala (Ka’u AD), Stan Costales (Sports Line), Bill O’Rear (Tribune-Herald sports editor), Joe Ferraro (West Hawaii Today sports editor) and Craig Hamamoto (KTA Super Super Stores). Roy Fujimoto (ex-BIIF executive director) is an honorary member.
