The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo men’s golf team earned six All-Pacific West Conference selections following another championship season, with seniors Dylan Bercan and Ben Crinella also receiving Golf Coaches Association of America PING West All-Region honors.

The Vulcans captured their fourth consecutive PacWest Conference Championship in April in Las Vegas. Bercan successfully defended his individual title at 8-under par, becoming the first two-time conference champion in program history. He was also named PacWest Player of the Year.

Head coach Earl Tamiya earned PacWest Coach of the Year honors for the fourth straight season.

All-PacWest selections are based on year-end rankings. Joining Bercan on the conference teams were Crinella (First Team), Jacob Torres (Second Team), Dysen Park (Second Team), Katsuhiro Yamashita (Third Team) and Jordan Sato (Third Team).

Bercan and Crinella also earned PING West All-Region recognition after finishing among the top 20 individuals at the NCAA South Central/West Regional in Stockton, California.

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University of �鶹��ý at Hilo women’s golfer Kiersten Saludares earned All-Pacific West Conference Third Team honors following a standout senior season.

Saludares was the lone Vulcan selected to the 2026 All-PacWest Teams, which are determined by final rankings based on full-season performance metrics.

The recognition comes after the Vulcans captured the 2026 PacWest Conference Championship in Las Vegas last month.

Saludares finished the season with a 78.1 adjusted scoring average and recorded five top-20 finishes. She opened the year with an individual title at the Grisham Memorial Shootout in Washington.

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Dylan Bercan closed with a two-under 70 to finish at five-under and place in a tie for 18th place at the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championships at Boulder Creek Golf Club near Las Vegas on May 20. In newly released rankings on May 21, Bercan stands at No. 78 in the nation.

The senior from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada finished the three-round tournament with a five-under total—the best score posted by a Vulcan at a national championship—following Nick Mason’s four-under score in 2005 (runner up) and seven-over total in 2004 (4th place).

After back-to-back bogeys on holes 11 and 12 to go three-over in the final round, Bercan responded with an eagle on the par-five 13th hole, followed by three consecutive birdies to go two-under in the round. Bercan entered the day tied for 15th after shooting a four-under 68 in round 2 and a one-over 73 in round 1.

The back-to-back PacWest Conference champion qualified for the national tournament as an individual after tying for fourth at the South Central/West Regional, placing among the top two individuals not affiliated with a qualifying team.

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Dane Watanabe received honorable mention honors on the Big West’s All-Conference team.

The junior from Kāneʻohe led the team with a 72.97 scoring average and wrapped up the season with a career-low 5-under 211 at the Big West Championship, where he finished in sixth place. During the championship, Watanabe carded a career-low round of 7-under 65 in the second round. Throughout the season, Watanabe shot nine rounds of par or better and posted two top 10 finishes.

This year marked the fourth consecutive year a Rainbow Warrior was named to the all-conference team along with Josh Hayashida (honorable mention) last season, Blaze Akana (first team) in 2023–24 and (honorable mention) in 2022–23.

The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo team won the 2026 Pacific West Conference Championship at Aliante Golf Club, marking the program’s second conference title.

The Vulcans held steady in second place through the first two rounds before delivering a strong final-round score of 295 (+7), finishing the tournament at +31 (895) to clinch the team victory.

Elle Otani led the way for UH Hilo, tying for fourth overall at +4 with rounds of 74, 73, and 73. Otani closed with a par on the final hole, sealing the win as teammates rushed to celebrate.

Kiersten Saludares placed eighth at +9, followed by Kailee McKee in ninth at +10 and Trinity Ledgerwood tied for 10th at +11. Kieran Florino bounced back from a difficult second round to post a one-over finish in the final round, contributing to the team’s decisive push.

The team will now compete in the NCAA West Regional tournament in Colorado, May 4–6.

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The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo team captured its fourth consecutive Pacific West Conference Championship April 22 at Aliante Golf Club, continuing its dominance in the league.

Dylan Bercan led the way, claiming his second straight individual title after finishing at eight-under overall. Holding a two-shot lead entering the final round, Bercan stayed in control with a two-under performance to become the program’s first two-time PacWest champion.

The Vulcans entered the final round with a commanding lead and closed with a five-under 283 to finish the tournament at seven-under as a team, securing their seventh overall conference crown.

Jacob Torres placed fifth at one-over, while Katsuhiro Yamashita tied for eighth at three-over. Ben Crinella and Dysen Park both finished tied for 14th at four-over.

The Vulcans will compete in the NCAA South Central/West Regional tournament, May 7–9.

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University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa junior Anson Cabello gained valuable experience on the world golf stage at the Sony Open in �鶹��ý, closing his first PGA Tour appearance with a strong second-round performance at Waiʻalae Country Club, January 15 and 16.

The Kahului, Maui native finished the tournament with rounds of 77 and 71 to post an 8-over par total, missing the weekend cut. Cabello earned his spot in the field by winning a local qualifier in November. Cabello’s caddie was fellow teammate Nathan Szpakowicz.

“It was so cool,” Cabello said. “This week didn’t turn out the way I had hoped, but the whole experience with my caddie, my teammate—that was big. Just being able to experience this kind of event just means the world because there aren’t that many opportunities for me to do this…hopefully more in the future.”

Battling back

After a challenging opening round that included seven bogeys, Cabello responded in the second round. After starting with bogeys on holes 1 and 2, he settled in quickly, carding birdies on holes 3, 6, 8 and 9 to turn at 2-under par for the round. Cabello battled on the back nine to finish the day with a 1-over par 71.

“I’m not going to lie, after those first two holes I thought I was going to shoot 80. I mean, to come back and start making solid swings down the stretch, it was big,” Cabello said. “Yesterday, that kind of happened and just couldn’t get anything going. After that start and the way I finished, couldn’t be more proud of myself.”

Cabello became the seventh Rainbow Warrior to qualify for a PGA Tour event. He followed Blaze Akana, who competed in the tournament in 2023 and 2024.

In his third season with the Rainbow Warriors, Cabello is enjoying his best collegiate campaign to date. During the fall portion of the 2025–26 season, he averaged a team-best 70.33 strokes per round, shooting par or better in eight of nine rounds. His 10-under 203 finish at the Kāʻanapali Classic by OUTRIGGER tied for the second-lowest 54-hole score in program history.

The Rainbow Warriors return to collegiate competition February 5-7 at the Amer Ari Intercollegiate in Waimea, �鶹��ý.

University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa men’s golfer Anson Cabello qualified for the 2026 Sony Open in �鶹��ý.

The junior won a qualifier at the Waiʻalae Country Club on November 24, shooting 1–under 71 to edge out his teammate Dane Watanabe and UCLA’s Tyler Loree by two strokes.

This marks the seventh time a Rainbow Warrior has qualified for a PGA Tour event. Most recently, Blaze Akana competed in the Sony Open in 2023 and 2024.

The 2026 Sony Open runs January 15–18, 2026, at the Waiʻalae Country Club.

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University of �鶹��ý at Hilo swept the first Pacific West Conference men’s golf weekly awards of the season, sharing Co-Player of the Week honors between Ben Crinella and Jacob Torres, along with Team of the Week recognition.

Crinella and Torres claimed individual wins on the Vulcans’ season-opening trip to Washington, finishing in first place at the Saint Martin’s University Bishop Invitational and the Western Washington University Invitational.

The three-time reigning PacWest Champions posted fifth and seventh place finishes, respectively, placing ahead of all fellow PacWest schools at each event filled with regional teams.

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University of �鶹��ý at Hilo Kiersten Saludares was named Pacific West Conference Player of the Week for September 15–23, on the heels of claiming victory at the season-opening Grisham Memorial Shootout.

The senior shot even-par rounds through the two-day event at The Home Course in DuPont, Washington, setting a new program record for two-round scores.

Saludares topped a field comprising 13 schools from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the California Collegiate Athletic Association, the PacWest Conference, the Northwest Conference and Canada.

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For the fourth time in program history and second consecutive year, the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa program was recognized by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) for its strong academic performance as the recipient of a Platform Golf team academic award.

The Rainbow Warriors earned the President’s Special Recognition with a combined team grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 or above. UH Mānoa was the only Big West school to receive this distinction.

Just last week, six UH Mānoa golfers were named All-America Scholars by the GCAA, the most in a single-season in program history and the most across all of Division I during the 2024–25 season. These Rainbow Warriors maintained a GPA of 3.20 and above and had a scoring average of 76.0.

UH Mānoa menʻs golf honorees

• Anson Cabello
• Josh Hayashida
• Tyler Ogawa
• Garrett Takeuchi
• Dane Watanabe
• James Whitworth

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A program-record six University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa were named to the 2024–25 NCAA Division I Cobalt Golf All-America Scholars list.

UH golfers awarded:

• Anson Cabello
• Josh Hayashida
• Tyler Ogawa
• Garrett Takeuchi
• Dane Watanabe
• James Whitworth

To be eligible for a nomination, an individual must be at least a sophomore in standing both academically and athletically. In addition, they must participate in 50% of their team’s competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0, and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at their college or university.

The six honorees tied fellow Division I schools College of Charleston, Georgia Southern and Mississippi State for the most recipients across all six divisions.

Five of the six—Cabello, Hayashida, Ogawa, Watanabe and Whitworth—were selected to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team, while all six were named to the Big West’s Academic All-Conference team.

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The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo ranked No. 23 for team grade point average (GPA) among all NCAA Division II women’s golf programs for the 2024–25 school year with a 3.648 GPA. The team achievement was announced by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA), a non-profit organization.

The Vulcans had the highest team GPA in the Pacific West Conference and ranked third among all West Region programs listed in the WGCA top 25. They were also recognized as a Ramon Goya Academic Team of the Year for highest GPA posted by a UH Hilo team this past school year.

2024–25 UH Hilo women’s golf honorees

• Trinity Ledgerwood
• Elle Otani
• Kiersten Saludares
• EriLei Udo-Tao
• Erica Yokomoto

Otani and Saludares were also previously recognized on the WGCA All-American Scholar Team for achieving a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50.

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The reigning PacWest Champion earned five spots on the All-PacWest Teams, led by individual champion Dylan Bercan and Katsuhiro Yamashita on the First Team. Ben Crinella and Dysen Park earned Second Team honors, while Jacob Torres was named to the Third Team.

Head Coach Earl Tamiya was named PacWest Coach of the Year for the third straight season and sixth time overall, leading the Vulcans to their seventh league title.

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University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa Josh Hayashida received honorable mention honors on the Big West’s All-Conference Team. He was the lone Rainbow Warrior among the 21 honorees.

The junior led the team with a 73.00 scoring average on the year, which was capped by a 15th place finish at the Big West Championship. Hayashida had three top 20 finishes this season with a season-best tie for 11th at the Western Intercollegiate.

In February, Hayashida tied a program-record by posting a 9-under 63 in the second round of the Amer Ari Intercollegiate. He had a team-best 14 rounds of par or better including six rounds in the 60s.

Hayashida and the Rainbow Warrior golf team closed out their season with a ninth place team finish at the Big West Championship.

University of �鶹��ý at Hilo’s captured its third consecutive Pacific West Conference Championship on April 23, at the Aliante Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Leading the way was Dylan Bercan, who also captured the individual tournament championship. The redshirt senior from Vancouver, British Columbia carded a seven-under score over the three-day tournament to tie for the lead forcing a playoff. Bercan edged Jessup’s Michael Sorber in the playoff to become the sixth Vulcan to claim an individual win at the PacWest Championships.

Katsuhiro Yamashita and Jacob Torres landed at No. 4 and No. 9 place, respectively, helping UH Hilo erase a two-shot deficit and overtake HPUin the final round. The Vulcans were the only team under par in round 3, finishing at seven-under overall, good for an eight-shot win.

University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa Maline Kraus was listed among the honorees in the 2024–25 All-Big West Team as an honorable mention selection. Kraus was the lone Rainbow Wahine representative.

In her first season at UH Mānoa, after transferring from Virginia, Kraus led the team with a 74.54 scoring average with two top 10 finishes including fifth place at the Ron Moore Intercollegiate and ninth place at the Fresno State Classic. She had a team-best eight rounds of par or better.

In October, Kraus shot 5-under 211 at the Ron Moore Intercollegiate, which tied the program’s 54-hole scoring mark.

Kraus concluded her junior season with a 34th place finish at the Big West Championship in April.

University of �鶹��ý at Hilo Ben Crinella earned Pacific West Conference Player of the Week honors for the second time this season after finishing fourth at the Sonoma State Spring Invitational.

Crinella shot rounds of 73, 73 and 70 to finish even-par at No. 4 on the individual leaderboard.

Crinella had previously been named PacWest Player of the Week after shooting a program-record round of 64 to start the spring season in early February.

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University of �鶹��ý at Hilo golfer Katsuhiro Yamashita repeated as Pacific West Conference Player of the Week, and the was named Team of the Week as announced on October 29.

The Vulcans closed the fall season with two events on �鶹��ý Island competing against a large field of 19 regional teams composed of 14 top-100 ranked golfers and five top-25 teams, including top-ranked Colorado Christian University. UH Hilo finished fifth at the �鶹��ý Pacific University (HPU) Sharks Shootout and 12th at the Dennis Rose Intercollegiate.

Yamashita followed up last week’s Co-Player of the Week conference honors with two more top-20 finishes after shooting two-under (15th place) and one-under (19th place) at the Dennis Rose Intercollegiate and HPU Sharks Shootout, respectively.

University of �鶹��ý at Hilo Katsuhiro Yamashita was named PacWest Conference Co-Player of the week on October 18 after his win during last week’s �鶹��ý Triangular.

Yamashita shot a two-under at the Waikoloa Resort and Mauna Lani courses to lead the Vulcans in a victory over HPU and Chaminade.

“I didn’t stress over every shot. I was pretty well aware I was in the lead, but I wasn’t really thinking about that the entire day like I used to,” said Yamashita. “It was like go out there, have some fun swinging a golf club and see what happens.”

For more on Yamashita to go