Punahou athletic director Jeff Meister is one of 12 individuals who have been selected for the 2018 class of the National High School Hall of Fame.
Meister will be inducted along with some big names, including former Nebraska football coach and 1955 Nebraska high school athlete of the year Tom Osborne and Dick Fosbury, who revolutionized the high jump as a high school athlete in Oregon when he developed the technique that became known as the Fosbury flop.
The induction ceremony will be held July 2 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile. The 36th Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be the closing event of the 99th annual NFHS Summer Meeting.
Meister has become one of the top swimming coaches in the nation during the past 30 years at Punahou. Taking over the Punahou swimming program in 1990, Meister has led the boys and girls teams to 34 Hawaii High School Athletic Association state championships — 16 boys and 18 girls — including 2018 titles for both squads last month. He is the winningest high school swimming coach in state history.
Meister’s teams have also won 34 Interscholastic League of Honolulu championships, and he has been named ILH coach of the year 24 times.
Meister has also served as the school’s athletic director for nine years after 11 years as associate athletic director. In addition, he has served as HHSAA state track and field coordinator for 14 years and state swimming coordinator for eight years. Meister is currently serving a term on the National Federation of State High School Associations swimming and diving rules committee.
The NFHS administers the National High School Hall of Fame.
UH softball holds off East Carolina
Hawaii senior Dana Thomsen struck out six and overcame two home runs to earn a complete-game victory in the Rainbow Wahine softball team’s 5-3 win over East Carolina on Friday.
Thomsen (4-4) surrendered solo home runs in the second and fourth innings, but the UH offense answered both times and held off the Pirates to close the third day of the Texaco Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament.
ECU took the lead on Meredith Burroughs’ home run to lead off the second inning. The Wahine (8-7) responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning with Angelique Ramos delivering a two-run single.
The Pirates (6-10) tied the game on Anna Epling’s homer in the fourth and UH reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles by Bree Soma and Nicole Lopez.
UH faces UTEP (9-10) today at 5 p.m. The Wahine close the tournament Sunday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader against UTEP and James Madison.
Blomfield victorious in Australia
Hawaii’s Honolua Blomfield won the women’s division today at the Australian Longboard Surfing Open in the World Surf League’s longboard qualification series.
Blomfield, who is the reigning women’s world longboard champion, defeated former world champion Tory Gilkerson in the final at Kingscliff, Australia.
“We’ve actually never gone head-to-head,” Blomfield said in press release. “Tory is a really amazing surfer and this is our first time in a heat against each other. I have been coming here for three years and this is my first final here and my first win. It feels so amazing. I always try to catch the first wave to keep my confidence and I did, then I just got on a roll.”
Hawaii Swish cancels game
The Hawaii Swish were forced to cancel tonight’s scheduled semi-pro American Basketball Association game at the Blaisdell Arena because opponent Seattle “said they couldn’t make it,” according to owner Geremy Robinson.
The Swish (3-0) have had multiple opponents back out of games this year and have not announced any more scheduled games. They are coming off a 135-125 win over the Akron Aviators at the Blaisdell on Sunday.
Hawaii Hilo crushes Biola
The Hawaii Hilo baseball team routed Biola 15-1 at Wong Stadium on Friday night.
The Vulcans (5-4, 1-0 PacWest) had 15 hits as a team. Kailua alum Kila Zuttermeister led the way with a game-high three hits and three RBIs. Freshman Kyle Alcorn picked up the win, holding the Eagles (8-4, 3-2) to two hits in seven innings while striking out nine.