By Lance Tominaga, ESPN Honolulu Web Editor.
No doubt about it: Some of the greatest and most successful athletes in the world have their roots right here in Hawaii. So that got us thinking. Which of our high schools have produced the best athletes? We did our best to identify the top sports alums from every Hawaii high school. And let’s drop this important disclaimer right here: YES, WE KNOW WE MISSED OUT ON SOME GREAT ATHLETES. We acknowledge that this list is far from complete. And that’s where we could use your help!
If you have an addition or suggestion for this list, please email me at [email protected].
We’d love to update this list with more Hawaii athletes and schools. Mahalo!
AIEA: DEREK TATSUNO (Record-setting UH pitcher, named to Baseball America’s “All-Century Team”)
BALDWIN: KURT SUZUKI (World Series champion, MLB All-Star). Also: Jesse Kuhaulua (Takamiyama), Danny Ongais
CAMPBELL: JOCELYN ALO (All-American softball star at Oklahoma)
CASTLE: BRYAN CLAY (Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon)
DAMIEN: KEALOHA PILARES (All-WAC receiver, NFL receiver/returner). Also: Eddie Klaneski
FARRINGTON: JESSE SAPOLU (4x Super Bowl champion and 2x NFL Pro Bowl selection). Also: Falaniko Noga, Al Noga, Wally Yonamine
HAWAII PREPARATORY ACADEMY: MAX UNGER (NFL All-Pro offensive lineman). Also: Jeff Hubbard
HILO: BJ PENN (UFC welterweight champion). Also: Tommy Kaulukukui, Red Rocha
HONOKA‘A: KAULANA NOA (UH and NFL offensive linemaIOLANI: DERRICK LOW (All-Pac-10 basketball standout). Also: Joe Igber, Kanoe Kamanao, Elena Oglivie, Albert Tufono
IOLANI: DERRICK LOW (First-Team All-Pac-12 basketball standout, pro player). Also: Mike Fetters, Bern Brostek, Kanoe Kamanao, Joe Iger, BJ Itoman, Albert Tufono, Elena Oglivie
KAHUKU: NATASHA KAI (All-American soccer player, member of gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic Team). Also: Chris Naeole, John John Florence, Chris Kemoeatu, Ma‘ake Lakei Heimuli
KAILUA: RUSS FRANCIS (All-Pro NFL tight end) Also: Duncan Macdonald
KAIMUKI: THELMA KALAMA AIU (1948 Olympics swimming gold medalist)
KAISER: CHAD ROWAN, aka Akebono (First foreign-born sumo grand champion) Also: Sid Fernandez, Clay Stanley, Rich Miano, Boyd Yap, Lori Castillo
KALAHEO: ALIKA SMITH (All-WAC basketball standout) Also: Brandy Richardson, Julian Sensley, Mike Akiu
KALANI: LENN SAKATA (Longtime MLB player and coach)
KAMEHAMEHA-HAWAII: KOLTEN WONG (UH baseball All-American, 2x MLB Gold Glove winner)
KAMEHAMEHA-KAPALAMA: DUKE KAHANAMOKU (Olympic swimming champion and legendary surfer). Also: Rell Sunn, Kanani Danielson, Rockne Freitas, Blane Gaison, Lily Kahumoku, Kate Robinson, Tita Ahuna, Nani Cockett
KAPA‘A: ANDY IRONS (World champion professional surfer). Also: Bernard Carvalho
KAUAI: DAVID ISHII (Longtime PGA pro, 1990 Hawaiian Open champion)
KING KEKAULIKE: COLTON COWELL (2x volleyball All-American, member of 2021 national championship team)
KONAWAENA: SHANE DORIAN (Champion big wave surfer). Also: Chanelle Molina
LAHAINALUNA: WALLY YONAMINE (pioneering NFL player and pro baseball star)
LA PIETRA: TRACY PHILLIPS (Champion kayak competitor, 3x member of U.S. Olympic Team)
LEILEHUA: AL HARRIS (All-American DE/LB, 12-year NFL veteran). Also: Adrian Murrell, Paul Dombroski, Bryant Moniz
MARYKNOLL: GARRETT GABRIEL (All-WAC UH QB)
MAUI: ZACH SCOTT (All-State soccer player, MLS Cup champion)
MCKINLEY: FORD KONO (2x Olympic gold medalist swimmer). Also: Robyn Ah Mow
MID-PACIFIC: ISIAH KINER-FALEFA (MLB Gold Glove winner)
MILILANI: MA‘A TANUVASA (2x Super Bowl champion). Also: McKenzie Milton, Angela Lee, Keiko Price, Dillon Gabriel
MOANALUA: DAE SUNG LEE (9x U.S. national taekwondo champion, 2x Olympics coach). Also: Todd Fujikawa, Sam Johnson
MOLOKAI: KIMO VON OELHOFFEN (Super Bowl champion)
NANAKULI: JESUS SALUD (World champion boxer)
PEARL CITY: KEVIN ASANO (Olympic silver medalist in judo). Also: Jordan Ta‘amu
PUNAHOU: ROBBY NAISH (23x world windsurfing champion). Also: Michelle Wie, Mosi Tatupu, Manti Te‘o, Carissa Moore, Fred Hemmings, DeForest Buckner
RADFORD: JERIS WHITE (Super Bowl champion, 9-year NFL veteran). Also: Ashley Lelie, Jim Phillips, Ken Niumatalolo
ROOSEVELT: JACKIE PUNG (5x LPGA Tour Winner). Also: Chad Owens, Clarissa Chun, Mike Lum, Lenore Muraoka-Rittenhouse
SACRED HEARTS ACADEMY: MAHINA ELENEKI (Member of 1987 Rainbow Wahine volleyball national championship team)
SAINT ANTHONY: SHANE VICTORINO (2x World Series champion, 2x MLB All-Star)
SAINT LOUIS: MARCUS MARIOTA (Heisman Trophy winner, veteran NFL QB). Also: Olin Kreutz, Tua Tagovailoa, Herman Wedemeyer, Timmy Chang, Benny Agbayani, Travis Lee, Ted Makalena
UNIVERSITY LAB: EGAN INOUE (World racquetball champion, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion, MMA fighter). Also: Saleva‘a Atisanoe (Konishiki), Joe Onosai, Enson Inoue, Leroy Lutu
WAIAKEA: ONAN MASAOKA (Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher)
WAIANAE: MAX HOLLOWAY (UFC featherweight champion). Also: Kurt Gouveia, Fiamalu Penitani (Musashimaru)
WAIMEA: JORDON DIZON (All-American LB at Colorado, 2-year NFL veteran)
WAIPAHU: BRIAN VILORIA (2x world boxing champion). Also: Andy Ganigan, Jerome Williams, Greg Oniate
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