Spectrum News’ top 5 Hawaii sports stories of 2024

Fans of high-profile games in Hawaii got it in 2024.

Whether it was the much-discussed move by the University of Hawaii administration, the struggles and rivalries for first place or the high-profile international competition, there was never a dull moment in the past 12 months.

Below are some of Spectrum News’ picks for the top stories of the year. But first, some honorable mentions:

1. Hawaii gets full Mountain West membership, but AD Craig Angelos is pissed

What should have been a long celebration for the University of Hawaii Athletics for moving to full membership in the Mountain West and the elimination of future travel grants for opponents has instead been it turned out to be amazing. On Nov. 19, UH President David Lassner fired Athletic Director Craig Angelos “based on performance” nearly a month after UH secured the MWC move to 2026. Associate AD Lois Manin he was promoted to a higher position for a while, but said he would not seek a permanent position.

At a December Board of Regents meeting, his last as president, Lassner defended the firing of the person he hired 18 months earlier in the face of intense criticism online and from student-athletes. UH during Angelos’ tenure. Lassner, UH’s representative on the Mountain West board, downplayed Angelos’ role in the transition from the Big West to the MWC.

Incoming president Wendy Hensel will lead the search for a new AD sometime after taking office at the start of the new year.

UH will remain a Big West affiliate in four sports: men’s volleyball, women’s water polo, men’s swimming and diving, and beach volleyball.

2. NASED is moving forward with one protest group

Ultimately, the government had only one choice of bidder for its multi-purpose, 98-hectare complex to be built around the new 25,000-seat Halawa stadium. Aloha Halawa District Partners, an association of local, national and international developers, was the last bidder standing and became the “preferred bidder” for the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District.

AHDP leaders presented their vision to the public for the first time at the annual meeting of the Sports Authority. They brought renderings for “Aloha Live!”, the Downtown Disney-like shops and restaurants they envisioned surrounding the new stadium. As for the stadium itself, AHDP intends to build on the concrete foundation of the existing Aloha Stadium bowl to save additional development costs beyond the $350 million the state is willing to build. . They promised about 4,000 housing units and offered a school-like feel to the grounds.

Members of the Stadium Council took questions from leaders including Stanford Carr of Stanford Carr Development, but the AHDP did not take questions from members of the media. The weather in front of Pearl Harbor and the discovery of human remains were presented as news.

NASED has set a deadline of June 2025 for full contract execution and demolition of the old stadium expected to begin by then.

Hawaii men’s volleyball star Spyros Chakas made a stunning shutout against UC Irvine at the Outrigger Invitational in March. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

3. Hawaii’s men’s volleyball season is plagued by a star injury

Expectations were high in 2024 for the Hawaii men’s volleyball team, which had reached the NCAA final four and had All-America hitter Spyros Chakas return from his senior season. above.

But everything changed suddenly on March 10. In one of the final plays of the night in a tense five-way battle with Big West rival UC Irvine, Chakas went up for a hard ball near the right pin, took a swing and landed . strangely in his left leg. His knee gave way and he fell onto the TaraFlex and the Stan Sheriff’s Center fell silent as everyone in attendance seemed to recognize the power of the moment.

Two days later it was revealed that he was actually a college student for the Greek star. UH was still very competitive without him – it went 23-7 – but UH saw its season end at home in the Big West semifinals, a big loss to the same UCI team that had and AVCA Player of the Year Hilir Henno. Chakas, on crutches, seemed to support the team down the stretch.

Saint Louis’ first-year head coach Tupu Alualu, center, led the Crusaders back to the top of the football mountain. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

4. Saint Louis returns to the forefront of Hawaii prep football

Saint Louis was at a crossroads. The proud men of Kalaepohaku enter 2024 with a rare season in Hawaii high school football, with their last appearance in the state championship in 2021. Enter former Crusaders running back Tupu Alualu, who was hired in February to succeed his old coach, Ron Lee.

Things got off to a rough start, as the Crusaders missed a goal in their first game at Kahuku and had costly mistakes at Mililani the following week to fall to 0-2.

But in the end, the Saints cruised to their eighth state title, and first since 2019, with a 17-10 victory over their arch-rival, the Red Raiders, who were denied the championship. see them under Sterling Carvalho.

University of Hawaii running back Titan Lacaden was the lynchpin for the Crusaders as he carried the ball 31 times for 155 yards and two touchdowns.

In the national championship, Saint Louis came back to beat Campbell and Hawaii high school senior Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who suffered a severe rib injury before halftime. Sagapolutele flew from Cal to Oregon on signing day and will try to follow in the footsteps of Hawaii standouts Marcus Mariota and Dillon Gabriel.

Kapaa captured its first championship at the Division I level while Kamehameha-Maui advanced to D-II.

5. John John Florence wins 3rd WSL title; Landon McNamara takes on “The Eddie”

For John John Florence, it was a long road back to the top. The Oahu North Shore native reached the World Surf League men’s championship in 2016 and 2017, but the seven-year gap leading up to 2024 has been fraught with challenges.

Florence, 31, recovered from injuries, however, to be the best player on the Player’s Tour, however, and took the WSL’s first-to-last seed at Lower Trestles , Calif., in September. He became the rare No. 1 to do well in his position in the WSL bracket, beating Italo Ferreira of Brazil in two straight sets for his third WSL championship.

Then, in December, it was announced that “The Eddie” would be leaving. The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, known as the Super Bowl of Surfing, was officially greenlit at Waimea Bay on December 22nd, just 11.^th during the historical period in which the tidal conditions were reached.

Former champion Eddie Florence took part, but it was North Shore native Landon McNamara who won in front of thousands on the sand and many more watching from afar. He took home $50,000 and a total of 600,000 Hawaiian Airlines miles for winning not only the overall event but also the best trip.

Residents of Oahu’s North Shore have won the last three Eddies: Florence in 2016, guard Luke Shepardson in 2023 and McNamara.

Brian McInnis covers national sports for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.