Hawaii

Doyle makes good on 2nd chance entering Hawaii water polo senior night

Published

8 months ago

April 6, 2025

Doyle makes good on 2nd chance entering Hawaii water polo senior night

HONOLULU — Bernadette Doyle earned her rare second chance to be piled high with lei and jump in the pool.

The Hawaii water polo senior attacker from Auckland will complete a belated chapter of her unconventional college career when the No. 3 Rainbow Wahine host No. 7 UC Irvine on senior night Saturday at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.

Doyle was an up-and-comer with the program, in the second year of her Wahine career when COVID hit and canceled the second half of the 2020 season. Her version of the pandemic pivot was a trip home to attend school in New Zealand to get an undergraduate degree in photo media while also competing prominently for her national team.

She would move to Greece to play a season for a club. That experience, along with a timely push from her family, made her decide she had some unfinished business in the islands.

Three-plus years after her UH career appeared to be over, she decided to give it another shot.

“(It was) not knowing the language and the facilities and the community and the sun and all these things that I maybe took for granted the first time around,” Doyle said this week of her European experience, “and then also my dad, he really encouraged me to come back.” Maureen Cole, who retired as UH coach after last season, also pushed for her to return, she said.

“I think it’s been the best decision for me for water polo and just in general, for my life moving forward,” Doyle said.

Doyle, whose 5-foot-6 stature belies her status as a two-way threat in the pool, was a key player in UH’s run to the national semifinals in 2024 and is one reason the Wahine think they can make another postseason push.

Under first-year head coach James Robinson, UH (15-3, 4-0 Big West) enters senior night against its chief conference rival Irvine (13-9, 4-0) having won 14 straight league games dating to last season. The Wahine have also registered marquee wins over the likes of Cal and UCLA this year.

Doyle is one of four players who will be traditionally honored Saturday, along with Jordan Wedderburn, Morgan Rios and Stevilyn Griffin.

“They have been a part of the most successful stretch of Wahine water polo, really, in history,” Robinson said. “And so for them to be a part of this transition, this new season has been super helpful that they understand the standards, the expectations of what our program wants to achieve and what we hope to achieve every time we jump into a pool.”

Doyle is celebrated by teammates a cerebral player with a hard-nosed work ethic to match. She was the MVP of last spring’s Big West tournament, when she scored four goals with four steals in the final against Long Beach State, and went on to be named a ACWPC second-team All-American.

She surpassed 100 career goals this season, but some of her biggest impact has come on the defensive end.

A major unintended benefit of her decision to finish out a college career that has spanned seven years was the opportunity to play with her sister, Gabrielle, a Wahine freshman who is five and a half years younger.

“I never thought that this would happen,” Doyle said. “I think I had half a year in primary school with her, which was also obviously a great experience, like 15 years ago. … I think everything happens for a reason. Obviously, this is it.”

The Doyle sisters have teamed to record 54 steals this season, with Bernadette leading the team with 30 and Gabrielle tied for second at 24.

Bernadette’s pair of swipes in overtime keyed the Wahine to an overtime win over Long Beach State two weeks ago. Despite her compact frame, she also leads the team in field blocks, with 10.

UH’s other seniors have been impactful, as well.

Wedderburn, of Johannesburg, South Africa, served as a captain for her country in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Like Doyle, she surpassed 100 career goals this season; Wedderburn has 47 this year.

“We just want to do everyone Hawaii proud,” Wedderburn said. “We want to do our families proud. We want to do each other proud. We want to do James proud. So, yeah, it’s, it’s a lot riding on Saturday night.”

Rios, a five-year UH player from Santa Ana, Calif., has a career-high 11 goals this season.

Griffin, of Upland, Calif., came over from Arizona State for her last two years of eligibility. She has 14 goals this season, including two hat tricks.

UH and UCI have combined for 10 of the last 11 Big West regular-season championships.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.

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Honolulu Marathon kicks off with a rainy start

Published

3 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

Honolulu Marathon kicks off with a rainy start

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The JAL Honolulu Marathon kicks off at Ala Moana Boulevard.

Hawaii News Now celebrates the 53nd anniversary of the Honolulu Marathon with a special edition of Sunrise.

We’ll be tracking runners throughout the entire course, sharing heartfelt stories from competitors, and going behind the scenes to spotlight dedicated volunteers — from malasada makers to medical crews — who help make this massive event possible.

Join us for live coverage throughout the 26.2-mile course on Sunday, Dec. 14, starting at 6 a.m. only on Hawaii News Now.

Click here to track a runner.

Tsegay Weldibanos from Eritrea came in first place in the elite men’s division with a time of 2:13:41.

He beat out last year’s winner by less than a minute.

Tsegay Weldibanos from Eritrea came in first place in the elite men’s division with a time of 2:13:41.

And in the women’s elite division, Calli Hauger-Thackery, from Great Britain, came in first place with a time of 2:30:44.

She also beat out last year’s winner by a tight margin.

Calli Hauger-Thackery, from Great Britain, came in first place in the elite women’s division with a time of 2:30:44.

For the second year in a row, Kota Hokinoue came in first place for the marathon’s men’s wheelchair division.

The course goes through downtown Honolulu, past Iolani Palace and the Christmas lights, through Waikiki and climbs up and around Diamond Head, before heading out through Kahala and out to Hawaii Kai. Turning back after Hawaii Kai toward Kahala and Honolulu, the course passes Diamond Head again on the ocean side before finishing in Kapiolani Park.

We have live team coverage of the 2025 Honolulu Marathon with reporters throughout the course.

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Hawaii

Celebrations across Hawaii to take place in honor of Sakada Day

Published

15 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

Celebrations across Hawaii to take place in honor of Sakada Day

HILO (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Island will commemorate the arrival of the first 15 Filipinos to Hawaii back in 1906.

A free Sakada Day Celebration in Hilo will take place on Dec. 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to honor the contributions of the Filipino plantation workers who sparked a wave of migration.

“Filipinos are actually a large group here in Hawaii, lot of times things like this are actually tend to be a little neglected,” said Iris Viacrusis, co-chair of the Sakada Day Celebration.

This year’s event will feature a lei presentation at 9 a.m. at the statue at Keaau Community Center, followed by lunch, entertainment and a presentation to three descendants of sakadas: Sandra Claveria, Lorraine Rodero Inouye and Angel Pilago.

Two exhibits will also be displayed for guests to learn more about the sakadas — one will feature stories of the sakadas’ legacy and the other will showcase cultural items and clothing from Viacrusis’ collection.

Dec. 20 was proclaimed Sakada Day under Gov. David Ige in 2015.

Event organizers are preparing for next year’s 120th anniversary of the sakadas in Hawaii.

Sakada Day Celebration(UH Hilo)

Meantime, on Oahu, a free Sakada Day Celebration is taking place today, Dec. 13, at Hawaii Plantation Village in Waipahu from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Philippine Celebrations Coordinating Committee of Hawaii, the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center for Philippine Studies and Filipino Curriculum Project organize the annual gathering, which honors the resilience, contributions, and cultural legacy of sakadas, migrant plantation workers whose hard work, courage, and spirit continue to shape the Filipino American experience today.

High school students will take part in stage performances, visual presentations, education booths and a fashion show.

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Hawaii Foodbank Kauai gets help – The Garden Island

Published

1 day ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Hawaii Foodbank Kauai gets help – The Garden Island

The Hawaii Foodbank Kauai received two major grants of $25,000 each on Thursday: one from Kauai HMS Host and The Journey for Good Foundation by Alvota, and one from DraftKings and FanDuel.

A team from the Kauai HMS Host and The Journey for Good Foundation by Alvota visited the Puhi facility to present a check for $25,000 in support of the work being done by the Hawaii Foodbank Kauai crew.

“The opportunity to partner with The Journey for Good Foundation by Alvota was truly a gift given to us by our local HMS Host team,” Hawaii Foodbank Kauai Assistant Director Tisha Remigio said in an email. “When this amazing group came to volunteer last month, they got to see the true, on-the-ground operations of our food bank and what it really means to keep our families fed here on Kauai.”

“We learned that the funds for The Journey for Good Foundation come from such a simple, grassroots idea — those change bins at the airport checkout stands where customers can drop their loose change,” Remigio continued. “It’s incredible how that money, which seems so small, creates such a massive impact, such as the grant award. Our local HMS Host is such a wonderful group of people, and we are so fortunate for their ongoing support, not only with this monetary grant, but with the essential grocery rescue work we do with them on a weekly basis. We truly hope this inspires others to adopt a small and simple, yet everlasting, impact idea like this to help those in need on Kauai.”

The Hawaii Foodbank Kauai also announced, in a Thursday press release, the receipt of a $25,000 donation from DraftKings and FanDuel to directly support the purchase of an additional food delivery vehicle for the Hawaii Foodbank Kauai’s mobile food pantry program.

“DraftKings is committed to strengthening communities,” said Sabrina Macias, Senior Vice President of Global Communications and CSR at DraftKings. “We’re proud to support Hawaii Foodbank Kauai in expanding access to fresh, reliable food resources, and helping families across the island receive the nourishment they need.”

The DraftKings and FanDuel grant will also sponsor the Hawaii Foodbank Kauai’s upcoming Nourish Gala that will be held on Dec. 19 at the Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort, starting at 5 p.m.

Proceeds from the gala fundraiser will help nourish families in need across the island. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available by visiting the website at www.kauai.hawaiifoodbank.org, or by calling 808-482-2088.

“FanDuel is honored to support Hawaii Foodbank Kauai as part of our commitment to uplifting communities,” said Keita Young, vice president of community impact at FanDuel. “Food banks are essential pillars of local resilience, and we are proud to contribute to ensuring families across Kauai have consistent access to the food and resources they need.”

The new vehicle will expand the Hawaii Foodbank Kauai’s ability to deliver food, including fresh produce and shelf-stable goods across the island.

“We are deeply grateful for this meaningful gift from DraftKings and FanDuel,” said Hawaii Foodbank Kauai Director Wes Perreira. “With many households on Kauai facing rising food costs, partnerships like this with DraftKings and FanDuel help ensure that none of our friends, neighbors or ohana go hungry.”

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