Hawaii softball coach Bob Coolen announced the six-member 2025 signing class on Tuesday.

Jaeda Abcede, Sunni Kahanu, Kolbi Kochi, Kiani-Taylor Soller, Kennedy Thompson and Kayara-Leigh Tuiloma will join the Rainbow Wahine for the 2025 season.

Five members of the six-player class are local products. Middle infielder/center fielder Abcede helped lead Campbell to a 2023 state title; center fielder/shortstop Kahanu and first baseman/third baseman Kochi are being coached by former Wahine Rose Antonio at Mililani; pitcher/outfielder Soller hit .545 and sported a 14-1 record pitching as a junior for Kamehameha; and Kapolei outfielder Tuiloma hit .317 for Preps Academy last summer.

Thompson is a four-year starter at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, Calif. The outfielder hit .387 for the Centurions last year and .373 for the I-5 Snyder club team.

Hawaii’s Chandler wins judo gold

Honolulu’s Cole Chandler marked his return to international judo with a gold medal performance at Saturday’s Dakar African Open in Senegal. It was Chandler’s first major international event in nearly five years.

The Hawaii Tenri judoka was a member of the 2018 World Team and a two-time national champion. Chandler went 4-0 in the 73kg division at the Dakar African Open.

Chandler’s closest match came in the first round, where he conceded his only score but bounced back from being down a waza-ari (half point) to beat Konin Emmanuel Kossan.

Chandler beat 2019 Senior African Championships bronze medalist Diogo Cesar in the quarterfinals. Chandler beat Cesar by ippon (full point).

In the semifinals, Chandler beat 2021 Senior World Team member Ety Marc Tevia Ndong Nze Nkala by awase-waza (ippon by two waza-ari’s).

In the final, Chandler beat 2016 Olympian Andrew Thomas Mlugu by ippon to claim the gold medal.