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Thomas Yoshida, Hawaii High School Athletic Association volunteer and long-time prep basketball official and statistician, was among 12 leaders selected to receive the 2020 NFHS Citation Award, the organization announced on Tuesday.
According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the award honors individuals who have made contributions to state high school associations, athletic director and coaching professions, the officiating occupation, fine arts/performing arts programs and the NFHS itself.
Yoshida, the president of the Hawaii State Basketball Officials Association, has been officiating prep basketball in Hawaii for 37 years. His career has seen him officiate 31 league championship games and 12 state championships. He served on the NFHS basketball rules committee in 2006, and was a founding board member and vice president of the Hawaii Sports Officials Hall of Fame. Yoshida has also served the community as a statistician and record keeper, credited with helping compile HHSAA record books for basketball and football dating back to 1957.
Yoshida is the fifth Citation Award winner from Hawaii, joining retired OIA and HHSAA Executive Director Dwight Toyama (2015), former HHSAA Executive Director Keith Amemiya (2010), retired HHSAA Executive Director Edward Kiyuna (2005) and retired ILH Executive Director Don Botelho (2000).
Yoshida, along with the other 2020 recipients, will receive the awards at the annual NFHS Summer Meeting in Denver on June 30.
Hawaii Pacific wins in overtime
The Hawaii Pacific men’s basketball team picked up an 82-76 victory over Fresno Pacific in overtime on Monday at the FPU Special Events Center in Fresno, Calif., for its second consecutive road win.
Junior David Rowlands led the Sharks (8-10, 6-6 PacWest Conference) with 22 points, while senior Ronald Blain chipped in a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds. The Sharks also got scoring punch off the bench in freshman Lachlan Viney’s 11 points.
Adrian Antunez’s 29 points were not enough for Fresno Pacific. Sean Nealon-Lino added 15 points and six rebounds for the Sunbirds.
HPU cruises to 13th straight win
The nationally ranked Hawaii Pacific women’s basketball team steamrolled Fresno Pacific 98-66 on Monday night in Fresno, Calif., en route to its 13th consecutive victory.
The Sharks (17-1, 12-0 PacWest) — ranked eighth in the WBCA poll and seventh in the D2SIDA poll — got big contributions from two 20-point scorers. Junior Alysha Marcucci and senior Starr Rivera each knocked down five 3-pointers in the blowout. Marcucci tied her season high with 24 points, and Rivera finished with 21 points. Sophomore Amy Noblett chipped in with 16 points, while fellow sophomore Amy Baum finished with a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Jessica Malazarte finished with 17 points for FPU, with Ashley Cross and Kate McClard each scoring 12.
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