The Waiakea four are back together again on the UH-Hilo women’s golf team, ready to renew their inherited team camaraderie.
So let’s introduce them by class standing: junior Kaelyn Uchida (2018 graduate), sophomore Tia Kualii (2019), Northern Arizona sophomore transfer Tori Hironaga (2019), and freshman Kailey Oki (2021).
They started at the Hawaii Pacific Shootout season opener and finished third out of four teams on Sept. 13 at Pearl Country Club.
The Sonoma State Invitational runs Monday-Tuesday at Santa Rosa, Calif., where coach Jim DeMello is hoping to see their hard work pay off.
“We’ve been practicing hard and working hard,” he said. “They all get along, work together, study together, play together, do a lot of things together.
“Tori was at Northern Arizona, Covid hit, and she came home. She has experience. She hits it straight and far. Kaelyn hits the ball very well. Tia is consistent. Kailey is short off the tee. She needs to get a little stronger and will definitely help us. She’s got a very good short game.”
It feels like old times for Uchida, the Vulcan veteran.
“We grew up playing with each other throughout Big Island Junior Golf and HSJGA, even high school which makes this next chapter a lot more exciting,” she said. “I look forward to making many more memories with the girls.”
Hironaga pointed out that the team chemistry extends to the other teammates, too. The other golfers are Kiri Oshiro, a senior from Kauai; Carli Shimokihara, a sophomore from Mililani; and Taryn Taguma, a freshman from Kauai.
“I think in general, having a team made up of girls from Hawaii is great because we share similar local values and a style of living in Hawaii has taught us,” she said.
The Lumberjacks transfer also had another connection. She’s first cousins with Ethan Hironaga, a UHH freshman and 2020 Hilo graduate.
“We get to bond over golf and being student-athletes,” Hironaga said. “Sometimes, the men’s and women’s teams participate in the same tournament so once the tournament is over Ethan and I get to tell each other stories of the rounds we had. Some nights, Ethan and I will go grab McDonald’s iced coffees, go to my house, and study for a few hours, too.”
Kualii just enjoys the good vibes on the golf squad. At Waiakea, the golfers pushed each other. It’s the same thing at UHH.
The only difference is Kualii switched uniform colors from Waiakea’s blue to UHH’s red.
“The dynamic of the whole team is great. We’re all comfortable with each other and get along so well,” she said. “Since most of us are living at home, we’re also able to do a lot more things together on and off the course like an ohana.”
For a youngster like Oki, there were no awkward freshmen moments, like, ‘Hello, my name is…’ It was basically a reunion with open arms and warm hugs.
It was an easy freshman orientation for Oki, who was on the Waiakea 2019 squad, along with Hironaga and Kualii, which won the state tournament.
“Having old teammates helped me transition from high school to college since I was already comfortable with a lot of them,” she said. “We also have strong relationships since we’ve known each other for long.”
Ok, old Waiakea teachers no need worry. The old Warriors are not just hitting golf balls, but they’re hitting the books, too.
“The staff and professors are very helpful and have made the transition very easy,” said Oki, a Psychology major and aspirant elementary teacher. “I also enjoy being able to travel with my team but still being able to come back home.”
Kualii is a Business marketing major and a Hawaiian Studies minor. She doesn’t have a specific job in mind but knows what she wants.
“I want to have good financial stability and be able to provide a good life for my family, like how my parents did for me,” she said.
Hironaga is in her third year majoring in the field of Mathematics with hopes of becoming a secondary education math teacher.
After she gets her bachelor’s, she’ll enroll in the MAT program at UHH, where she’s taking 17 credits this semester, a somewhat challenging course.
“A typical day involves going back and forth between school and the golf course,” she said. “Then heading home to study in the evening. With school and golf, I have been very busy, but I am also thankful for it.”
What makes a mom proud?
When their daughter wants to follow in her footsteps like Uchida.
“I’m majoring in Psychology with a goal of becoming an elementary school teacher like my mom (Kara),” Uchida said. “The best part about being at UHH is being home. My family and friends are all here, and I’m happy to represent the community I grew up in while also being able to sleep in my own bed and eat my grandma’s cooking.”
Well, the Waiakea four can all agree: There’s no place like home.