Hawai`i Hilo wrapped up the Fall portion of the schedule with positive performances against excellent competition on the Big Island. The Vulcans win the PacWest Team of the Week award, and Katsuhiro Yamashita wins his second straight Player of the Week honor. 

2024-25 Schedule and Results

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Hawai`i Hilo's Katsuhiro Yamashita, Soph., 5-10, Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i        
Big Island native Katsuhiro Yamashita enjoyed playing at home last week, shooting under par golf on his way to winning his second consecutive PacWest Player of the Week award. The Hawai`i Hilo sophomore played four rounds to a total of three-under par in two tournaments played just a few miles apart. At Hilo's Dennis Rose Invitational, the Kona-side native turned in a scorecard with a -2 on it (70-72) at the Mauna Lani North Course, tied for 15th place in a field that included the No.1 ranked team in the country, Colorado Christian. A few days later at the HPU Shark Shootout at the Waikoloa Resort Beach/Lakes Course, Yamashita was at -1 (70-69), placing him 19th and giving him his fifth consecutive Top 20 tournament finish. 

TEAM OF THE WEEK: Hawai`i Hilo Vulcans                                                                                                
Hawai`i Hilo was better than three other PacWest teams over two different tournaments on their own Big Island. At the Dennis Rose Invitational at the Mauni Lani, the Vulcans were 12th in a loaded field that included many of the top Division II teams in the west. Hilo was 12th at +19, led by Katsuhiro Yamashita's -2 rounds of 70-72. Jordan Sato was the next UH Hilo golfer at +5, with Ben Crinella checking in at +6. In the Southwest Airlines HPU Shark Shootout, the Vulcans climbed all the way to fifth on the leaderboard, with basically the same teams in contention. Coach Earl Tamiya's team finished at even par, this time led by Crinella's -1 (67-72), Yamashita's -1 (70-69), and Dylan Bercan's even par tournament (73-67). No. 1 nationally ranked Colorado Christian won the tournament (-28) that featured 19 teams from all across the west, northwest and southwest.

PACWEST NEWS AND NOTES: Hawai`i Pacific, Vanguard and Chaminade all tied for 12th at the Sharks Shootout at +12. Ky Stopp was Chaminade's top scorer at -2 (70-68), one shot ahead of a trio of PacWest golfers that included Ben Crinella (Hilo), Katsuhiro Yamashita (Hilo) and Charles Thurston (Vanguard). Thurston had the second lowest round of the whole tournament with his second day 65. Only tournament winner Adam Duncan (Colorado Christian) was better at 64-66 (-10)...At the Dennis Rose, the Sharks finished at +37, Chaminade was +38 and Vanguard +66. Yamashita led the conference group (-2), with HPU's Grant Garrison next (+3). Stopp was +5 and Thurston +11. 

LOOKING AHEAD: All PacWest teams will put the clubs away for the rest of the semester, resuming practice and play after the holiday break. Next action on the schedule is on February 7-9 when Hilo hosts the annual Amer Ari Intercollegiate, featuring many of the top Division I programs in the nation. On Feb. 10-11, other PacWest teams will be in Vista at CS San Marcos' tournament.  All preparation points towards the 2025 Pacific West Conference Championships, set for April 21-24 in North Las Vegas at the Aliante Golf Club.