Cheynne Hirota and Blake Amaral will be having some home cooking, family hugs and handshakes with friends and relatives this weekend when they take on the UHH Vulcans. Cheynne Hirota has come full circle and is having a monster senior year for the Sea Warriors.
First Baseman Hirota a Waiakea High baseball standout is one of HPU’s leading hitters thus far in 2009, posting 15 hits in 22 at bats for a hefty 682 batting average. Hirota has also scored eight runs. Before transferring to HPU, Hirota took the JUCO route going to Shoreline Community College in Washington playing for Coach Steve Seki, former Hawaii resident. In Washington, Hirota performed and made first team for the NWAACC North Division. Last season for the Sea Warriors, Hirota batted .270 with 6 doubles, one home run and 20 RBI’s. He started in 24 games as a junior.
Former Kamehameha Warrior, Amaral has broken into the starting lineup as the left fielder. He is batting .370 with 10 hits in 27 at bats while batting in 9 RBI’s. Amaral has had to make an adjustment in left field, where he will be utilized on defense. Amaral was a first team selection for the BIIF last year and was the Warriors one two punch with team mate Kolten Wong (UH, CF).
Royce Ebesu (Hilo High 07) is also on the HPU roster and will add pitching depth to the Sea Warriors. Other former BIIF players on the Vulcan roster in this weeks six game marathon are Mathew Hassenritter (Hilo 05), John Holley Jr (Pahoa 07), Casey Koizumi (Hilo 07), Sheldon Otsuka (Waiakea 06), and Cade Uyetake (Hilo 07). Hassenritter is enjoying a fast start and is hitting .417, with 10 hits in 24 at bats. Otsuka a Waiakea standout, also took the JUCO route similar to Hirota and also performed successfully at Hartnell College in California before transferring back to UH-Hilo. Otsuka will be counted on to provide depth to the Vulcan pitching staff along with Koizumi and Holley whom seen action last season as freshmen. For BIIF fans it will be an interesting homecoming for former BIIF baseball players and supporters. Let’s enjoy it!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
State Run University System Needs To Look At Local Applicants Intently
If our own Universities here in Hawaii don’t hire the top executive positions with local people, what chance do local people have. Local people here have struggled to attain a higher education since plantation days. There has been a huge growth in every culture to break away and create opportunities to get an education and move ahead economically. Like every culture here in Hawaii, there are those that wish to live a simpler life, yet there are those that venture out to seek greener pastures or a greater calling. Local Hawaii talent from locals here struggle, to get their fair shot sometimes.
The odds decrease for opportunities as the locals move further from Hawaii. However, there are some great truly inspiring stories of local Hawaii people making a difference on the mainland and around the world. However, how can a state run institution of higher learning, paid by taxes of hard working Hawaii people be denied the top positions of our institutions? Look at the track record. These executives we hire to these top positions have not really impressed us with their experience.
We have qualified local individuals within our University system with the experience and education to do a bang up job. But the University system has built in protective ways to ensure we hire mainland executives. How and why this is? If no one gives opportunities, how is one going to get the required experience? The University of Hawaii system is not a private institution. It could and should change this process. There were 80 applicants to the UHH Athletic Directors Position, many of which were from our community. Now they want to extend the deadline to look for that magic income magnet of a person. Now the income of the UHH position is not on par with most major universities AD positions. There is a red flag that needs to go up, if someone with vast experience is attracted to such a salary. You are not going to get a top notch AD who is happy and content to take over a stumbling economic athletic program.
Why the delay? Perhaps they have already stereotyped who they want? Someone who has connections with the Chancellor, or delaying this will be economically advantageous to the interim AD? Bottom line the applications are in, the deadline is past, now time to choose the best applicant. Hopefully they will see the best suited person should be someone of local origin, someone who knows the community of Hawaii.
The new AD should have a grasp of sports in Hawaii, the local economy, someone who is going to stay here and makes a life here. Not someone who is going to try to see if they like it here.
Hawaii has made great strides since the plantation oppression days. However, our University system still and will not hire a local for their top positions, this discrimination must be overcome. If Barack Obama can make it to the presidency, surely there are more qualified local applicants abound.
The odds decrease for opportunities as the locals move further from Hawaii. However, there are some great truly inspiring stories of local Hawaii people making a difference on the mainland and around the world. However, how can a state run institution of higher learning, paid by taxes of hard working Hawaii people be denied the top positions of our institutions? Look at the track record. These executives we hire to these top positions have not really impressed us with their experience.
We have qualified local individuals within our University system with the experience and education to do a bang up job. But the University system has built in protective ways to ensure we hire mainland executives. How and why this is? If no one gives opportunities, how is one going to get the required experience? The University of Hawaii system is not a private institution. It could and should change this process. There were 80 applicants to the UHH Athletic Directors Position, many of which were from our community. Now they want to extend the deadline to look for that magic income magnet of a person. Now the income of the UHH position is not on par with most major universities AD positions. There is a red flag that needs to go up, if someone with vast experience is attracted to such a salary. You are not going to get a top notch AD who is happy and content to take over a stumbling economic athletic program.
Why the delay? Perhaps they have already stereotyped who they want? Someone who has connections with the Chancellor, or delaying this will be economically advantageous to the interim AD? Bottom line the applications are in, the deadline is past, now time to choose the best applicant. Hopefully they will see the best suited person should be someone of local origin, someone who knows the community of Hawaii.
The new AD should have a grasp of sports in Hawaii, the local economy, someone who is going to stay here and makes a life here. Not someone who is going to try to see if they like it here.
Hawaii has made great strides since the plantation oppression days. However, our University system still and will not hire a local for their top positions, this discrimination must be overcome. If Barack Obama can make it to the presidency, surely there are more qualified local applicants abound.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Did BJ Penn Lose, Fair and Square, to GSP?
"Fair and square," is an idiom that means when someone wins something they follow the rules and win conclusively. GSP did not win his match with BJ Penn in a "fair and square" fashion. It doesn't matter whose fault it was, something very unfair happened. A fighter had someone in his corner apply lubricant to his body, in a fight where wrestling is a factor, in a match for the championship of the world. BJ Penn, in all likelihood, took a number shots to the head that he might otherwise have avoided, if GSP had not been oiled up –making him harder to hold onto.
Will a number of headshots turn a fight in a different direction? They certainly can. For the Championship of the World, for the coveted title, for the pinnacle of all achievements in the fight game, a match must be as "fair and square" as possible. Not to mention that BJ Penn's camp warned the officials BEFORE than match that GSP might be oiled up –and sure enough, look what they were caught doing DURING the match. This is not OK. This is, in my opinion conditions for the harshest of sanctions. Not just on behalf BJ Penn, but for the sport and the fans. GSP might have won under any circumstances, but we'll never know (until the rematch), as in this particular case, someone in GSP's camp did something that is absolutely and undeniably illegal.
Mr. White, you cannot tolerate ANY kind of cheating in your Octagon. No drugs, no sharp instruments, nothing to obstruct vision, no weighted gloves, and no oil. Please, for the sport, vacate the welterweight title, ban GSP's corner-man from the sport, call the fight a "no contest," and implement a strict testing policy, before and during fights, to keep competitors from cheating with oil.
Tom Callos
Will a number of headshots turn a fight in a different direction? They certainly can. For the Championship of the World, for the coveted title, for the pinnacle of all achievements in the fight game, a match must be as "fair and square" as possible. Not to mention that BJ Penn's camp warned the officials BEFORE than match that GSP might be oiled up –and sure enough, look what they were caught doing DURING the match. This is not OK. This is, in my opinion conditions for the harshest of sanctions. Not just on behalf BJ Penn, but for the sport and the fans. GSP might have won under any circumstances, but we'll never know (until the rematch), as in this particular case, someone in GSP's camp did something that is absolutely and undeniably illegal.
Mr. White, you cannot tolerate ANY kind of cheating in your Octagon. No drugs, no sharp instruments, nothing to obstruct vision, no weighted gloves, and no oil. Please, for the sport, vacate the welterweight title, ban GSP's corner-man from the sport, call the fight a "no contest," and implement a strict testing policy, before and during fights, to keep competitors from cheating with oil.
Tom Callos
Interesting High School Basketball Poll Issued on 2/10/09
The Honolulu Advertiser announced their latest State Girls and Boys Basketball polls and it is seems a little peculiar. Farrington sits atop the Girls Poll with a 12-0 record ahead of Punahou. Farrington got 6 first place votes compared to 5 for Punahou. Interestingly, Konawaena with a 10-0 record and defending state champion is harboring a number four position. Lahainaluna, the MIL undefeated is ahead of Kona at number three. Waiakea girls made the top ten coming in sitting at nine. In the boys poll, Kahuku another OIA undefeated (10-0) sits in the top position with 7 first place votes. Kamehameha with an 8-1 record had four first place votes. Iolani is in third followed by Kaimuki (4). Waiakea the BIIF boys leader comes in at number eight. MIL undefeated Baldwin boys makes it a number 10. We all know that the last poll of the season is what really counts, but this is the first time in many moons that the two OIA teams sits atop the polls late in the season for both the girls and boys. Unseating the ILH in both divisions in the HHSAA will be a task, but the HHSAA tournament looks to have a different look this year.
Link to Honolulu Advertiser Poll
Link to Honolulu Advertiser Poll
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
