Rally of Champions on Waikiki Beach showcase Hawaii athletes

The City and County of Honolulu and Waikiki Improvement Association, in partnership with the Honolulu County Sports Commission, will host a Rally of Champions on Waikiki Beach on Saturday, June 26, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

The red carpet will be rolled out for sports champs who made their mark in national competition in recent months. Feted teams or individuals include the Hawaii Pacific University Sea Warrior softball squad, NCAA Division II national champion; University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine softball team, WAC champion and NCAA Women’s College World Series participant; University of Hawaii Rainbow baseball team, the WAC champion; Hawaii Pacific University Cheer and Dance Team, Division II National Champions; Amber Kaufman, high-jump gold medalist in the NCAA Track and Field competition; Punahou School boys volleyball team; Pac-Five softball team; Campbell High School softball team; and Kamehameha Schools varsity cheerleaders, who earned a national crown.

Benny Agbayani, the former Major Leaguer and HPU star, will be a special guest. The evening will be hosted by broadcaster Bobby Curran and former UH baseball star and broadcaster Howard Dashefsky. Nesian NINE will perform. The featured movie will be Field of Dreams, in keeping with the baseball theme of the event.

UH Athletic Director Jim Donovan, a Sports Commission member and former UH football star, said, “The achievements by our softball and baseball teams, as well as an outstanding individual effort by Amber Kaufman to win the national high jump title, demonstrate the quality of student-athletes we have at the University of Hawaii. Our softball team’s journey to the Women’s College World Series captivated the entire state while our baseball team rallied together to win the WAC crown. What a week that was for UH Athletics and what better way to end the 2009-10 season as Amber became our first track and field national champion in 26 years!”