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Known for the spirit of aloha and its scenic shores, Hawai'i is more than just a paradise. It's where there's been some incredible athletic achievements.
Despite being more than 2,000 miles away from the mainland, Hawai'i has brought up some major players to the collegiate scene, with talent so rich the attention can't be contained to just the eight major islands. With no professional sports teams on the islands, college sports is the heart and soul of athletics in Hawai'i.
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Everyone know the University of Hawai'i at Manoa as the island's top NCAA school, and while its star athletes make up nearly all of the greatest to college athletes from the state, there are a few Division II programs that also boast some successful stars.
Say "aloha" to the top 10 college athletes from Hawai'i:
10 greatest college athletes from Hawaii
Colt Brennan, Hawai’i
With the island map dyed into his hair, Brennan is arguably the most famous college athlete in Hawai'i after leader the football program to its greatest season ever. The quarterback became a starter in 2005 and brought national attention to the Warriors in 2006 by throwing for an NCAA-leading 5,549 yards and 58 touchdowns while leading them to school-record 11 wins. It led to a highly anticipated 2007 season, and did he deliver. Brennan was slinging the ball everywhere — and lighting up the scoreboard. Hawai'i finished the regular season undefeated at 12-0, earning its first ever BCS bowl bid in the Sugar Bowl. Brennan was a Heisman Trophy finalist and finished his legendary run setting or tying 31 NCAA records during his career, including 131 career touchdown passes.
Kolten Wong, Hawai’i
The Hilo native raked in three seasons with Hawai'i. He started every game as a freshman, batting .341 with 11 homers and 52 RBI to earn freshman All-America honors. He moved from the outfield to infield for his sophomore season and got even better, batting for .357 with and was named the WAC tournament most valuable player, leading the Warriors to the NCAA tournament. Wong capped off his career with a junior campaign that finished with a .378 batting average, seven home runs, 53 RBI and a WAC-leading 23 stolen bases. With a .358 career batting average, Wong was a three-time first team all-WAC selection and became the third player in program history to be a first-round pick in the MLB draft.
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Deitre Collins, Hawai’i
The golden era of Hawai'i women's volleyball was led by Collins, who became one of the most accomplished players in program history. She stood out in her freshman season, setting up a sophomore campaign where she became an All-American. In 1982, Hawai'i went 33-1 won and reached the national championship game against Southern California. After dropping the first two sets, Hawai'i stormed back to win the title, and Collins' 25 kills, seven blocks and three service aces in the match earned her MVP honors. The following season, Hawai'i went 34-2 and won back-to-back national titles, the first time in program history. Collins was a three-time All-American, and for her senior season, won the Broderick Cup as the nation's best female college athlete. She then spent one year playing for the women's basketball team.
Timmy Chang, Hawai’i
Straight from O'ahu, Chang represented the island as the starting quarterback for four seasons, setting NCAA records in the process. His freshman season saw him throw for more than 3,000 yards. After an injury sidelined him in 2001, he returned with a vengeance in 2002, throwing for 4,474 yards and leading Hawai'i to a 10-win season. He threw for more than 4,000 yards in his final two seasons to finish with 17,072 yards, the NCAA all-time passing record. He had 117 passing touchdowns, won 29 games as the starter and is the only player to be named Hawai'i Bowl most valuable player twice.
Nick Rolovich, Hawai’i
When an injury sidelined Chang, Rolovich stepped up to the plate. He took over the starting role in 2001 and went 8-1 leading the offense, and his final game was one of the most memorable in team history: Facing undefeated Brigham Young in the regular-season finale, he torched the Cougars for 543 yards and eight touchdowns en route to a 72-45 win to end BYU's perfect season. In the two seasons with Hawai'i, he threw for 4,176 yards and 40 touchdowns, and broke 19 school passing and eight total offense records.
PROGRAM RANKINGS: Top 25 | Big Ten | SEC | ACC | Big 12
Judy Mosley-McAfee, Hawai’i
There are leaders, then there's Mosley-McAfee, who powered Hawai'i women's basketball in all four seasons she played. She became the only player in school history to lead the team in scoring and rebounding for four consecutive seasons, and took Hawai'i to new heights. In her junior season, she was second in the nation in scoring (26.7 points per game) and led Hawai'i to its first NCAA Tournament appearance. In her senior campaign, the Rainbow Wahine were ranked for the first time. They made the NCAA Tournament again and won their first game in the tournament. Mosley-McAfee left a two-time All-American and set several program records, including most career points (2,479), highest career scoring average (21.7), most career rebounds (1,441) and most points in a game (46), while also the only player to average a double-double in four seasons.
Kelly Majam-Elms, Hawai’i
Majam-Elms arrived for Hawai'i softball in 2010 and instantly became the catalyst in the biggest season in program history. The Rainbow Wahine hit bombs out of the park with an NCAA-record 158 home runs, 30 of which came from Majam-Elms as the nation's leader. She was an All-American and WAC freshman of the year. Hawai'i won the WAC title and took down No. 1 seed Alabama in the super regionals for its first trip to the Women's College World Series, where it won a game. She continued to be a force throughout her career, starting 232 games and taking Hawai'i to two more NCAA Tournament appearance. Majam finished her time as the school's all-time leader in home runs (72), runs scored (235), doubles (47), and walks (159).
Tony Randolph, Chaminade
Randolph didn't get much exposure at Division II Chaminade, but he turned up when the spotlight came through. He was the leader in one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history, when the Silverswords beat No. 1 Virginia in 1982. Randolph guarded national player of the year Ralph Sampson and not only kept him from dominating, but also scored a team-high 19 points in the win. A year later, he had 22 points in a win over ranked Louisville, and in 1984, was part of another string of upsets, posting double figures in ranked wins over Louisville again and SMU. He finished his career fifth in the school's all-time scoring list (1,549) and fourth in rebounds (776), a major contributor in some monumental hoops victories.
Jeanne Childs, Hawai’i
After a stellar start at Texas, Childs transferred to Hawai'i in 1981 and broke national records during her time on the islands en route to becoming one of the NCAA's most successful swimmers. In 1983, she became an All-American and won the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events at the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. It was a sign to come as she later broke the American record in the 200-meter breaststroke at the U.S. trials for the World Swimming Championships. With a storied career, she was named one of the top 100 swimmers and divers of all time by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association in 2021.
Nia Tuitele, Hawaii Pacific
Hawaii Pacific has a storied women's volleyball program, and Tuitele was a leader behind one of the best squads the university has seen. In 2000, she was the PacWest player of the year and an All-American on a team that went 28-0, winning the national championship to become the first NCAA Division II team finish the season undefeated. She was named to the all-tournament team. The setter's accolades didn't end there, as she was a three-time All-American and won the PacWest player of the year award again in 2001. By the end of her time, Tuitele nabbed the school record for most assists in a season (1,468) and most assists in a career (4,748).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA250: 10 greatest Hawai'i college athletes in history
