Kamehameha senior Kiani Halushka just kept getting better until she was judged the best.
Halushka was selected the Star-Advertiser’s player of the year after consultation with coaches. This one was easy, as the girl who seemed to come from out of nowhere led the ILH in scoring and capped it off with three goals against Aiea in the state final, the first girl to do so since Millie Dydasco scored four for Castle back in 1982.
Halushka was one of two freshmen to make Kamehameha’s stocked squad four years ago and she steadily improved.
"She just got better and better," Kamehameha coach Melissa Moore said. "Everything, from her play to her maturity and leadership to her work ethic, and it all comes from within."
Kamehameha’s only hiccups during the season came against defending state champion Iolani, which held the Warriors’ powerful offense scoreless twice. In the second one, a 1-0 loss for the ILH title, Halushka went crazy.
While most of her teammates sleepwalked through the loss, Halushka was certainly alive. She repeatedly implored her teammates to snap out of it and work the ball to the front, doing so with enough passion that had more than a few Kamehameha reserves sitting slack-jawed on the bench watching her passion play out.
"She is just a true competitor," Moore said. "Even in training or the little games we play in practice she has to win everything. She is upset when she doesn’t."
The senior is joined on the first team by teammate Kayla Mizo, who was her only real competition for player of the year along with Aiea’s Raisa Strom-Okimoto. Warriors Janelle Stone, Kawai Makue, Shyann Moriguchi and Sarah Lau also were named to the first team.
The two Hawaii players with the brightest futures were left off the first team. Punahou’s Dani Stollar relegated to honorable mention and Waianae’s Sonest Furtado made the second team for the second straight year. Stollar played in only a few games for the Buffanblu but is Harvard bound. Furtado, who bounced back from injury to lead the OIA in scoring, pledged her allegiance to Hawaii before her team fell short of the state tournament with a loss to Moanalua in the first round of the OIA tournament.
But for now it is Kamehameha’s world.
The Warriors will return Makue, Lau and second-team keeper Sisilia Meli but will lose plenty. Strom-Okimoto and Hawaii Prep’s Gabby Ewing lead the other returners but the second team is stacked behind Campbell’s Aliani Lorenzo.
Hawaii Prep’s Steve Perry won coach of the year honors for sweeping the BIIF and Division II state titles.
Moore, Aiea’s Benji Villaflor and Frank Baumholtz of Pearl City were also considered.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kiani Halushka, Kamehameha
COACH OF THE YEAR
Steve Perry, Hawaii Prep
FIRST TEAM
F: Kiani Halushka, KS, sr.
F: Janelle Stone, KS, sr.
F: Kawai Makue, KS, jr.
M: Raisa Strom-Okimoto, Aiea, jr.
M: Gabbie Ewing, Hawaii Prep, jr.
M: Nycole Mitsuyasu, ‘Iolani, sr.
D: Kayla Mizo, Kamehameha, sr.
D: Alicia Chang, Kaiser, sr.
D: Sarah Lau, Kamehameha, jr.
D: Shyann Moriguchi, KS, sr.
K: Arielle Stoyanow, Kapolei, sr.
SECOND TEAM
F: Sonest Furtado, Waianae, sr.
F: Kai Hasegawa, Kaiser, jr.
F: Kayla Watanabe, Mid-Pacific, jr.
M: Aliani Lorenzo, Campbell, so.
M: Tasha Inong, Pearl City, sr.
M: Megan Goo, ‘Iolani, jr.
M: Kelli Fryxell, Kapolei, jr.
M: Hannah Kaina, KS, sr.
D: Dana Lim, ‘Iolani, sr.
D: Janaye Shepard, Mid-Pacific, jr.
K: Sisilia Meli, Kamehameha, jr.
HONORABLE MENTION
Forwards
Cassandra Stetser, Mililani
Bianca Gonzalez, Kapolei
Vanessa Chinen, Castle
Jordan Hill, Aiea
Paige Mahuka, Kapolei
Ana Tuppein, Konawaena
Bri Vallente, Hawaii Prep
Taylor Matas, Hilo
Alysha Miyazono, Maui
Madison Moore, Island School
Shatres Ah Nee, Campbell
Midfielders
Emma Young, Kamehameha
Tia Furuta, Mililani
Lily Higashino, KS-Maui
Dani Stollar, Punahou
Nanea Tavares, Hawaii Prep
Lolly Higa, Hilo
Allyson Matsuoka, Kaiser
Noelle Mercado, Kaiser
Alea Amano, Kaiser
Kayla Braunthal, Mililani
Hoku Afong, Moanalua
Lily Higashino, KS-Maui
Defenders
Hiilani Thomas, Punahou
Casey Thompson, Kamehameha
Emily Tanaka, ‘Iolani
Jordan Gomes, Pearl City
Brittany McClay, Mililani
Ciera Hamilton, Aiea
Shanoa Wagner-Bright, Campbell
Keepers
Tasalina Leoso, Mililani
Corina Edgington, Kaiser
Noe Kong-Johnson, Punahou
Katie Yuu, ‘Iolani
Courtney Overland, ‘Iolani
