When Alysha Gustafson-Savella signed on the dotted line, she blazed another trail for Ka’u, and in doing so secured herself a much-coveted pathway out of district.
It’s not that Gustafson-Savella won’t miss aspects of living in the country, or the beaches, or the good weather or working with basketball coach Jen Makuakane.
More than relief, Gustafson-Savella is ready to represent.
“Good things can come from small places,” the recent high school graduate said.
Trojans territory has another daughter to be proud of, another friend to follow and another player to emulate.
For Gustafson-Savella, it’s destination Shoreline Community College in Washington, just to the north of Seattle. She signed her national letter of intent a few weeks before graduation and owns a scholarship that Dolphins coach Darnellia Russell told her could become a full ride if she continues to work hard.
It’s a big step for Gustafson-Savella, but also for Makuakane and coach Cy Lopez’s Trojans program. Gustafson-Savella follows in the footsteps of former teammate Denisha Navarro in earning a college scholarship.
“Coming from a small place, you still have an opportunity to achieve a lot,” she said.
Her journey to Shoreline started when she took up basketball in the seventh-grade, and when she got serious about the sport she began working more closely with Makuakane.
“The No. 1 person I would like to thank is (Coach) Makuakane, who opened my eyes and made me realize that I can do much more than I ever imagined,” Gustafson-Savella said. “I wanted to challenge myself to take on more than one task and have a reason to leave the Big Island.”
She started all four seasons for Ka’u teams that were often overmatched in the BIIF. Playing forward/center as a senior, she compiled three double-doubles, scored a career-high 17 points in one game and had a knack for hitting 3-pointers. Gustafson-Savella got hot from long range in the BIIF Division II semifinals, nearly fueling the Trojans to an upset of Kohala and a milestone trip to the HHSAA tournament.
Alas, it’s not all about wins and losses. Lopez sees it as his mission not only to teach the game of basketball but also to instill life lessons, goal-setting and a successful culture.
“Bringing home a banner in our new gym would be great,” Lopez said, “but it is more rewarding to see our kids continue their education and play basketball in college.”
Gustafson-Savella’s plan is to use the Shoreline experience as a springboard to transfer to a four-year university, and forensic investigation/pathology is a possible major.
After putting up her recruiting profile on the NSCA website, she said she exchanged emails with a plethora of coaches, but something clicked between her and Russell when they talked on her visit to Shoreline.
Playing in the Northwest Athletic Conference, the Dolphins finished 9-15 last season, and Gustafson-Savella figures to have an immediate path to playing time since eight of the 12 players on the 2016-17 roster exhausted their eligibility.
However it turns out, she’ll already be a role model back home.
“There are many talented and smart kids in Ka’u,” Lopez said. “If every year we can get at least one student off to college, I’ll feel that I accomplished one of our main goals as their coach and mentor.”
On scholarship
Who: Alysha Gustafson-Savella
School: Ka’u High
Sport: basketball
College: Shoreline Community, Washington
