Iolani Wins Boys Basketball Championship from Imua Online on Vimeo.

State Champs 2010]

The state championship didn’t come easily, but the Raiders fought the entire way to prove themselves as the best. The ‘Iolani Division 1 boys basketball team fended off an aggressive Kamehameha team to win the state title, 46-43, at Stan Sheriff Center.

Senior Kainoa Chu led the team in scoring with 27 points, including the game winning 3-pointer with less than 7 seconds left on the clock.

The game did not start out well for the Raiders, with shots that did not fall and too many possessions that ended in turnovers. The score after one quarter was 12-2 in favor of Kamehameha. Despite the deficit, the Raiders wowed the crowd with massive blocks by Josiah Sukumaran, Reid Saito, and Gabriel Vega.

The second quarter was still a struggle, but senior Jarrett Arakawa blocked a Warrior attempt and converted that at the other end into an acrobatic layup to close to within 2. ‘Iolani trailed 19-15 going into halftime. The Raiders looked more like ILH champions in the third quarter, and tied the score at 19 early with help from yet another block, this time from Kainoa Scheer.

Kamehameha pulled away to 23-19, but two 3-pointers from Kainoa Chu later on put the Raiders up 30-29. Senior Andrew Skalman sank a 3-pointer with less than a minute left in the third, and made a clutch long-range two to beat the third quarter buzzer and close the quarter with the Raiders up, 35-31.

Not only did the Raiders have a four point lead going into the fourth, but Skalman’s clutch shooting boosted morale for the ‘Iolani boys and their fans. The Raiders definitely fought harder in the fourth quarter, with tough defense and free throws. Kamehameha climbed back and tied the score at 41, and again at 43.

Kainoa Chu, who scored all 11 of ‘Iolani’s fourth quarter points, came up big with 7 seconds on the clock and knocked down a 3-pointer to put ‘Iolani up 46-43. Kamehameha called timeout with 4.6 seconds left, but the Raiders held them back to win the state championship. This was the first state title for ‘Iolani since 2006, and came in Dean Shimamoto’s first year as head coach.

Boys Basketball Defeats Kahuku in Semifinal from Imua Online on Vimeo.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Raiders got it done.

‘Iolani advanced to the HHSAA Boys Basketball Division I state championship for the first time in four years, defeating Kahuku in the semifinal game, 55-44, at the Stan Sheiff Center Friday night. Senior Kainoa Chu was the high scorer for the Raiders with 22 points.

The game was a struggle most of the way. The first quarter went back and forth, with both teams committing careless turnovers. ‘Iolani took control with 3-pointers from Chu and Trevyn Tulonghari ‘11, and closed the quarter leading 14-11.

The second quarter was similar to the first, but ‘Iolani fought to make a 12-4 scoring run and ended the first half leading 30-22.

In the third quarter, both teams had trouble making shots, and the Raiders remained in the lead, finishing the third up 39-36. For most of the fourth quarter, the score stayed at 41-36, until Chu converted a 3-point play to spark an ‘Iolani scoring run. As the Raiders pulled away, Kahuku was forced to foul, and by then the game was over.

‘Iolani will face ILH rival and defending state champion Kamehameha in the championship game tonight at Stan Sheriff Center, 7 p.m.

Raiders overhwhelm Radford in quarterfinals

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'Iolani vs. Radford March 4, 2010 from Imua Online on Vimeo.

Raiders top Radford]

The ‘Iolani boys secured a spot in the Final Four of the HHSAA Division 1 Basketball state tournament on Thursday, March 4, defeating Mililani by a score of 72-53. Leading in points for the Raiders were Kainoa Chu with 20 and Trevyn Tulonghari with 13.

The two halves of this quarterfinal matchup were complete opposites of each other, with the Raiders making mistakes in the first half but controlling the game in the second. The Raiders struggled in the first quarter, committing costly turnovers and shooting poorly. At one point ‘Iolani fell behind 17-8, but climbed back to close the first quarter at 17-14, Mililani leading.

The Raiders picked it up in the second quarter, with a 12-0 run for the first 4 minutes to begin the quarter. Mililani did fight back, and the second half ended with ‘Iolani leading 30-29. The energy of the Raiders’ intensified in the third, bringing the crowd to its feet with 3-pointers from Jourdan Simmonds, Tulonghari, and Chu. The third quarter ended with the Raiders taking a commanding lead, 56-41. ‘Iolani continued that intensity in the fourth quarter and never looked back, winning by almost 20 points.

The Raiders will face a strong Kahuku team in the semifinals at Stan Sheriff Center, 5 p.m. Friday.

The students of Ms. Karin Swanson’s Writing for Media class later shared their stories. Some students’ households were evacuated, while other families welcomed friends and neighbors and enjoyed impromptu tsunami tailgate parties. All agreed that the precautions, while ultimately unnecessary, were prudent.

Brennan Miyasaki, 17 remained asleep through every single siren and believed the tsunami a lie concocted by his parents and sister to wake him up. His grandma, a Hawaii Kai resident, was evacuated and stayed with Miyasaki’s family. He remained certain the tsunami would not come. The family watched the tide changes on the television until around 12:30 p.m. when Miyasaki went to Hawaii Kai to skateboard with friends. “It was a waste of two hours,” he said. — Nicole Peltzer

For Tiffany Tuisano, 17, the tsunami warning meant evacuation to the Honolulu police station. Tuisano, unconcerned, text-messaged her friends and ate the ice cream that the station provided. She stayed there from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., watching the updates on television and worrying about the dogs she had to leave at home. Her family had gathered food, clothes, and toilet paper before evacuating, in case anything should happen to their home. — Erin Lundy

Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, was calm as the state prepared for the predicted tsunami. Mackenzie Sato, 17, watched the news as she did homework while waiting for the tsunami generated by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile. She first learned about the tsunami upon waking at 9 a.m. after checking the phone, which had two texts telling her to stay safe. Her parents had been up since 4 a.m. but Sato was not worried because her father, an avid waterman, said that by the look of things, nothing was going to happen. — Alex Min

Jaimie Young, 17 woke up at 7 a.m. on Saturday, ready for her tennis match. As she prepared to leave for school, she noticed a message on her phone from her coach. “Meet canceled because of tsunami. Stay safe, everyone.” Young found her mom and asked, “What tsunami?” Young and her family live in Pahoa Valley and fortunately did not need to evacuate. They spent the morning fixed on Hawaii New Now’s Hilo camera, freezing with every surge. “It was pretty cool,” Young said. “I was waiting for the big wave. You saw the water going out really fast and you thought, ‘It’s coming.’” — Andrew Ellison

For Caitlin Yoshina, a junior at ‘Iolani School, the tsunami warning began as a big deal. As a resident of Waikiki, Yoshina’s house was potentially endangered by the expected tsunami.  “I had heard the 6 o’clock alarm,” she said, “but my parents weren’t awake yet, so I wasn’t sure.” She awoke again at 7 a.m. “This time I saw my parents were up. They were watching the news.” After hearing the news, Yoshina’s mother, Coleen, was concerned about their water supply. She had the family take early showers and brush their teeth. She boiled extra water just in case. — Lauren Wong

Alexander Min, 18, sat for four hours, reading, waiting at his home in Kahala. Living in a safe zone, he was not worried about the potential tsunami. The night before, when he heard the news about the quake in Chile and how that might cause trouble in our water, Min warned his friends who were going to be in a fishing tournament Saturday. Although he wanted to go to the beach on a nice day, “Better to be safe than sorry,” he said. — Mackenzie Sato

Tsunami sirens blaring, Andrew Zhou, 16, tried to get back to sleep. Zhou thought it was a siren test until, aroused by the sounds of people moving outside his door, he checked his text messages, which explained when his father had run out to get drinks. Friends and family cam to his Kaimuki home to take part in the impromptu potluck the tsunami inspired. — Kyle Twogood

For Brett Watanabe, 18, Saturday’s tsunami meant the evacuation of him and his teammates from the Maui Beach Hotel. He and the rest of the ‘Iolani baseball team had arrived at the hotel the previous day to compete in the Maui Invitational baseball tournament. The team members were evacuated to Maui High School, where they lounged and enjoyed food prepared by the high school cafeteria. The game scheduled that day was canceled. They left the cafeteria and arrived back at the hotel at 2 p.m., where they continued to enjoy their reprieve. — Janine Yim

Erin Lundy, 16, awoke at noon to the thunderous sound of her father’s voice talking on the phone about a tsunami. Even though her Kahala home is merely a block from the beach, she and her family did not feel the need to evacuate. In order to prepare, Lundy’s mother emptied the refrigerator of all their food. Even though the alert sirens were supposed to be heard clearly, Lundy could only hear a faint alarm in the distance. Once coherent, she stumbled to watch the news report. After the warning was cleared, Lundy, still glued to the television, saw the rough water rushing in and out of Hilo Bay. — Tiffany Tuisano

Sirens awakened Kaimuki resident Andrew Ellison, 18, in the early morning Saturday. He decided to go back to sleep. At 10 a.m. he woke up, met his family, and was told about the tsunami. Because Ellison is from the mainland, he was excited to see the wave. While watching the news for the next hour, he was worried about his family on the Hilo coast. While not in the inundation zone, his auntie owns a store right near the water, and she later unsuccessfully tried to fly out of Hilo. — Jaimie Young

The irritating wail of sirens awoke a sleeping Nicole Peltzer at 6 a.m. Her parents rushed into the room telling her that a tsunami could possibly hit the southern coastline. Peltzer, a lifeguard, was called down to the Hickam beach to keep people out of the water. Her father picked her up at 2 p.m., deciding that the risk to her was too great. — Brennan Miyasaki

For many, the tsunami meant evacuation and stocking up on water and canned goods. For Janine Yim, 16, it wasn’t any cause for concern. That day she woke up around 10 a.m. in her Aiea home, four hours after the warning sirens sounded. She first learned of the tsunami from her mother. Yim thinks that Mr. Tate Brown, ‘Iolani’s dean of students, called her home to say that the closing show of “Kiss Me, Kate,” the school musical, might be cancelled. Upon hearing this news, Yim went back to her room and slept for two more hours. — Brett Watanabe

While other beachfront homeowners frantically tried to be secure their belongings, Kyle Twogood of Kaneohe stayed home and played “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.”
“I didn’t hear the first two sirens,” Twogood said. “I slept really late, because I had been up playing games.”
After waking up at 11:30 a.m., Twogood checked the news for updates as his father ran out to buy extra toilet paper. “We have extra supplies in our attic, but the only thing we didn’t have was toilet paper,” Twogood said. — Andrew Zhou

On Friday night, Lauren Wong heard that an earthquake had devastated Chile, and she guessed that there would be a tsunami on its way to Hawaii. Lauren, 17, wasn’t very concerned when she learned about the tsunami warning on Saturday morning. She lives in Kaimuki, and she didn’t know anyone who would be in danger. Yet she still spent Saturday at her computer, keeping herself updated and periodically checking to see if the waves had hit any neighbor islands. — Caitlyn Yoshina

Many people in Hawaii worried about the tsunami and the damage it could cause. However, Allie Yuen, 17, found the tsunami not a threat, but focused more on the earthquake that had occurred in Chile. Her family took the tsunami warning more seriously. Paul Yuen, Allie’s father, went to the market to stock up on unperishable foods. Later that day, Allie’s grandparents, who live by the Ala Wai, went over to their home, in fear that the canal would overflow. — Aubrey Yamamoto

The 6 a.m. tsunami sirens woke up 17-year-old Aubrey Yamamoto in her Hawaii Kai home. Carol Yamamoto, Aubrey’s mother, explained to her disoriented daughter about the Chilean earthquake and the tsunami headed our way. The family spent Saturday morning at home with the TV tuned to the tsunami watch while their skittish dog pranced around the Hawaii Kai home, eyes bugging out and tongue active. — Allie Yuen

“When I watched Barney, I would sing and dance with it right on the beat, so my mother decided to sign me up for piano.” In order to improve her skills as a pianist, Tiffany practices one hour a day during the week, and three to five hours a day when she has more time. The first piece she ever played was Minuet in G.

Since that piece, Tiffany has played significantly more advanced pieces, which led her to audition for From the Top. Tiffany had auditioned for From the Top six times prior, however she felt that her last audition was different.

“I knew the result would be different, because it was the best tape I ever sent it.” Tiffany was overjoyed when she found out she had been selected to perform on From the Top. The same day Tiffany found out that she had been selected was also her birthday. She also learned she was the recipient of a Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship, a $10,000 award given to a promising young musician.

“It’s not every day you get $10,000 for your birthday,” she said.

Tiffany’s parents and her piano teacher, Dr. Thomas Yee, were also thrilled. Tiffany said that there were two people who had been an inspiration to her. First was her second piano teacher, Ellen Masaki, who recently died. Second was her neighbor Mrs. Wong, who let Tiffany use the piano in her apartment since Tiffany’s family could not afford one.

In addition to her talent in piano, Tiffany is also an accomplished violinist who is currently in Orchestra V. When she attends college, she would like to have a major in piano performance, but her ultimate goal is to become a doctor. However, despite her not inconsiderable talents, Tiffany has gone through rough patches before. Tiffany said that the most difficult time for her was ninth grade. She attributed this difficulty to a time of growth. “I think to be a good piano player, you need time to grow up and mature.”

When asked what advice she would give to aspiring piano players she simply answered, “Don’t give up.”

Untitled from Imua Online on Vimeo.

Winning shot and interviews]

A three-point shot with just seconds on the clock put the Raiders on top in a hard-fought game against Kamehameha on Saturday, Feb. 20. The final score was 50-49, and it wasn’t until the game-ending basket that ‘Iolani pulled ahead.

See Trevyn Tulonghari’s winning basket and listen to interviews with Trevyn Tulonghari ‘11, Kainoa Chu ‘10 and Coach Dean Shimamoto.

Enjoy great food, games, entertainment, silent auction, produce, plants, homemade goodies, Xtreme Amusements, and more!

So mark your calendars, volunteer, plan on spending the weekend at the Fair! For information call 943-2339 or fair@iolani.org
Start Date: 2010-04-16
End Date: 2010-04-17