LIHU‘E — Jean Souza, the on-site manager of the Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery learning center, was surprised on Sunday to learn there are collegiate bowlers from Kaua‘i.
According to Todd Ozaki, the coach for the Kaua‘i Junior Blazing Bombers bowling program, there are five former Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation, or KIF, bowlers that are currently participating in collegiate bowling.
Skye Tadani, graduating from Kapa‘a High School, will join the roster of collegiate bowlers, including Jennifer Hayakawa, who is a sophomore at Clarke University, Kyllie Sasaki, the son of Kaua‘i High School bowling coach Kyrin Sasaki, and is a sophomore at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Callum Meredith, who will be transferring from Lawrence Tech University where his team won the NAIA national championship in 2023, and finished runner-up in 2024.
Dana Murata will be starting her second year bowling for Niagra University after transferring from Upper Iowa University where she rolled for two years.
“We’re in the same state — New York,” Murata said. “Skye is going to attend Adelphi University and major in nursing. That’s up near Long Island. I’m down near Niagara Falls. But at least we’re in the same state.”
Murata, bowling for 11 years, said college bowling is on a different level than high school bowling.
“The collegiate bowlers have more drive and motivation to be there, which also makes the competition much harder than high school,” the Kapa‘a High School alumnus said. “There is a difference between Upper Iowa and Niagra University because now I’m in New York.”
Meredith, who misses the Kaua‘i weather and the bowling community, admits the collegiate level bowling is tough and comes with a lot of hard work. But he encourages any aspiring bowler to “take college bowling head-on if you have the opportunity.”
“And, listen to Coach Todd,” Meredith said.
Coach Todd has been helping these collegiate bowlers open the doors to the sport.
“I tell the Junior Bowlers, ‘Strikes win games, spares win championships,’” Ozaki said. “Callum, Skye, and Dana listened. They, early-on, took this to heart and pick up spares. “
Tadani, while being recruited at the Junior Goals tournament in Indianapolis, caught the eye of the Adelphi coach who liked how she carried herself and her body language despite having a bad day on the lanes, Ozaki said.
“I love everything about bowling. The people you meet, and the bonds you create whether it’s here on Kaua‘i, outer islands, or even from the mainland. It takes discipline to actually be good since this sport is mostly about having a good mental game,” the Adelphi freshman said.
“I’ve learned to be a stronger and better version of myself, in and out of bowling thanks to an amazing coach. There’s too many things I have learned through bowling to list, but I do have tons of gratitude for having the opportunity to experience it.”
Hayakawa, who is majoring in elementary education, said to make sure potential collegiate bowlers go to a school for education as their main priority and use bowling as a way to help get them there.
“I love how bowling works the brain and will constantly keep me thinking throughout the entire time I’m bowling,” Hayakawa said. “I’ve learned that I’m very dedicated towards my team, and that I’m willing to try and keep pushing myself when there are times I don’t want to.”
Sasaki said the thing he likes about collegiate bowling is the atmosphere.
“The transition from high school chants to college chants really hits hard, and seeing the energy there all day long is what makes college bowling so special,” Kyllie said.
“The energy is unmatched as you have hundreds of people watching you bowl, dozens of teams screaming their chants. College bowling has taught me a lot of things about myself as a bowler with the main topic being the mental game. It is so important to have a good mental game, and I learned that I don’t have a great mental game, but ever since I’ve bowled in college, it really helped me improve.”
One thing the students have in common besides bowling is that all of them miss home.
“The one thing I will miss the most is my cats,” said Tadani who will begin her journey beyond high school. “I love my cats so much. I don’t really know a life without them. The second and third thing I will miss is friends, and the food here.”
That is the price to pay for learning from your mistakes and bettering yourself, not just for yourself, but the community that will help support you, the recent high school graduate said.