The Waimea High School Menehune Booster Club will host its annual Menehune Legacy Hall of Honor banquet Saturday, April 9. This year’s class consists of five honorees: Joe Matsukawa, Sean Jardin, Patrick Pereira, Laynie Sueyasu and Deirdre Wisneski. Matsukawa, who
The Waimea High School Menehune Booster Club will host its annual Menehune Legacy Hall of Honor banquet Saturday, April 9.
This year’s class consists of five honorees: Joe Matsukawa, Sean Jardin, Patrick Pereira, Laynie Sueyasu and Deirdre Wisneski.
Matsukawa, who graduated from Waimea in 1949, lettered in football and baseball. He went on to play both at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He played in the 1954 Hula Bowl in the defunct Honolulu Stadium. Matsukawa also coached baseball at Leilehua High School on Oahu, with whom he won a state championship in 1962.
Matsukawa wasn’t available for comment. His daughter, Liane Voss, will be accepting the award on her father’s behalf.
“As a family, we’re honored that the Waimea alumni decided to honor dad,” Voss said. “It’s really special that the people on Kauai, even though he left so long ago, they still remember him. I’m really grateful for that.”
Wisneski previously earned all-state and all-KIF honors in softball, volleyball and basketball. She played for fours years as a shortstop of UH’s softball team, with whom she won a Big West Conference title in 1994. She currently is the associate head coach for UH’s softball team.
Laynie Sueyasu was a member of Waimea’s first state softball championship-winning team and went on to play third baseman the University of Hawaii softball team. She currently is the athletic director at Castle High School on Oahu.
Jardin was a former all-state running back. He considered to be one of the best football players, as well as soccer players, in Waimea’s history.
Pereira was a former three-time Kauai Interscholastic Federation Football Player of the Year as a lineman. He also medaled in the shot put event. He went on to play offensive lineman for Central Washington, and later became a teacher, football and track coach, assistant athletic director and vice-principal at Waimea.
Wisneski, Suesyasu, Jardin and Pereira couldn’t be reached for comment Sunday.
Tickets for the banquet are available for $20 from the school’s athletic director, Jon Kobayashi. 338-6810 ext. 175.
