WAIMEA — Hawaii Preparatory Academy ended its 2023-24 athletic year with a joyous celebration Monday in Castle Gym.
Family, friends, teammates, coaches and faculty gathered together to celebrate three senior student-athletes signing letters of intent to play collegiately. All three will begin classes this fall.
Brooke Samura inked her signature to Pacific Lutheran University in Parkland, Wash. — where she will play for the Division III women’s basketball program in 2024-25. She explained that the family feel and dedicated interest towards her ultimately paved the way for her decision.
“I chose PLU because it felt like a place close to home,” Samura told West Hawaii Today. “On my visit, I was able to experience the culture, the people and toured the facilities. One huge factor in my commitment was seeing how hard Coach Lee (Aduddell) and PLU’s admissions and financial aid teams worked hard to help our family through the financial aid process. They went above and beyond their duties and worked on the
weekends and nights.”
The Lutes are getting a star in Samura, who led the entire state in scoring as a senior at 34.6 points per game. She logged seven 40-point games across the season, with six of them being in January. Samura posted a career-high 46 points against Kauai on Nov. 30.
The point guard’s heroics across the 2023-24 season helped Ka Makani secure a second-place finish in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) Division II and a state tournament appearance.
Bringing her skills to the northwest, Samura is confident that she can carry a positive influence to PLU.
“I know I will bring energy, effort and skill as a point guard,” she said. “I am confident I will make an impact on and off the court. I bring court vision, I am a team player, I am respectful, I am coachable and I am driven. I am excited to play for Coach Lee because I can tell that she is a very driven person herself.”
Samura also expressed her gratitude to everyone in the HPA community that supported her throughout her four years.
“I’d like to give a big shout out to my family and their support and hard work in helping me become the athlete I am today,” Samura said during the ceremony. “I’d also like to thank my teammates — we had a great ride.
“And thank you to my coaches and athletic director Steve Perry, who let me practice shots in the gym…even when it wasn’t open. HPA’s athletic department has been a great supporter from day one — not only for me, but for all of our athletes. During my freshman year, we were able to play in a modified sports program that allowed me to play basketball, softball and track and field. Our athletic department went above and beyond to make sure all athletes could play as many sports as possible during the pandemic, while keeping us all safe. I have had different head coaches over the years, each with their own style of play and coaching style that allowed me to understand the game of basketball in different perspectives. At HPA, I had the opportunity to play three different varsity sports every year, allowing me to stay in condition to enhance my abilities. HPA has prepared me to play at the next level because playing high school basketball came with highs and lows, but what I enjoyed the most were the friendships. With each team being different each year, I’ve had the chance to see girls at different playing levels — which allowed me to have a better understanding of how to best utilize each player and their strengths. All of these experiences have helped shape me to be the person I am.”
Samura’s senior year coach Sierra Huebert-Sanchez was also in attendence, noting that she looks forward to seeing what the star’s future holds at the next level.
“I am so proud of Brooke and all the hard work that got her to the point to where she is today,” she said. “She will add a ton to (PLU’s) program, and I’m so excited for her to step into this next phase of her journey.”
Former HPA football stars Ekela Livingston (running back, linebacker) and Greyson Shin (center) were the other two HPA athletes that signed college commitments. Livingston will play for Pacific University in Honolulu, while Shin will take his talents to Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. Both schools are Division III programs.
Both players were staples in Ka Makani’s second-place BIIF DII finish in 2023. Livingston and Shin also played critical roles in the team’s five-game win streak from late September through late October.
Head coach Lincoln Kalama emphasized his appreciation for his former players, and is confident they will succeed in all areas of the college experience.
“Words can’t express how proud I am of these two,” he said. “The hard work and time they put in not only on the field, but in the classroom as well — these guys are truly amazing.”
