Two University of �鶹��ý at Hilo baseball student-athletes have been named to the 2026 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team, recognizing their combined success in academics and athletics.

Junior communication majors Noah Darnell of Phoenix, Arizona, and Hunter Gatti of Riverton, Utah, earned the honor for the 2026 season.

The CSC Academic All-District program recognizes student-athletes who maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher while making significant contributions to their team’s success during the season.

Academic All-District honorees advance to the national CSC Academic All-America ballot, where student-athletes are considered for additional recognition based on their academic and athletic achievements.

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Five University of �鶹��ý at Hilo softball student-athletes have been named to the 2026 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team, recognizing their combined academic and athletic success.

The honorees are sophomore accounting major Mariah Antoque, senior business administration-management major Madi Lee, junior accounting major Keʻalohi Markham, sophomore-redshirt communication major Janessa Santos and senior business administration-finance major Lexie Tilton.

The CSC Academic All-District program honors student-athletes who maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher while making significant contributions to their teams during the season.

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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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The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo has named Elliott Cribby as the next head coach of the Vulcan baseball program, Director of Athletics Patrick Guillen announced on June 3.

Cribby brings more than a decade of NCAA Division I coaching experience, having served in coaching and recruiting roles at Abilene Christian, Seattle, Purdue, Washington, Pacific and Central Washington. Most recently, he coached at Eastlake High School in Washington and led the DubSea Fish Sticks summer collegiate team.

“We are ecstatic to be adding someone of Elliott’s caliber to our program.” Guillen said. “He has played and coached at the highest levels of collegiate athletics and has a proven track record of player recruitment and development.”

Cribby said he is honored to join the UH Hilo ʻohana and looks forward to building on the program’s tradition of success.

Throughout his coaching career, Cribby has helped recruit and develop 58 Major League Baseball draft picks, including Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal, Miami Marlins pitcher Janson Junk and Hawaiʻi native Aiva Arquette.

Cribby becomes the fourth head coach in program history and succeeds interim head coach Garett Yukumoto.

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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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Three student-athletes from the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo programs earned recognition for their academic and athletic achievements after being named to the 2026 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team.

Jaime Paquet, Iori Furuhata and Victoria Ricaurte-Cabas received the honor from College Sports Communicators, which recognizes student-athletes who maintain at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA while competing in 90% of their team’s matches.

Paquet earned the distinction for the second consecutive year, and Furuhata represented the men’s team alongside Paquet.

On the women’s side, Ricaurte-Cabas was honored for her work in aeronautical sciences-commercial professional pilot training.

Academic All-District selections advance to the national Academic All-America ballot, with final honorees selected by CSC members.

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Lexie Tilton came to University of �鶹��ý at Hilo from Oʻahu‘s ʻIolani School on a softball scholarship—and somewhere between the diamond and the dean’s list, she found her real fight. This spring 2026, she graduates with a and a , headed to UH’s law school with one clear mission: helping local families afford to stay in �鶹��ý.

Initially drawn to UH Hilo for the opportunity to play Division II softball on scholarship, Tilton quickly fell in love with the island’s welcoming environment.

“I love the community here. They say this campus is the most diverse in the world, and it has always felt very inviting and supportive, especially for the athletic community,” shared Tilton, UH Hilo’s #4 outfielder and 2025 PacWest Conference Co-Defender of the Year.

The transition from a structured high school to the freedom of a university setting allowed Tilton, who has repeatedly earned recognition for maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher as a student-athlete, to flourish.

Tilton holds great pride in the world-class education she received. She emphasizes the prestige of the , which is accredited by the AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), the highest standard for business schools worldwide.

Tilton reflected on the close-knit but powerful nature of the entire university.

“We’re small, but we’re feisty, and we get it done,” she said.

Tilton shared that her academic trajectory was profoundly shaped by UH Hilo’s dedicated faculty. These academic connections proved vital for Tilton, who is already a licensed real estate agent. Inspired by her mother, a first-generation college graduate and realtor, she has sights set on an incredibly noble goal.

This fall, she will attend the to become a real estate attorney. Her mission is to combat the state’s soaring housing prices.

“We want to be able to empower locals to become homeowners by creating more affordable housing so they’re able to stay here,” Tilton explained, citing sobering statistics of how many �鶹��ý natives are forced to move away to make ends meet.

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University of �鶹��ý at Hilo pitcher Blake Saucedo has been named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II West Region Pitcher of the Week following his nine-inning complete-game shutout performance in a 3–0 victory over �鶹��ý Pacific University (HPU), May 1.

Saucedo made his second start of the season in the series-opening game against HPU, tossing all nine innings with six hits, two walks and four hit batsmen surrendered while striking out seven batters.

“It’s just the best outing I’ve had in my career for sure,” Saucedo said. “I finished the sixth inning and was like, ‘Okay, let me get seven for a quality start,’ and then I was like, ‘Okay, let me go to eight.’ I struck out the side in the eighth. I was like, ‘Why not one more?’ The coaches asked me how I was feeling—I was like, ‘Coach, you don’t even gotta ask me. I’m ready to go.’”

Saucedo was also selected as the Pacific West Conference Pitcher of the Week for the final week of the regular season.

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The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo placed three players on the All-PacWest Conference postseason awards list, as the Vulcans prepare for the conference tournament.

Left fielder Lexie Tilton headlined the group, repeating as PacWest Defender of the Year while also earning All-PacWest Second Team honors. Tilton became part of a growing tradition under head coach Aisha Sueda, marking the program’s fourth Defender of the Year selection since 2022. She previously earned All-PacWest recognition in 2024 and 2025.

Pitcher Janessa Santos was named to the All-PacWest First Team after a dominant season in the circle. Santos ranked among the conference’s top five in multiple pitching categories, including a league-best .174 opposing batting average.

Right fielder Rayna White rounded out Hilo’s honorees with an All-PacWest Second Team selection, leading the Vulcans offensively. White also earned second team recognition in 2024.

The four-team PacWest Championships run May 5–7 in La Mirada, California, with the Vulcans opening tournament play against Biola on May 5.

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University of �鶹��ý at Hilo baseball’s Blake Saucedo was selected as the Pacific West Conference Pitcher of the Week after tossing a nine-inning complete-game shutout against �鶹��ý Pacific University (HPU) in the Vulcans’ regular-season series finale.

Saucedo made his second consecutive start in his 10th appearance on the mound this season going the entire nine innings with no runs allowed in a 3-0 victory to open the four-game series. Saucedo surrendered just six hits, two walks and four hit batsmen while tallying up seven strikeouts along with two putouts and one assist.

This marked the third shutout of the season by the Vulcans—and the only one to go nine innings—as well as the fourth time this season that HPU had been kept off the scoreboard.

The Vulcans also claimed victory in game two for the doubleheader sweep to help eliminate HPU from qualifying for the four-team PacWest Championships postseason tournament.

UH Hilo ended its season at 18-29 overall with a 17-25 record in PacWest play to finish No. 9 in the conference.

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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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A total of 127 University of �鶹��ý at Hilo student-athletes have excelled in the classroom, earning academic honors for maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher through the end of the fall 2025 semester.

The Vulcans were honored at a reception at the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center Moanahoku Hall. Women’s volleyball senior Emerson Reinke served as this year’s scholar-athlete speaker.

Honorees came from a variety of majors and sports, including basketball, baseball, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.

Read the full list of honorees at .

The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo team wrapped up a memorable week-long trip to Japan, combining cultural immersion with international competition.

The Vulcans stayed at Tenri University in Nara, where players participated in morning exercises and connected with local students. The team also visited popular Japan destinations including Nara Deer Park and Tsukiji Market, and traveled aboard the Shinkansen.

The team closed out the trip with exhibition games against Josai University and Nippon Sport Science University, gaining valuable experience against strong international competition.

The trip came after a demanding stretch in Southern California and provided both a cultural and competitive boost as the Vulcans prepare for the final matches of their conference season.

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University of �鶹��ý at Hilo women’s and men’s basketball teams each placed three student-athletes on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team for the 2025–26 season.

Women’s basketball

• Kaile Cruz
• Melanie Hiu
• Mindy Kawaha

Men’s basketball

• Fabio Da Rocha
• Jamal Entezami
• Julio Montes II

Awardees hold a 3.50 or higher cumulative grade-point average (with at least sophomore standing) with participation in 90% of games (or starting 66%) during the season.

Cruz, Hiu, Kawaha and Montes II are repeat selections.

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As the prepares for the 2026 season under head coach Reed Sunahara, the “Hilo faithful” have a critical role to play.

Coming off a strong 20-9 season where the team made the conference tournament but missed the NCAA tournament by a single game, the players are hungry for more. Sunahara’s goals for the upcoming season are clear: win the PacWest and secure a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Rally for the volleyball Vulcans

To take that next step, the program is turning to . Gifts will be immediately invested into the student-athlete experience, providing the essential tools necessary to advance player development.

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on or before UH Giving Day and help the Vulcans dominate the court in 2026.

This year, the team’s primary goal is to raise funds to support:

• Essential upgrades: Purchasing new practice equipment, gear and uniforms to keep the squad competitive.
• Expanded travel: Funding critical travel opportunities, including upcoming matches on Maui and Oʻahu.
• International experience: Supporting a potential trip to compete with a Japanese team.

“Hilo is already known as a great volleyball community with the best fans in the PacWest,” Sunahara said. “There are so many friends and supporters who want to see this team succeed, and every donation helps grow this program.”

Support makes a difference

Player Kamaluhia “Malu” Garcia’s 2025 volleyball season was one for the books, earning PacWest Newcomer of the Year and AVCA All-America honors, alongside a first-team all-conference selection with teammate Isabella Freeman. But behind the accolades is a story of community support.

“You can feel the difference when an entire town is behind you,” Garcia said. “The support we receive allows us to focus purely on getting better every day in the gym. That environment was a huge reason why I was able to find my rhythm so quickly last season.”

Learn more about UH Giving Day 2026.

University of �鶹��ý at Hilo men’s basketball player Julio Montes II was named to the All-PacWest Third Team for the second time in his career. The Pacific West Conference honors are voted on by the league’s head coaches.

Montes II was the lone Vulcan selected for all-conference honors. The Vulcans guard was also named PacWest Player of the Week for February 16–22, and has the conference leading free throw percentage.

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The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo team was named a 2025 All-Academic Team by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association after posting a 3.49 team grade-point average during the fall semester.

To qualify for the honor, programs must compete and record a team score at the NCAA Division II Regional Cross Country Championships and maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. UH Hilo placed No. 24 at the NCAA Division II West Regional in Monmouth, Oregon.

The coaches association is a nonprofit professional organization that represents cross country and track and field coaches at all levels of the sport and oversees academic and athletic recognition programs nationwide.

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The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo team placed four student-athletes on the 2025 Academic All-District Team, recognizing excellence in the classroom and on the court.

Selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC), the honor is awarded to student-athletes who hold at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA, have sophomore standing or higher and compete in 90% of their team’s matches.

The Vulcans’ 2025 honorees are:

• Isabella Freeman, Biology
• Alohi Garcia, Communication
• Isabella Hadaller, Psychology
• Emerson Reinke, Communication

Freeman was also named an Academic All-America finalist and advanced to the national ballot.

Academic All-District selections move on to the national Academic All-America ballot, with final teams voted on by CSC members.

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