The Lahainaluna High School Athletic Department’s annual awards banquet was held on May 16.

LAHAINA – The Lahainaluna High School Athletic Department held its annual banquet to honor the student athletes for the school year 2012-13 at the Hale Pa’ina cafeteria on May 16.

The event celebrated the accomplishments of the athletes, their coaches and all of the Lahainaluna teams – particularly the championship runs of the football, girls basketball, girls wrestling and boys wrestling teams.

On-hand were the families of the competitors, school administrators and a long list of distinguished guests to salute them.

Lahainaluna High School Foundation representative Mark Tillman emceed the banquet organized by Athletic Director Scott Soldwisch and assistant Jon Conrad.

Longtime Luna Booster Club members Tanya Arakawa, Lena Kanemitsu, Kathy Kekahuna, Irene Kosaka, Sharon Nohara, Barbie Otomo and Coreen Serrano once again organized the program and hosted at the greeting table.

After the opening greeting from Tillman, the attendees enjoyed a prime rib dinner courtesy of Ray Camacho and the cafeteria staff, and then settled in to honor the 2012-13 student athletes.

The Most Valuable Player Award winners and the presenting coaches were: baseball, Tyran Palea by coach Blaine Bernades; boys basketball, Emil Cariaga by coach John Dudley; girls basketball, Jade Chihara by coach Todd Rickard; girls bowling, Terra Miller, and boys bowling, Jake Ryan, by coach Erik Jennings; cheerleading, Karen Galuardo by coach Stacy Shibao; girls cross country, Kailey Sager, and boys cross country, Corban Kaikkonen, by coaches Dan Skoussen and George Watson; football defense, Tytus Lucas, and offense, Kiko “Shoyu” Kohler-Fonohema, by coaches Garret Tihada and Bobby Watson; girls golf, Caylyn Villatora by coach Laura Jones; boys golf, Malu Rosenthal by coach Sutee Nitakorn; paddling, Kanoe Delatori and Jenina Pascua; girls soccer, Bridget Joy by coach Dave Rockett; boys soccer, Rhys Lendio and Julian Bel-Robert by coach Sam Aki; softball, Haley Ann Nakamura and Hope Morikawa by coach Lei Nakamura; girls swimming, Jesselee Chapman, and boys swimming, Kainoa Altier, by coach Tom Popdan; girls tennis, Melissa Taketa, and boys tennis, Jordan Baclay, by coach Macario Pascual; girls track and field, Breea Yamat, and boys track and field, Corban Kaikkonen (both received the Wallace Ishikawa Track Award by coach Skousen); girls volleyball, Shelby Uwekoolani by coach Lei Nakamura; boys volleyball, Erich Skrotzki by coaches Tommy and Noe Akima; water polo, Bridget Joy by coach Bradley Mason; and wrestling, Kapu Jaramillo and Bubba Jaramillo by coaches Todd Hayase, Kim Ball and Lindsey Ball.

For the feature awards of the evening, Vice Principal Keola Rogat presented the Outstanding Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards to Bailey Pendergast and Julian Bel-Robert; Principal Emily DeCosta gave the Outstanding Athlete of the Year trophies to Jade Chihara and Malu Rosenthal; and Area Complex Superintendant Lindsay Ball honored Hope Morikawa and Reilly Pasion as the Most Distinguished Senior Athlete Award winners.

Event co-chairmen Soldwisch and Conrad sent out a warm mahalo to Ray Camacho and the LHS Food Service Department for the banquet meal, Glen Pascual for the slide show video (Pascual’s LHS sports photos can be viewed online at Picasaweb.google .com/bububearz), Sandy Simpson and Earl Zaan for table centerpieces, and to the coaches, parents, family, staff and the West Maui community of our student athletes. Your support and encouragement make Lahainaluna athletics no ka ‘oi.