This week, two Waiakea High senior athletes signed letters of intent to join college sports teams — with golfer Noah Otani committing to UH-Hilo and soccer player Kiralyn Kuramoto signing with CSU Bakersfield.
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OTANI
Noah Otani was a keystone of Waiakea’s 2023 state champion boys golf team — which went on to place No. 5 among a field of 48 teams from around the country at the PGA National High School Invitational in July.
Playing for the Vulcans, Otani will reunite with former teammate and two-time BIIF individual champion Dysen Park. Alongside various teammates — including Otani’s younger brother, Jake, a WHS sophomore — and under the coaching of Alika Toledo, Park and Otani secured multiple BIIF team titles, a state title and nationals bid.
Otani and Park will continue to represent the Big Island at the national level, accompanied by Hilo High alum Ethan Hironaga and Kealakehe High 2023 graduate Kevin Yamashita, whom Park and Otani competed against at the BIIF championship and state championship.
Otani’s older sister, Elle, golfs for UH-Hilo’s women’s team — alongside fellow WHS alumni Kiersten Saludares, Kailey Oki and Tia Kuali‘i.
UH-Hilo’s men’s golf team is the defending NCAA Division II Pacific West Conference champion, led by legendary head coach Earl Tamiya — who has helmed the program for more than 30 years, leading the Vulcans to five PacWest titles.
Outside of school, Otani competes in the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association (HSJGA) — placing first at the HSJGA’s Kauai Championship in September.
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KURAMOTO
Third-year varsity midfielder and defender Kiralyn Kuramoto will join the Roadrunners, who compete in the NCAA Division I Big West Conference.
Kuramoto’s signing comes just ahead of senior season. Playing for the Warriors, Kuramoto and her team won back-to-back BIIF DI championships during her sophomore and junior years — and made it to the semifinals of the 2021-22 state championship before falling to KS-Kapalama.
Playing for CSUB, Kuramoto and the Roadrunners will face conference rivals such as UH-Manoa, UC Davis, Cal Poly SLO and Long Beach State.
Kuramoto is part of CSUB first-year head coach Bernardo Silva’s first recruiting class.
“Kira exemplifies everything that I love about Hawaiian players: hard working, disciplined, and family-oriented,” Silva said in a CSU Bakersfield press release. “She will add soccer IQ and grit to our midfield, and we couldn’t have asked for a better player and family from a character-standpoint to be added to our program.”
Outside of school, Kuramoto played for Hawaii Surf SC.
