In 2024, fans were treated to a heated drama in Hawaii’s sports world.
Whether it’s the much-debated moves by UH officials, the controversies and rivalries on the prep field, or the high-stakes international competition, there has been hardly a dull moment over the past 12 months.
Below are some of Spectrum News’ top stories of the year. Before we get into that, here are some honorable mentions.
1. Hawaii becomes an official member of the Mountain West, but AD Craig Angelos is fired.
For the University of Hawaii athletics department, the transition to full Mountain West membership and the elimination of travel subsidies for future opponents was supposed to be a long period of celebration, but instead turned into a period of consternation. On Nov. 19, about a month after the university decided to transfer to MWC in 2026, University President David Rasner fired athletic director Craig Angelos “based on performance.” Associate AD Royce Mannin has been elevated to the top position on an interim basis, but the team said it will now fire athletic director Craig Angelos. Don’t seek a permanent position.
Lassner hired him 18 months ago in the face of intense online criticism and criticism from student-athletes at the university amid growing support for Angelos during his last December board meeting as president. defended the dismissal of a person. Lassner, the university’s representative on the Mountain West Board of Governors, downplayed Angelos’ role in the transition from the Big West to the MWC.
President-elect Wendy Hensel will lead the search for a new AD after taking office at the beginning of the new year.
UH will remain in the Big West as an associate member in four sports: men’s volleyball, women’s water polo, men’s swimming and diving, and beach volleyball.
A rendering of the completed stadium by Aloha Halawa District Partners was presented at a stadium management board meeting in December. (Spectrum News/Brian MacInnis)
2. NASED moves forward with a single bidding team
In the end, there was only one candidate in the state for the 98-acre mixed-use complex to be built around Halawa’s new 25,000-seat stadium. Aloha Halawa District Partners, a consortium of local, national and international developers, was the final bidder and became the “preferred proponent” for the new Aloha Stadium Entertainment District.
AHDP leaders presented their vision to the public for the first time at the last Stadium Authority meeting of the year. They brought in renderings of Aloha Live!, a Downtown Disney-like shopping and restaurant area they envision surrounding the new stadium. As for the stadium itself, AHDP plans to build it on the concrete foundation of the existing Aloha Stadium Bowl to save development costs over the $350 million the state has committed to construction. They promised about 4,000 homes and proposed ideas such as building a school on the site.
Members of the Stadium Authority asked questions of leaders, including Stanford Kerr of Stanford Kerr Development, but AHDP did not take questions from members of the media in attendance. Issues included the concept of the skyline facing Pearl Harbor and the process for finding the bodies.
NASED has set a deadline for full performance of the contract in June 2025, around which time demolition of the old stadium is expected to begin.
Hawaii men’s volleyball star Spiros Chakas took a swing of fate against the University of California, Irvine in the Outrigger Invitational in March. (Spectrum News/Brian MacInnis)
3. Hawaii men’s volleyball season suspended due to injury to star player
Expectations were high for the 2024 Hawaii men’s volleyball team, which had advanced to the past four NCAA Championship games and had All-American hitter Spiros Chakas returning for his senior season.
But on March 10, everything changed in an instant. On one of the final plays of the night in a tense five-set battle against Big West University rival Irvine, Chakas completed a swing for a difficult ball near the right pin and landed it. Awkwardly on my left foot. His knees buckled and he fell to the surface of Taraflex, and the Stan Security Center fell dead silent, as everyone present seemed to realize the gravity of the moment.
Two days later, it was revealed that it was actually the end of his college career for the Greek star. Even without him, UH remained mostly competitive at 23-7, but UH ended the season at home in the Big West semifinals, losing to the same UCI team that featured AVCA Player of the Year Hilil Henno. . Chakas was seen supporting his team on crutches.
St. Louis first-year head coach Tupu Alualu (center) has led the Crusaders back to the top of the prep football mountain. (Spectrum News/Brian MacInnis)
4. St. Louis returns to the forefront of Hawaii prep football.
St. Louis was at a crossroads. The proud men of Kalaepohaku entered 2024 during a rare downturn in Hawaii high school football, and last appeared in the state tournament in 2021. Former Crusaders running back Tupu Alualu makes an appearance. He was hired in February to replace former coach Ron Lee.
The Crusaders got off to a tough start, winning the season opener in Kahuku by missing a field goal, and the following week at Mililani, they made a costly mistake and went 0-2.
But by the end, the Saints cruised to their eighth state title and first since 2019 with a 17-10 victory over the storied rival Red Raiders, who had been denied a fourth straight championship under coach Sterling Carvalho.
Running back Titan Lakaden, from the University of Hawaii, was a key part of the Crusaders, carrying the ball 31 times for 155 yards and two touchdowns.
In the state semifinals, St. Louis made a comeback and defeated Campbell and Hawai’i’s high school passing leader Jaron Keawe Sagaportele, who suffered a critical rib injury before halftime. Sagaportele will transfer from California to Oregon on signing day and will look to follow in the footsteps of notable Hawaii quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Dillon Gabriel.
Kapaa won its first championship at the Division I level and Kamehameha vs. Maui topped D-II.
5. John John Florence wins his third WSL title. Landon McNamara shoots ‘Eddie’
It’s been a long road back to the top for John John Florence. The native of Oahu’s North Shore won the World Surf League men’s championship in 2016 and 2017, but the seven-year gap leading up to 2024 was filled with hardships.
But Florence, 31, has recovered from her injury and remains the best surfer on the Championship Tour, entering the WSL Finals in Lower Trestles, California in September as the top seed. He became the rare No. 1 to advance in the WSL’s staggered bracket, defeating Brazil’s Italo Ferreira in two sets to win his third career WSL championship.
Then, in December, it was announced that he would be starring in “The Eddie”. The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, known as the Super Bowl of surfing, officially got the green light in Waimea Bay on Dec. 22, marking the 11th time in history that wave conditions have been perfect.
Past Eddie champion Florence was also in attendance, but it was fellow North Shore native Landon McNamara who won in front of thousands of people on the sand and even more watching live from afar. . He took home $50,000 and a total of 600,000 Hawaiian Airlines miles for not only winning the overall event, but also winning for best ride.
The North Shore native of Oahu has won the last three Eddies: Florence in 2016, Lifeguard Luke Shepherdson in 2023, and McNamara.
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. Contact him at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.
