The voting, as always, was tight down the stretch, but panelists came away from two long days of meetings with a new class for the Hawaii High School Hall of Honor.
Lia Galdeira, Konawaena’s prolific two-sport star, was the top vote-getter. Galdeira, a four-time All-State selection and three-time player of the year in basketball, did even more once her prep hoops career ended.
The 5-foot-9 senior, arguably one of the top female high school athletes in Hawaii history, won two gold medals last week in the state track and field championships. She will be en route to Washington State this fall to continue her basketball career.
Here’s the rest of the class of 2012 (in alphabetical order), which will be formally honored at a banquet on June 3 at the Sheraton Waikiki.
» Dawnyelle Awa, Konawaena: The four-time All-State point guard was the glue and court general for the Wildcats, who won three state titles during her reign. She will play with her backcourt mate, Galdeira, at Washington State.
» Shane Brostek, Hawaii Prep: The 6-foot-3, 310-pound offensive lineman was an All-State selection and the state’s top-voted O-lineman as a senior. He also won three gold medals in the shot put and discus during his career. He will play football at Washington.
» DeForest Buckner, Punahou: The three-time All-State defensive end was also a four-time All-State pick in basketball, and capped his career with a player of the year honor as a senior as Punahou won the state title. He will play football at Oregon.
» Keiki Carlos, Mid-Pacific: The ace of the two-time state champion Owls softball team is in line to earn another All-State pitcher of the year honor, and her hitting as a senior was a vital reason. She will play softball at UH.
» Lorens Chan, ‘Iolani: His storied career includes two state championships and a long list of feats against amateur and pro competition. He will golf at UCLA.
» Mindy Chow, Punahou: As a three-time wrestling champion and four-time judo champ, she followed the footsteps of older siblings Daniel and Chrissy, who were inducted to the hall after their illustrious careers at Punahou. She will continue at Westmont College (Calif.).
» Kristine Felix, Baldwin: She capped an unexpectedly fantastic career as a pole vaulter last week with her second gold medal in as many years. As a junior, she overcame a broken leg that was still not completely healed to surpass the state mark with a vault of 12 feet, 6 inches. She will compete at Washington State.
» Benetton Fonua, Kahuku: The senior leader was a key part of Kahuku’s lockdown defense on the football field. He was voted defensive player of the year as the Red Raiders reclaimed the state title. He will play at UH.
» Misty Ma’a, Kamehameha: The outside hitter/opposite was player of the year as a junior, helping Kamehameha claim its seventh state title in a row. As a senior, she overcame a midseason injury to help Kamehameha reach the state final again. The three-time All-State selection will play at Miami.
» Mysha Sataraka, Punahou: Powered the Buffanblu basketball and softball teams as a three-time All-State selection in hoops, and she is on her way to a third consecutive choice as a first-team pick on the diamond. Arguably the best power hitter in the state, she has signed to play softball at UCLA.
» Pasoni Tasini, Baldwin: The explosive defensive lineman was also a force in basketball and track and field. He was a first-team All-State pick in football, and took the gold this spring in the discus. He will play football at Utah.