For love of running, six gain Big Dog approval

Going that extra mile is a theme for the six recipients of the 12th annual Wayne “Big Dog” Joseph Scholarship: Jodi Go, Rylie Cabalse, Shaun Kojima, Slater Inouye, Narizza Saladino, and Chayna Yoshida.

The first four are recent Waiakea graduates and the latter two Keaau graduates, who each received $1,000 in recognition of their participation in BIIF cross country or track programs.

To be selected, each recipient was also required to demonstrate a willingness to make sacrifices to excel in running activities and also strive for excellence in all aspects of school and community involvement.

Joseph, who passed away in 2013 from brain cancer, was an avid runner and community volunteer and a Tribune-Herald correspondent.

The Big Dog, who was also a school teacher, always said, “Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to see young people enjoying life through sports participation.

Go, like her fellow recipients, falls under Joseph’s guideline.

She’s been accepted to Sonoma State and plans to major in kinesiology. Go, who graduated with a 3.56 GPA, hopes to work as a physical therapist in Hawaii.

At Waiakea, Go ran herself to a good night’s sleep as a senior. She was a member of the National Honors of High School Scholars, Student Class Council, Student Government Association, Key Club and held a part-time job and internship.

She was a member of Mary Jane and Lance Tominaga’s Sunrise Athletics running club.

“To be honors recognized, a student must maintain an A in the class, not turn in late work and always go the extra mile in every assignment than the average student,” she said. “Running has played a key role in my high school accomplishments because I constantly transfer the drive I have to finish a workout/race with quality and apply it to the classroom.”

Then Go sounded like the Big Dog when she talked about assisting youth practices for Sunrise Athletics.

“I loved working with the youth twice a week because I love giving back to the community and witnessing young potential,” She said. “It warms my heart when young athletes tell me, ‘I want to work hard to be like you one day,’ and I just tell them, ‘You’ll definitely be way better than me if you keep at it.’ The feedback from my parents (Orlando and Jean Go) and the kids makes my volunteer coaching worthwhile.”

With Sunrise Athletics, Go competed at various prestigious running events, such as the Foot Locker West Regional XC Championships and the Hawaii Junior Olympics Track and Field Championships.

“It is because of Jodi’s work ethic and commitment, especially in the offseason where it matters just as much as the regular season, that she continued to make tremendous gains in her running abilities,” MJ Tominaga said. “Her leadership and unending compassion for her team have helped them rise to levels beyond their potential, and most importantly gain the true sense of what running is really about.”

The other recipients were:

• Ryan Cabalse: He was accepted into Saint Martin’s University’s Integrated Admissions Program.

He was awarded a $48,000 faculty scholarship over four years and received a warm acceptance letter from SMU’s Dean of Enrollment, Pamela Holsinger-Fuchs.

“You have a chance to be part of what we expect will be the most diverse and distinguished class ever enrolled at Saint Martin’s,” she wrote.

He is the son of Ryan and Jolie Cabalse.

• Shaun Kojima: He will attend UH-Hilo and major in secondary physical education. Kojima was a National Honor Society member.

“My teachers and coaches have always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself,” he said. “The relationships we’ve formed were instrumental in bringing out the best in me.

“As a four-year high school cross country and basketball athlete, I have asked my coaches if I could return as an alumni to help the teams next year.”

He is the son of Dave and Sheri Kojima.

• Slater Inouye: He was accepted into Hawaii Community College, where he will major in carpentry technology.

“Running has built up my confidence because I now feel good about myself and I am proud of my accomplishments. Running is not only about winning but pushing yourself to always do better,” Inouye said. “I also came out of my social shell and started to have friends that shared the same interest in running. I am going to help Sunrise Athletics after I graduate because I want to help the younger children become confident and learn the lessons that I learned with running.”

He is the son of Derek and Rosemary Inouye.

• Narizza Saladino: She was accepted into Columbia, the Ivy League school in New York, where she plans to major in astrophysics and become an aerospace engineer.

Saladino, who was an NHS member, plans to join a running club and her goal is to complete a marathon.

She is the youngest of nine children and hopes to become the first in her family with a college degree, at Columbia no less, one of the world’s most prestigious universities.

“Running is a metaphor for life. We, as an entire human race, must accept we are experiencing the same problems as the rest of the world. If we help one another out, we can absolutely become and end up successful,” Saladino said.

She is the daughter of Asterio “Nardo” Saladino and Norma Saladino.

• Chayna Yoshida: She will attend UHH and major in art and graphic design.

As a junior at Keaau, she applied to the NHS but wasn’t accepted. Determined, she increased her community involvement and was accepted as a senior.

“Running has given me the great honor of being surrounded by incredibly supportive coaches and adults who have such passion in the sport,” she said. “Simply put, running has inspired me to push myself beyond my comfort zone in order to achieve my biggest aspirations. Big changes are yet to come but my passion to run will forever remain the same.”

She is the daughter of Charmaine Strong and will be the first from either side of her family to attend college.