Everything changed in an instant.
Four, and in some cases five years of hard work were gone, poof, up in smoke. For more than 50 senior student-athletes at the University of Hawaii, dreams were dashed last Thursday with the NCAA’s cancellation of championship events through the end of the 2019-20 athletic calendar due to the emerging threat of the coronavirus.
The intervening days have not done much to ease disappointment.
Callee Heen, one of two seniors on the UH softball team, said Saturday the last few days had been “very emotional,” “upsetting” and “heartbreaking.” UH, though 9-15, was eager to test its mettle in Big West play, which was to begin next week.
“We had so much potential. We were still growing as a team and figuring everything out,” said Heen, the No. 4 home run hitter in program history who was making a run at No. 2. “The fact that it was cut short, hits a little hard.”
For Rado Parapunov of the second-ranked UH men’s volleyball team, the fast-moving news was met with derision. “Literally in (a) two hours period, that was it. Done,” the senior opposite said Friday. “Four years in Hawaii. Done. Goodbye. I mean, I’m still laughing because I can’t process it.”
For senior Amy Ozee, it was denial upon landing in Florida for a tournament with her beach volleyball teammates. “I was like, ‘That’s not true. Nope.’ ”
All UH men’s sports except football were abbreviated, as were all UH women’s sports except volleyball, soccer and cross country. Upcoming football spring training remains a question mark.
Such is the heavy crossover month of March, when winter sports like basketball and swimming have not yet concluded and spring sports like baseball and tennis are only really getting going.
Three Manoa spring team sports had legitimate designs on a national championship in the coming months — men’s volleyball, No. 4 women’s water polo and No. 4 beach volleyball.
“You see men’s volleyball and they’re ranked first and second, and everyone’s like, ‘Oh, they’re going to win a national championship!’ We might’ve been ranked fourth, but that was still what I felt,” said Ozee, who cited her 11-2 team’s strong work ethic and culture. “We were winning a national championship. … I didn’t have a doubt in my mind that we were ready to take home that trophy.”
Recognizing the groundswell of support for athletes — a petition circulating on change.org for eligibility relief had more than 264,000 signatures as of Sunday — the NCAA offered an olive branch over the weekend in the form of a waiver that would potentially allow spring student-athletes, including seniors and graduate students, to play an additional season.
So far, the courtesy has not been extended to winter sports that had their postseasons — like March Madness — nixed.
It issued a statement from its Division I Council Coordination Committee on Friday: “Council leadership agreed that eligibility relief is appropriate for all Division I student-athletes who participated in spring sports. Details of eligibility relief will be finalized at a later time. Additional issues with NCAA rules must be addressed, and appropriate governance bodies will work through those in the coming days and weeks.”
Those players who stared at the prospect of the end of their college career now could have a decision to make — but so do UH and other institutions that would potentially foot the bill for additional scholarships. There are other factors to consider like exceeded caps on roster sizes and shifted roles for incoming players.
Athletic director David Matlin, upon returning from the shuttered Big West basketball tournaments, said Friday, “My take on that is we would really need to look at that. I think it’s a good conversation to have and something we should consider. We have to look at the unintended consequences on roster management, also on how that will really look, because we have kids coming in, and what those unintended consequences will be from a competitive landscape. But I think if we’re going to err on our decisions, we really have to look at the student-athletes themselves.
“There aren’t simple solutions to this.”
For many, it will not be as easy as running it back one more year. Prominent players have designs on professional careers, or in many cases are on track to graduate in May. Parapunov and Colton Cowell, the stars of the men’s volleyball team, said Friday they are looking to turn pro.
“I was thinking I’m going to have those thoughts in May, but it’s time to start thinking about serious life,” Parapunov said.
Others, like middle Patrick Gasman and utility player James Anastassiades, said a return would be contingent on a full scholarship, and even then they weren’t certain.
Heen and Ozee likewise took note of the NCAA’s statement but weren’t sure what the future holds for them past May, when they are set to graduate.
Beach senior Julia Scoles, a transfer player from North Carolina, said she will use the coming weeks to focus on UH’s new online-only classes and train for an upcoming pro career in the sand. Oh, and play tourist — something she never had the time for during a season.
“The most I’ll take away,” Scoles said, “I feel like before coming out here, I was not nearly the person I am today, and I’m very thankful for the situations and people who were placed in my life in Hawaii, to kind of grow me in ways I never thought possible.”
WHERE UH STOOD AS OF THURSDAY’S NCAA DECISION
No. 2 volleyball (15-1)
Was coming off a five-set win over Brigham Young in front of a sold-out Stan Sheriff Center. Hawaii was to have opened Big West play at Cal State Northridge last Friday, the first of 11 matches before defending its conference tournament title.
Baseball (11-6)
Went 3-1 against Oregon last week and was preparing for last Friday’s opener of a four-game home series with Chicago State.
No. 3 water polo (11-2)
Was to play at UC San Diego last Friday, the contest with the Tritons the first of 10 before the Big West tournament.
No. 4 Beach volleyball (7-2)
Had won five straight before the canceled road trip to Florida. SandBows were to host Heineken Invitational this week with three other tournaments before the Big West championship.
Swimming & diving
The Warriors and Wahine won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship for a second consecutive year. The swimmers were in the process of qualifying for the NCAA championships. Three divers had qualified in several disciplines earlier last week.
Softball (9-15)
The Wahine were one day and two games into the four-day Bank of Hawaii Classic and trying to snap a six-game losing streak. They were to open Big West play at UC Santa Barbara on March 27, the first of seven five-game series against conference teams before regionals.
Men’s tennis (9-6)
Six matches canceled starting with last Thursday’s against Washington University before conference tournament.
Women’s tennis (5-5)
Last Thursday’s match with North Texas was canceled, the first of eight before the conference tournament.
Sailing
The Wahine finished third at the South Florida Intersectional and coed team sixth at Port of La Harbor Cup. Both had three competitions left before ICSA nationals.
Track and Field
One meet into the Wahine outdoor season with last Friday’s Sunrise Meet 2 the first of 10 meet cancellations.
Men’s golf
The Warriors were returning from the canceled Grand Canyon Invitational in Phoenix. Four tournaments left before Big West championship.
Women’s golf
The Wahine were coming off last Wednesday’s fifth-place finish in the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, the women were scheduled to host the Anuenue Spring Break Classic at Kapalua before the Big West tournament.
The PacWest
A Division II conference that includes Chaminade, Hawaii Hilo and Hawaii Pacific has suspended all athletic competition through March 30. Conference officials said they will continue to monitor and assess the situation in regards to continuing the spring sports schedule (baseball, softball, golf, tennis and track and field).
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Cindy Luis, Star-Advertiser
UH’S SPRING AND WINTER SENIORS
Baseball
>> Brennen Hancock
>> Ryder Kuhns
>> Tyler Murray
>> Logan Pouelsen
Basketball (men’s)
>> Zigmars Raimo
>> Eddie Stansberry
Basketball (women’s)
>> Courtney Middap
>> Savannah Reier
>> Julissa Tago
Beach volleyball
>> Amy Ozee
>> Norene Iosia
>> Julia Scoles
>> Morgan Martin
>> Harlee Kekauoha
Cheerleading
>> Christian Feliciano
>> Alyssa Witney Lott
>> Chance Lutostanski
Golf (men’s)
>> Trevor Hirata
>> Nick Nelson
Golf (women’s)
>> Malia Ebersberger
>> Megan Ratcliffe
Sailing
>> Isabelle Anderson
>> Megan Lucas
>> Patrick Wilkinson
Softball
>> Callee Heen
>> Angelique “Cheeks” Ramos
Swimming and diving (men’s)
>> Mateusz Chaba
>> Lucas Cooperman
>> Kane Follows
>> Olli Kokko
>> Grant Newcombe
>> Josh Parmenter
>> David Springhetti
>> Kyle Swardenski
Swimming and diving (women’s)
>> Phoebe Hines
>> Jami Stone
>> Katrina Sudweeks
>> Sophia Taylor
Tennis (men’s)
>> Chia-hua Lu
Tennis (women’s)
>> Nikola Dolakova
>> Petra Melounova
>> Michelle Pits
Track and field
>> Calli-Ann Abbott
>> Alexis Brenzil
>> Natasha Currence
>> Tatiana Desender
>> Megan Fereira
>> Teuila Gardner
>> Shannon McClish
>> Tristan Setzer
>> Aubrie Usui
Volleyball (men’s)
>> James Anastassiades
>> Patrick Gasman
>> Colton Cowell
>> Rado Parapunov
Water polo
>> Samantha Malouff
