KEALAKEKUA — With one fell swoop of her pen, Konawaena senior Chanelle Molina made it official.
In front of family and friends, Molina — the most decorated athlete in Konawaena school history — signed her National Letter of Intent to play basketball for Washington State University on Wednesday.
“I’m really excited to finally make it official,” Molina said. “It makes me think of the future, but also reminisce on my years in high school. Although I’m not done yet, I look back and see how far I have come.”
Molina verbally committed to the Cougars in July, but Wednesday marked the start of the Early Signing Period for high school athletes, giving them their first opportunity to sign a National Letter of Intent.
“We come from a small town and Hawaii is a small state,” Molina said. “There are not many people who get an opportunity like this. I just feel blessed.”
Over two-dozen Division I programs extended scholarship offers to Molina, who has been on the recruiting radar since her freshman year.
There are also reportedly offers on the table from Wazzu for Chanelle’s sisters — junior Celena and sophomore Cherilyn. While all three were decked out in Washington State gear on Wednesday, Chanelle’s younger siblings have yet to make an official decision.
ESPN ranks Chanelle Molina as a five-star recruit. The scouting report on the 5-foot-6, Konawaena guard reads, “Confident floor-leader with consistent offensive game; mid-range game producer, effective off the dribble, delivers results; superb court awareness, interior passer; reads pressure, decision-maker with crafty demeanor; disruptive defender, leader.”
Anyone who has watched Molina perform during her time as a Wildcat or with the uberly successful Kona Stingrays youth program can verify these statements, and her lengthy resume speaks for itself.
Molina is the three-time BIIF basketball Player of the Year and has twice been named the Gatorade Hawaii Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Last year, Molina led the Wildcats to a 33-1 record and the Division I state title. She averaged 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 3.1 steals per game while shooting 57.9 percent from inside the arc. She is also one of the top volleyball players in the state, with a BIIF Player of the Year honor and two state titles in the sport to her name.
That ever-growing list of accolades is likely to grow even longer with her senior year only halfway over and the girls basketball season just around the corner.
“I think Chanelle has had the most outstanding career any Wildcat athlete has ever had,” Konawaena athletic director Bill Trumbo said. “Not only is she a great member of teams, but she is undoubtedly one of the greatest young people I have been around.”
Molina is the third big recruit that Washington State has snagged out of West Hawaii in recent years. Dawnyelle Awa and Lia Galdeira — 2012 Konawaena grads — also signed with the Cougars. Awa is entering her senior season, while Galdeira opted to forgo her senior year and instead turn her sights on the professional game.
June Daugherty is the head coach at Washington State. The Pac-12 squad opened the season with a 79-37 exhibition game victory over Lewis-Clark State. The Cougars tip off their official campaign Friday against UC Santa Barbara, but will be in the Aloha State for the Rainbow Wahine Classic from Nov. 20-22.
Molina said she will likely be able to see her future team in action, as the Wildcats will be playing on Oahu in a tournament the same weekend.
While her decision on where she will play at the next level is decided, there is still at least one more thing on her to-do list before she trades in her Wildcat green for Cougar Crimson.
“This has made me more hungry to win another state title,” Molina said. “We want to end it with a bang.”