Kaua‘i High School junior Kristle Henry has been named to Team Aloha for the second straight year, an announcement from Mufi Hannemann said Monday. Henry, a standout guard for the Red Raiders during the 2011-2012 Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation girls basketball
Kaua‘i High School junior Kristle Henry has been named to Team Aloha for the second straight year, an announcement from Mufi Hannemann said Monday.
Henry, a standout guard for the Red Raiders during the 2011-2012 Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation girls basketball season, is the only Kaua‘i player to be named to the 12-player team.
Team Aloha will leave April 19 for Los Angeles to participate in the Tournament of Champions April 21 and April 22 at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana.
“Team Aloha is an outgrowth of the annual Jamboree I’ve been sponsoring since 1994 as the state’s only post-season showcase of girls high school basketball,” Hannemann said in the release. “I saw then the caliber of girls’ athletics on the islands was outstanding and hoped to someday take a team of Jamboree all-stars to compete against the best of the rest of the nation had to offer. We’ve realized that dream and have since participated in five tournaments on the Mainland.”
Fran Villarmia-Kahawai will be coaching the team for the third year, having played for the University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Wahine and coached the Aiea High School Na Ali‘i to a girls’ state basketball crown.
She will be assisted by Hannemann.
“The purpose of Team Aloha’s participation in these tournaments has been to give our local girls an opportunity to demonstrate their talents to college coaches and scouts,” Hannemann said.
“We’ve selected underclassmen for these NCAA-sanctioned events in order to maximize the girls’ exposure during the recruitment process.”
Joining Henry in the guard position are Mich‘lae Higa of Aiea, Alohi Robins-Hardy of Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama, Kiki Robertson of Mid Pacific Institute, Casey Poe of Kamehameha-Big Island, and Fia Tailele-Lau of Kahuku.
Sefulu Fa‘aae of Waiakea fills one of the forward positions, along with Jade Botelho of Iolani, Courtney Kaupu of Konawaena and Lilia Maio of Kamehameha-Kapalama.
Sarah Liva of Hanalani and Carissa McBride of Leilehua fill the center positions.
Some of the past members of Team Aloha have successfully made the transition to college basketball and include Jamie Smith, an Iolani alumnus now playing for Nevada Las Vegas, Shawna and Shaena Kuehu, Punahou alum, playing for Hawai‘i and Idaho, respectively, Iwalani Rodrigues, a Roosevelt proudct, now playing for Utah, Keisha Kaneokoa, a Honoka‘a graduate, playing for Hawai‘i, Violet Alama and Analee Viena-Lota playing for Northridge, Kalei Adolpho of Moloka‘i playing for Hawai‘i, Kamie Imai of Waiakea now at Utah State, Keaton McFadden of Mid Pacific now at Portland State, Vicky Tagalicod of Hilo playing at Hawai‘i, Jazzmin Awa-Williams of Konawaena at Hawai‘i Pacific, Nicole Fu of Maryknoll now at Concordia, and Courtney Gaddis of Kalani now at Hawai‘i.
