HONOLULU – The Class of 2019 of the University of Hawai'i Sports Circle of Honor was officially enshrined at the third annual Green & White Celebration, Sunday at the Stan Sheriff Center. The 37th class included national champion diver Emma Friesen, basketball great Bob Nash, former Athletics Director Hugh Yoshida, and longtime booster Carolyn Berry Wilson.
The plaques of this year's four inductees are among the 123 individuals and 12 teams anchored on the inner walls surrounding the main concourse of the Stan Sheriff Center. Friesen is only the second diver to be enshrined while Nash is the 13th basketball player but the only one to have played and coached for the Rainbow Warriors. Yoshida is the ninth Athletics Director to be inducted.
Attendees sampled food from various restaurants including 12th Avenue Grill, Da Spot, Holoholo Grill, Liliha Bakery, Sodexo, Karai Crab, Tikis Grill & Bar, and Town Kaimuki. In addition a silent auction featured trips, memorabilia, and gift certificates.
The event raised money for UH student-athlete success initiatives including cost of attendance, summer school and nutrition.
Brief biographies of the Circle of Honor Class of 2019 inductees are listed below:
Carolyn Berry Wilson is a successful philanthropist and passionate fan for UH men's basketball. She was instrumental in organizing UH Athletics' first $1 million endowment campaign to support men's basketball undergraduate and graduate scholarships and became a member of the University's Founder Club through her generous giving. The 2008 Charlie Ushijima Award winner also served on the board of 'Ahahui Koa Ānuenue, the school's primary fundraising organization, the UH Men's Basketball Booster Club and the UH Mānoa Chancellor's Advisory Council. In addition, the West Virginia native is also heavily involved in the local community serving on numerous boards including the Honolulu Symphony, Diamond Head Theater, and Chaminade University to name a few.
Emma Friesen won the 2008 NCAA Championship in the 1-meter diving event and was a four-time All-American, arguably the most decorated diver in program history She was also a six-time NCAA qualifier and four-time Western Athletic Conference champion in the 1-meters and two-time champion in the 3-meters. The Canadian was a two-time recipient of the Joe Kearney Award (2008 & 2011), given to the top female athlete in the WAC, and two-time WAC Diver of the Year. In 2008, she was one of three NCAA Diver of the Year recipients. The 2011 Jack Bonham Award winner is the UH record holder in the 1-meter event.
Hugh Yoshida became the first Athletics Director of Japanese-American descent in Division I athletics and spent nearly a decade as AD from 1993-2002. During his tenure, he was responsible for expanding the number of sports programs from 16 to 19; doubling the department's operating budget to $17 million; and spearheading the development of a six-year gender equity plan. In addition, he was instrumental in the funding of the Nagatani Academic Center while outsourcing the department's academic services to the College of Arts and Sciences, both of which saw the immediate rise in academic success of UH's student-athletes. His vision to expand the University's reach through television and radio resulted in the school's first million-dollar radio contract and expansive TV coverage throughout the country. Numerous facility upgrades were completed under his supervision including the completion of the Stan Sheriff Center and Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Bob Nash dedicated 31 years of his life to the Hawai'i men's basketball program, including two as a member of the famed "Fabulous Five" of the 1970s. He was named to numerous All-American teams and helped lead UH to its first NIT (1971) and NCAA Tournament (1972) appearances. Following his career, he was selected ninth overall in the 1972 NBA Draft, the highest UH draft pick in program history at the time. He held school records for rebounds in a game (30) and in a season (361) and averaged a double-double for his career (16.8 ppg and 13.6 rpg). Following his professional playing career, he spent 26 years as an assistant to coaches Larry Little, Frank Arnold, and Riley Wallace and three years as head coach (2007-10).
No comments:
Post a Comment