Chaminade University of Honolulu

Athletics

Athletics Gala Celebrates its 10th Year

Chaminade University’s Annual Intercollegiate Athletics Gala hit its decade year on March 15 and was a night 600 attendees won’t soon forget. Family, friends, colleagues, student-athletes and university supporters gathered at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel to honor the 2018 Silversword Hall of Fame inductees – Dr. Edison H. Miyawaki and Bill Villa.

In the hotel’s Hawaii Ballroom, guests could be heard chatting with enthusiasm before the program started. Emcee Felipe Ojastro welcomed guests and started the high-spirited program by introducing the honorees. The crowd gave a standing ovation as each made his way to the stage.

Following the initial introductions and Hawaiian ‘oli “He Mele No Kaminaka,” the evening’s program began with dinner and entertainment. Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington gave remarks congratulating the two honorees as well as thanking guests for their continuous support of Chaminade and its athletics program. Women’s softball’s Kaitlin Kim ’18 also took the stage sharing her experiences as a student-athlete and how generous contributors help provide a word-class education with a robust athletics experience.

Next was the main event, the induction of new members into the Silversword Hall of Fame: Dr. Edison Miyawaki and Bill Villa.

Dr. Edison K. Miyawaki, Jr. and Kawika Villa introduced their fathers to those in attendance. Both sons shared special memories of their fathers and how their love for sports and Chaminade has help build the athletics program to where it is today.

Dr. Miyawaki – known as “Doc” – is the driving force behind the Intercollegiate Athletic Gala. Under his direction, he created the event in 2008 when he joined Chaminade’s Board of Regents. Since then, the event has raised over $1.5 million for student-athletes and programming. Dr. Miyawaki is the president of Pali Corp. and was the first Japanese-American to become part owner of an NFL team. He’s put the same energy and commitment into philanthropy as his career, establishing scholarships for young athletes attending NFL training camps and leading education-centered capital projects.

Born and raised in Honolulu, Villa grew up a multi-sport athlete. He played for Kamehameha Schools Kapālama and the University of Hawaii. His love of sports led him to become the athletics director at Assets School and then Mid-Pacific Institute. In 2008, he was named the first full-time director of athletics at Chaminade. He’s worked tirelessly to expand the program, improve and modernize facilities, recruit top-notch coaching, training and leadership staff and launch the annual Chaminade Golf Tournament athletics scholarship fundraiser.

The athletics gala program concluded with the honorees being presented a Pahi Kaua Sword, crafted from the bill of a swordfish by alumnus Umi Kai ’73, and  Dr. Miyawaki and Villa both expressing their gratitude.

Dr. Miyawaki thanked everyone who has supported Chaminade over the years as well as those who helped make the Athletics Gala a success saying he could not be more proud of what the event has accomplished over the past decade. Crediting his father for instilling values of hard work and determination, Dr. Miyawaki enjoys believing in something that no one else believes can be done. He recognized his family, his son who along with his wife and granddaughter traveled from Missouri to celebrate his induction, and closed with saying that Chaminade is a special place because of the people.

Like Dr. Miyawaki, Villa appreciates the many opportunities given to him along his career path. He  urged student-athletes to put in the hard work and earn from experiences to thrive in the community. “You just need a chance like I was given to succeed, and with that chance amazing things can happen,” he said. Villa ended by thanking Dr. Miyawaki for being a “visionary and someone he will forever cherish as a friend.”

The annual Athletics Gala is instrumental to the success of Chaminade’s athletics program and its student-athletes. This year’s event set a new contribution record, raising over $300,000, supporting its 10 sports programs and over 140 student-athletes.

Building Great Athletes Start With Great Attitude and Mental Toughness

Success in athletics is as much about the brain as it is about the body.

And sometimes, the body takes a back seat.

That was the message sports psychology consultant and life skills coach Jim Skelton had for student-athletes and their coaches during two, three-hour presentations last month.

Skelton, highly-regarded in the field, has worked with a long list of collegiate and professional teams — from the Cleveland Indians to California State University — and addressed the Chaminade community as it bolsters athletics programming and facilities.

Jim SkeltonDuring Skelton’s Feb. 14 talk with student-athletes, Skelton delved into everything from championship culture to developing an “amazing attitude” to sticking to habits of excellence.

Nina Torio, who plays volleyball for the Silverswords, said she walked away from the presentation with a new appreciation for mental fitness in sports.

Torio, a business administration major on track to graduate in 2020, said she was especially intrigued by Skelton’s description of the “process” of building great athletes and teams.

Her takeaway: Successful athletes aren’t born — they’re made (thanks to lots of practice).

“The message that Jim talked about that resonated in me the most was the importance of the mental game,” she said. “Sometimes, the biggest battle and obstacle can be within ourselves — negative thoughts, doubts, an ‘I can’t do this’ mentality.’”

But Skelton, she said, encouraged attendees to establish — and practice maintaining — positive mental routines and habits.

“If we practice positive thinking and a ‘bounce back’ attitude, nothing can stop us from reaching the goals we set for ourselves,” Torio said, adding that Skelton’s points on the importance of character (and character building) in sports weren’t lost on her, either.

“Many of the things we learn from our respective sports can translate to the real world,” she said. “Teamwork, a strong mindset, and culture building are incredible life skills and qualities. It is up to me to shift from old habits and create a new standard of thinking and focus.”

While Skelton has worked with top collegiate and professional teams, he’s quick to point out that his interest in athletics has never simply been about elite sports. Rather, his passion lies in helping those from all different backgrounds and skill levels get real joy from competition.

One of his favorite quotes, after all, is from Nelson Mandela: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.”

Kaitlin Kim, an elementary education student set to graduate in December, can appreciate that.

During Skelton’s student-athlete session, she said, she got some new tools to help her get through particularly stressful games or plays — including a handy breathing exercise — and a new understanding of when to push hard and when to let things go.

She plays softball for Chaminade.

And that’s a sport, she said, that’s “95 percent mental and 5 percent physical.”

“I liked (Skelton’s message) that we can control things that are in our control,” Kim said, “and to not get upset over things that are not in our control.”

Things, she added (a bit mischievously), like umpire strike zones and questionable calls.

Hot 3-Point Shooting Propels Chaminade to Historic Upset Over Cal Bears in Maui Jim Maui Invitational

When a Division II college basketball team takes on a Division I squad, the result is usually predictable. But not so this year at the 34th annual Maui Jim Maui Invitational, held Nov. 20-22 in Lahaina. 2017 Maui InvitationalCompeting for seventh place in the nationally televised preseason tournament, the Chaminade University men’s team upset highly favored Berkeley in a 96-72 rout. It was the eighth all-time win for the Silverswords in their signature tourney and biggest-ever margin of triumph over a Division I school. “The victory over Cal is really special for us for a variety of reasons,” said Silversword head coach Eric Bovaird, whose team’s overall record is 8-92 in the tournament. “A win over a Pac-12 school is huge,” Bovaird said. “The exposure for a victory like that has huge impact for us recruiting wise for the future and hopefully adds name recognition for other potential students here at Chaminade. “With a win like that, we know we can compete with anyone in the country if we play to our capability.” Along with increasing his team’s confidence, beating the Cal Golden Bears also “puts a huge target on our back,” Bovaird said. “Every team we play now wants to be the team that beat the team that beat Cal,” he said. Chaminade began the tournament with an 83-56 loss to No. 13 Notre Dame, then fell 102-64 to the University of Michigan in the consolation semifinals. 2017 Maui InvitationalAgainst Cal, the Silverswords built an early lead behind the hot shooting of senior guard Dantley Walker, who finished with a career-high seven three-pointers and career-best 23 points. Junior forward Erik Scheive came off the bench to score 14 points, while junior forward Brett Reed and senior point guard Austin Pope tallied 12 points each. As a team, Chaminade shot 55.6 percent (35-of-63) from the floor, compared to 42.4 percent (28-of-66) for Cal. The Silverswords outrebounded the Bears 42-36 and led in assists 22-6. The Maui Jim tournament debuted in 1984 after Chaminade scored one of the most dramatic upsets in college basketball two years earlier by stunning No. 1 University of Virginia. This latest version of the competition was won by Notre Dame in a 67-66 nailbiter over Wichita State. Marquette finished third with an impressive 94-84 win against Louisiana State, and Michigan took fifth by beating Virginia Commonwealth 68-60. Starting with the 2018 tournament, the Silverswords will only play on Maui every other year.

Silversword standouts Goodwin and Kuany sign with pro basketball teams in England, Australia

Two former Chaminade University basketball players – Rohndell Goodwin ‘17 and Kuany Kuany ‘17 – will compete this season for professional teams in England and Australia, respectively.

Rohndell GoodwinGoodwin, honored as “Male Athlete of the Year” at Chaminade’s annual Co-Curricular Awards, signed a one-year contract with the Bristol Flyers of the British Basketball League. The California native is one of three “imports” from outside the European Union allowed on the Flyers roster under league rules.

During his two seasons with the Silverswords, Goodwin averaged 18.4 points per game, the third-highest scoring output in school history. The 6-foot-5 guard was also selected for the 2016-17 Pacific West Conference First Team and All-West Region Second Team.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to be a professional basketball player,” Goodwin said. “Everything that I’ve been working for is starting to pay off. It really hasn’t hit me just yet. I feel it will really hit me once I get on the plane and land in Bristol.”

Kuany Kuany '17Kuany inked a two-year contract with the CQUniversity Cairns Taipans of Australia’s National Basketball League. The 6-foot-5 guard was then sent to the team’s developmental squad, the Cairns Marlins of the Queensland Basketball League.

“I’m happy and excited to continue to play the game I love here in Australia,” said Kuany, a South Sudan native who grew up in Melbourne. “It’s a great opportunity to play for the city of Cairns in the NBL and continue to pursue my goals.”

Kuany, Chaminade’s first-ever four-time All-Pacific West Conference selection, finished his career as third on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,600 points and second in rebounds with 876.

Chaminade University competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II level as a member of the Pacific West Conference. The university fields men’s teams in basketball, cross country, golf and soccer. Women student-athletes compete in basketball, cross country, soccer, softball tennis, and volleyball. For more information, visit goswords.com.

Time Management is Key, Undergraduate Says, to Balancing Pre-Med Studies, Soccer and Social Life

Incoming senior Megan McClanahan is one of Chaminade University’s “super achievers.” Along with excelling in her pre-medical studies, she competes on the Silversword women’s soccer team, immerses herself in campus issues through the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and still has time for social activities.

Megan McClanahan playing soccer

How does she strike a balance among these diverse interests? McClanahan says time management enables her to “not only balance soccer and academics, but to also enjoy a social life.”

“Soccer practice helps me fire up my brain early in the morning so I can perform better in morning classes,” she says. “I usually do homework in the afternoons and evenings. I am a big believer in study groups, and I have found a great group of friends to study with. The last thing I do to balance my life is to get enough sleep. I shoot for at least eight hours a night.”

That formula obviously works for McClanahan, who plans to earn her undergraduate biology degree next year from the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Then this future surgeon will enroll at The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences through an articulation agreement negotiated by Chaminade.

“I have known for a very long time I want to be a doctor,” McClanahan says. “During my freshman year, I became aware of the articulation agreement Chaminade has with George Washington. My sophomore year I did more research about GW and viewed it as the next place I want to stop on my journey through life.”

Megan McClanahan studying

With guidance from Chaminade’s Undergraduate Research & Pre-Professional Programs, McClanahan was accepted for an interview at George Washington “and fell in love with the Washington, D.C., area and the campus while I was there.”

“As a part of the agreement, I am finishing my time at Chaminade pursuing a humanities minor of Hawaiian and Pacific Island Studies,” McClanahan says. “I am grateful for the opportunities presented to me at Chaminade, and I am eager to begin my next steps to becoming a doctor.”

McClanahan, who hails from the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska, was initially attracted to Chaminade as a high school junior when she participated in a National History Day contest. On the last day of the competition in the nation’s capital, McClanahan won a Chaminade merit scholarship. Then she discovered the Silversword soccer team.

“I spent the next year trying to find a way to get the coaches and athletic department at Chaminade to notice me,” McClanahan says. “Once I was able to fulfill my lifelong dream of playing college soccer, I had a decision to make.

“Should I be fearless and decide to spend the next four years in Hawaii, a place I have never been? Or should I play it safe and stay closer to home? Needless to say, I took a leap of faith and have never looked back with regret.”

Chaminade University’s Athletics Gala Celebrated 2017 Inductees

Nearly 400 people attended Chaminade University’s 2017 Intercollegiate Athletics Gala, held on March 16 at the Ala Moana Beach Hotel.  They came to celebrate the induction of Chaminade president Bro. Bernard Ploeger, S.M., Ph.D. and Chaminade alumnus and 1991 Maui Invitational MVP George Gilmore, Jr. ’04 into the 2017 Silversword Hall of Fame.

Filled with well-wishers – family, friends, colleagues, university supporters, and student-athletes– the ninth annual gala event bustled with excitement. The crowd in the Hibiscus Ballroom quietened as the two honorees prepared for their entrances.  As they were separately ushered into the room, emcee Lei U ‘I Kaholokula shared with the crowd the clear impact the men had on the university and on the community at large.

2017 Athletics Gala, George Gilmore, Jr. '04George Gilmore, Jr. ’04, after earning junior college all-America honors in men’s basketball at Santé Fe Community College in Florida in 1990, followed his coach to Chaminade University. In his first game in the 1991 EA SPORTS Maui Invitational, he scored 23 points against Iowa State. He followed that with 28 points against Toledo then 33 against Loyola Marymount. He finished the 1991-92 season second in the nation in scoring with a 28.3 scoring average while earning Division II All-America honors. The following year proved to be his landmark season when he set the Maui Invitational scoring record by pouring in 93 points in the three-game tournament, earning him the tournament’s Most Valuable Player honors, one of only two Chaminade players to hold that distinction.  He graduated from Chaminade in 2004. Today, the Kailua resident, in alignment with Chaminade’s mission and values, works at the Kapolei Detention Home helping to mentor at-risk youths turn their lives around.

2017 Athletics Gala, Bro. Bernie Ploeger, SMBro. Bernard Ploeger, S.M., Ph.D., who concludes his service as Chaminade University president on June 30, 2017, will have served Chaminade for 23 years: eight years as its president, plus the prior 15 years in other leadership capacities.  He is considered the chief architect in developing and carrying out the University’s strategic plans since 2008.  One of the major key levers of success in those strategic plans has been to renew Chaminade’s participation in intercollegiate athletics as a point of pride for alumni and for campus and community supporters. Ploeger has been instrumental in encouraging Chaminade’s competitive success in regional and conference sports, has helped ensure an increase in outreach in Hawaii, and has pressed for financial support in securing program facilities.

The crowd applauded loudly in a standing ovation. The processions were followed by Kaipo Leopoldino ’14 offering the Hawaiian ‘oli  “He Mele No Kaminaka” (Song or Chant of Chaminade), which Leopoldino had composed when he was a Chaminade student. Chaminade regent Bro. William Campbell, S.M. delivered the invocation. Video tributes for the two men played as dinner was served. The student-athlete speaker Megan McClanahan ’18, who originates from Nebraska and plays women’s soccer at Chaminade, shared her gratitude for the sports’ program and Chaminade’s academic program, which led to her acceptance into George Washington University Medical School.

Soon it was time for the honorees to share a few words. Gilmore spoke about his hardships in his early upbringing and his gratitude at being at Chaminade.  Not only did he shine athletically at the university, but he also met his wife at Chaminade.  Bro. Ploeger said that he had mentioned Gilmore as a possible inductee in the past and felt honored to be inducted at the same time as Gilmore.

After each spoke, each received a traditional Native Hawaiian implement — a sword created from the bill of a swordfish and crafted by alumnus Gordon “Umi” Kai ’73. Chairman of the Board of Regents Vaughn Vasconcellos was moved to tears during his closing remarks as he spoke of Bro. Ploeger’s influence on Chaminade. Both Ploeger and Gilmore have left unique marks on the University and the community at large. Chaminade was grateful and proud.

With the strong leadership of event chair Dr. Edison H. Miyawaki, the athletics gala has raised $1.5 Million over the last nine years in support of Chaminade University’s 10-sports intercollegiate athletics program. 

Bro. Bernie Ploeger’s, S.M., video tribute
George Gilmore, Jr. ’04 video tribute