A hero’s homecoming - The Garden Island

Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

Kichelle Oana, celebrating her birthday Oct. 4, waits beside Cyndi Ayonon’s birthday arrangement Friday during the Oana family’s visit to the Mayor’s Office, where Bernard Carvalho Jr. declared Friday as Taylin Oana Day in celebration of the family’s visit to Kauai. Taylin was a shortstop for the Little League World Series Championship team and originally from Kauai.

Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

Taylin Oana, shortstop for the Little League World Series Championship team from Oahu, greets Kauai Fire Department Battalion Chief Solomon Kanoho as Assistant Chief Kilipaki Vaughn and Mayor Bernard Carvalho look on Friday after Carvalho declared Friday as Taylin Oana Day to celebrate Oana’s trip to Kauai.

Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

Taylin Oana, shortstop for the Little League World Series Championship team from Oahu, meets Kauai Fire Department Chief Robert Westerman, left, and other Kauai firefighters Friday after the mayoral announcement of Friday being Taylin Oana Day in celebration of Oana’s visit to Kauai at the Lihue Civic Center Moikeha Building rotunda.

LIHUE — Kichelle Oana celebrated her 16th birthday Thursday on Oahu at Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama.

Friday, her family returned to her roots on Kauai to continue the party.

Only this time, the attention was on brother Taylin Oana.

The birthday trip gave Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. the opportunity to proclaim Friday — not Kichelle Oana Day, but Taylin Oana Day — in recognition of Taylin, Kichelle’s younger brother, being a part of the Hawaii Little League team that clinched the Little League World Series Championship on Aug. 26 in Williamsport, Pa.

“Congratulations to the team and coaches for demonstrating such an exceptional and outstanding performance in capturing the 2018 Little League World Series Championship,” Carvalho said.

Taylin, born and raised in Hanamaulu, moved with his family to Oahu two years ago after Kichelle was accepted into Kamehameha Schools as a student.

There, he continued to work on the baseball field before seeing his dream come true.

“From the time he was 4 years old, he watched the Little League World Series on television,” his mother said. “He always wanted to play in the World Series.

Taylin earned a spot, shortstop, on the Hawaii team of 11- and 12-year-olds that went on to become the third Hawaii team to make it to the Little League World Series.

During the tournament where Taylin played with the team representing the U.S. West Region, he finished with a .250 batting average and scored two runs in the series that saw Hawaii beat South Seoul, South Korea, 3-0 for the championship.

Defensively, Taylin had a 1.000 fielding percentage with no errors committed and executed a double play during the trip where he met his favorite baseball player, Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith.

“This was a dream of a lifetime,” said the modest shortstop whose favorite Major League Baseball team is the New York Yankees.

His future plans call for him being successful in making the professional ranks.

“Taylin, you and your team have made Kauai and the state of Hawaii proud as youth athletes. We wish you and the team continued success in your athletic future,” Carvalho said.

•••

Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.

1 Comments