2008 Hall of Honor selection tough as ever
May 20th, 2008 by WesIn my six years on the HHSAA Foundation Hall of Honor selection committee, this past weekend’s sessions clearly were the toughest yet as far as coming up with the final 12.
I’ve probably said that before, maybe even last year, but this was the first time I had been involved in so many rounds of voting in order to whittle down the original pool of 55 to the final dozen. We usually get 70 or 80 nominations, so one might think it would be easier to come up with 12 inductees with 15-25 less to choose from.
Not.
This year’s final 12, as usual, are all outstanding student-athletes. But there was only one unanimous choice, and only a couple others who were overwhelming selections. So the votes were spread out, and we really had to analyze who were the most deserving. It wasn’t like other years where there might have been several obvious choices like Derrick Low or Jonathan Spiker.
Different candidates had different credentials. Some were one-sport athletes who were very very good in that one sport. Others were multi-sport athletes who were very talented in each but not quite dominant or All-State first team level in any.
There were some who blossomed late and had an outstanding senior year, and others who were very solid but not spectacular over a four-year career.
There were some who were great athletes on mediocre Division I teams, and others who were spectacular but on a Division II level of competition.
There were some who might not have had glamourous individual statistics, but who played key roles in elevating a program or school into the state’s elite.
In other words, there were many many factors to be weighed and considered and the choices were not easy, which is why it took so long and so many rounds of voting to come up with the final 12.
And the bottom line, as always, is that we ended up with 12 outstanding student-athletes that we and all of Hawai‘i can be proud of.
I will write up individual bios on all 12 inductees for publication in the June 8 Advertiser, and hopefully after reading each one you will see why all 12 are worthy of this prestigious award.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:05 am
Too bad Kameron Steinhoff wasn’t among the 12 selections. He’s overcome a lot this year, winning the state basketball player of the year and sticking with athletics despite a potentially devastating injury in football. Of course, Punahou did represent five of the 12 slots, so it goes to show that the Punahou class of 2008 is graduating a fabulous group of athletes. Hope to see Manti Teo, Dalton Hilliard, or several other Puns receive this honor next year.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Congratulations Punahou for their selection by Sports Illustrated as the #1 high school athletic program in the nation.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Yeah, would be good to see a list/outline of the candidates.
Would you also be able to say who else is on the committee to select?
Nice write-up on the Sports Illustrated Punahou Best in the U.S. writeup today by the way, Wes (whoo hoo, front page). What an honor for them. Didn’t expect to see that in the ‘paper today. You gotta wonder if they’ll mention the top ath’ school in the country is Barack Obama’s alma mater (did I call it or what? Heh). Though, I think it’s a long shot that they’ll mention that it was also the school from where that doc’ in Twin Peaks graduated high school, heh.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Punahou this, Punahou that. If they weren’t able to give scholarships to kids to go to their school and steal them from other public schools they wouldn’t be the top. Also, if you have kids in a sport since 3rd grade, they better be top.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:23 am
But they able to attract top athletes and more importantly, top students. That is due to their track record. Punahou normally does a fine job developing the “whole” student. So, many families want their children to have the opportunity to attend the school. That is why they can pick and choose who they want. It’s called demand.
And, how can you “steal” a student? No school owns a child. That decision is up to the family. Since the families are choosing to send their kid to Punahou, wouldn’t that mean Punahou has more “rights” as you call it to that kid instead of any public school.
If any school wants to attract top students they need to have a high performing school.
So Punahou’s ability to get top athletes have to do with their record of developing fine students and fine athletes.
As for financial aid, Punahou has a mainland firm that checks family income and other variables to determine how much the students qualify for. That decision is not done in house.
The scholarships that are usually given often have to do with ethnicity, so not all Punahou students qualify.
I don’t understand all the hostility towards the school. It looks like you have some hidden and deep hatred for the school. Did something bad happen?
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I also would like to see a list/outline of the candidates that were nominated. And as with any Hall nominations goes the snubs. I’m an avate follower of High School Sports and one person who’s name wasn’t on the list was a State Champ in Wrestling and the only 4 time male State Champ in Judo.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:04 am
Hey Kimo
The only 4 time state champ in judo was not a wrestling state champ. he finished third you dumb canuck
May 27th, 2008 at 4:04 am
Hey Kimo
The only 4 time state champ in judo was not a wrestling state champ. he finished third
surely he was considered