Hawaii All-Star Cheer Wins Titles, Summit Bids

Hawaii All-Star Cheerleaders head coach Kealii Molina with the championship hardware his team won at the USA All-Star Championships in Anaheim, Calif., March 22-23. Photo by Hawaii All-Star Cheerleaders.

By Rodney S. Yap

For the second straight year the Hawaii All-Star Cheerleaders defended its national championships in Anaheim, Calif.

Hawaii All-Star Cheerleaders and its head coach Kealii Molina returned from Southern California Tuesday having won the Senior Co-ed Level 3 and Senior Level 4 divisions at the USA All-Star Championships in Anaheim, Calif. over the weekend, March 22-23.

“Senior 3 and Senior 4 won their divisions and grand champions and they also won The Summit (paid) bids,” said Molina. “Our Junior (Level) 2 had a bobble on the last day an ended up taking third, but it was a good fight in the Junior division.

“Sometimes you can teach better lessons in losing than you can in winning. They’re young, they can learn a lot from the loss. It was a humbling moment for them.”

The Junior Level 2 team won grand champion and the Summit bid last year.

The Hawaii All-Star Cheerleaders won two paid bids to The Summit Varsity National Championships in Orlando, Fla. May 3-4.

Hawaii All-Star Cheerleaders at the USA All-Star Championships, March 22-23, at Anaheim, Calif. Photo by Hawaii All-Star Cheerleaders.

“We had a couple of little bobbles for Senior 4 the last day, but we were so far ahead from the first day that the bobbles didn’t really affect us.”

The difference this year was the confidence the team brought from having won the NCA All-Star National Championships in Dallas, Texas earlier this month.

The team accomplished all its goals Molina said, despite knowing he was going to be running himself thin trying to be in two places at the same time.

“It was crazy this year. On the final day I was running all day long from arena to arena. There were times when we had one team on the floor, one team in warm-ups and one team getting awards all at the same time. It was crazy, fun, and wild …. But when we walked in we totally planned the whole day out.”

Ironically, losing in the Junior Level 2 division was one of the highlights of the trip.

“I knew that the one little bobble was going to cost them, because it was so tight and scrappy at the top.”

Afterwards Molina had this message for the Junior 2 team: “I want you guys to think about how hard the other teams worked. Whatever team wins I want us to go and hug every single girl on that team.

“And what was super cool about that was the amount of Twitters I’ve gotten since then, from the parents of those other teams and how impressed they were with our sportsmanship. And to me that is even better than trophies.”

Members of the winning Hawaii All-Stars Senior Level 4 team are: Ashlee Sawai, Karley Keanini, Breann Joaquin, Chalysse Young U’u, Elysse Phillips, Kayla Sniffen, Krysta Freitas, Kauanoe Keahi, Sami Lei Saribay, Courtney Ruidas, Maikela Takamiya, Aileen Rodriguez, Janessa Miguel, Tatiana Thompson, Asia Flores, Kiana Nakoa, Giuliana Ippolitto, Caitlin Villarossa, Taylor Trout, and Mishalei Coloma-Mariano.

Members of the winning Hawaii All-Stars Senior Co-Ed Level 3 team are: Chaston Abut, Roxan Alforque, Chyanne Barretto, Bryson Barron, Acacia Coloma-Mariano, Mishalei Coloma-Mariano, Shanasie Dudoit, Naomi Ellison, Asia Flores, Krysta Freitas, Troy Hamili, Kala’e Higgins, Breeann Joaquin, Sheryl-Marie Lapid-Fitzsimmons, Chloe Lawrence, Laurell Malaqui-Sanchez, Janessa Miguel, Hannah Patrick, Aileen Rodriguez, Chantell Roldan, Lindsey Saludares, Celia Sanchez, Caitlin Villarosa, Jessica Walker, and Ally Yonohara.

Members of the third place Hawaii All-Stars Junior Level 2 team are: Siena DeLima, Shanasie Dudoit, Edwina Haluber, Lea Kashiwamura, Lily Katz, Sheryl-Marie Lapid-Fitzsimmons, Nohealani Ledesma, Madison Murayama, Karmella Paradiso, Moorhea Ramos, Clouie Salacup, Lindsey Saludares, Lydel Salvador, Khelsea Sarmiento, Chelsea Sarmiento, Shamica Segundo, Makenna Sumibcay, Taylor Tagud, Denise Torres, and Kaella Yasui.