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Even without spring sports this year, there was plenty of honor to go around among the class of 2020.
The Hawaii High School Athletic Association Hall of Honor elected its latest class on Sunday, continuing a tradition that began in 1983. The committee selected 12 of the state’s finest athletes for induction into the select club and a $2,000 college scholarship from Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
This year’s class, which consists of six girls and six boys and every league represented, consists of:
>> Nanea Estrella, Lahainaluna
She is a four-time state champion in wrestling, the sixth girl in state history to do so and the second from Maui, joining Lahainaluna’s Lalelei Mataafa from 2016. Estrella ended her career at No. 1 pound-for-pound on Hawaiiprepworld.com’s rankings and will go on to compete for national power Menlo College while majoring in marketing business.
>> Alfred Failauga, Waipahu
He is Oahu’s career rushing leader with 5,795 yards in 39 games, eclipsing the mark set by fellow Hall of Honor member Vavae Malepeai of Mililani early in his senior season. Failauga, who led the Marauders to the Division I state title in 2018, is looking for an opportunity to play Division I college football. Failauga is the second boy from Waipahu inducted into the Hall of Honor, joining class of 1989’s Peter Viliamu.
>> Chenoa Frederick,
Kamehameha-Hawaii
One of the most successful track and field athletes in state history, Frederick won eight individual gold medals despite losing her senior season to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state record is nine held by Hall of Honor members Heidi Freise, Prestine Foster and Zhane Santiago. Considering Frederick became the first girl to win all three jumps and the 100 meters last year, the record was in serious jeopardy. Frederick, who will attend Hawaii, joins Saydee Aganus from 2018 as the second girl from KS-Hawaii to join the club.
>> La’akea Gonsalves, Kapaa
A three-sport star from the KIF, Gonsalves helped the Warriors win nine league titles and a state championship in soccer in his career. He was also a league all-star in football at two positions and made it to the state final twice in volleyball before losing out on his senior season to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gonsalves, who plans on majoring in environmental studies or business, is Kapaa’s second straight Hall of Honor inductee after Kiran Costa made it last year.
>> Christina Hicks, Punahou
Hicks continued Punahou’s winning tradition in water polo and was an integral part of three undefeated seasons and the state championships to go with them before missing out on her senior campaign. Hicks will go on to play water polo at Stanford after a decorated career with the USA Youth National team.
>> Caiyle Kaupu, Konawaena
Kaupu joins a long line of Konawaena basketball standouts in the Hall of Honor after leading the Wildcats to two state championships and placing in the top three in all four years of her prep career. Kaupu was selected to the Star-Advertiser’s Fab 15 all four years and will attend the University of California.
>> Legend Matautia, Punahou
Punahou’s Swiss Army Knife excelled in four sports in his career, winning two state titles in wrestling and one in judo and less than an inch away from earning another state gold in the discus. He did this all the while playing middle linebacker for one of the state’s top football programs. Matautia, who sports a 3.6 GPA, will attend the University of San Diego and major in electrical engineering.
>> Elena Oglivie, ‘Iolani
One of the most celebrated volleyball players in a state that adores the sport, Oglivie was the Gatorade Player of the Year three times and the Star-Advertiser’s top pick twice in a career that included two state championships for a school that hadn’t won since 2001 before she came along. Oglivie finished high school with a 4.02 grade point average and is committed to Stanford.
>> Kysen Terukina,
Kamehameha
Terukina became the first male wrestler in Kamehameha’s storied history to complete the state slam, leading his program to back-to-back state titles in the process. Terukina was the top wrestler on Hawaiiprepworld.com’s pound-for-pound rankings the last two years and will move on to wrestle at Iowa State.
>> Joshua Tihada,
Lahainaluna
Tihada led the Lunas to four straight state football championships as a workhorse running back, churning out 2,417 yards in MIL play, according to the Maui News, and 1,087 yards in state tournament games. He also holds the record with 19 touchdowns in the state tournament and will take his talents to UNLV where he will major in compressive kinesiology. Tihada was also a team captain on Lahainaluna’s basketball team.
>> Christmas Togiai,
Kamehameha
Togiai capped his prep basketball career as the Star-Advertiser’s Player of the Year and made the publication’s Fab 15 twice. He led the Warriors to an undefeated season as a senior until suffering an injury that kept him out of the state championship game. Togiai was also Fab 15 in boys volleyball as a junior and played football until his senior year. Togiai, an honors student, will attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona.
>> Roman Wilson,
Saint Louis
Wilson was a receiving threat for the four-time state champion football team, making the first-team on the Star-Advertiser’s all-state squad the last two years. And football wasn’t even his top sport. The sprinter is the reigning fastest boy in Hawaii with a gold medal in the 100 meters as a junior and helping the Crusaders to another gold in the 400-meter relay. Wilson expects to suit up in both sports at Michigan and will major in computer engineering.
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