{"id":322,"date":"2026-05-29T10:41:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T10:41:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=322"},"modified":"2026-05-29T10:41:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T10:41:12","slug":"kauka-named-to-hhsaa-hall-of-honor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=322","title":{"rendered":"Kauka named to HHSAA Hall of Honor"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<p>Kohala High School basketball legend Layden Kauka received one of the most prestigious awards in Hawaii sports last week.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=320\">Spurs dominate in home win over Thunder, force anticipated Game 7<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Kohala High School basketball legend Layden Kauka received one of the most prestigious awards in Hawaii sports last week.<\/p>\n<p>The three-time boys hoops state champion was named with 11 other athletes across the state to the HHSAA Hall of Honor Class of 2026. Kauka was the only Big Island athlete selected, as the remainder of the inductees hailed from Oahu.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The senior student-athletes were selected by a 13-person committee of current and former sports reporters and athletic directors from across the islands. The criteria is mainly based on athletic achievements, but all-around character and community service is also considered.<\/p>\n<p>Each inductee is awarded a $2,000 scholarship on behalf of the HHSAA and Enterprise Holdings, which operates Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent-A-Car brands.<\/p>\n<p>Kauka and the rest of the inductees will be honored at a celebratory banquet this coming Sunday at the Sheraton Princess Ka\u2018iulani\u2019s Ainahau Showroom in Honolulu.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d like to give a special thanks to my parents, coaches and everyone who supported me throughout the years,\u201d Kauka told <em>West Hawaii Today<\/em>. \u201cThey\u2019ve all played a huge role in helping me grow not just as a player, but also as a person.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m grateful for everything they have done to help me get to where I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The selection of the 6-foot-1 Kauka to the Hall of Honor was a no-brainer decision. The star guard was the central contributor to Kohala\u2019s recent dynasty, leading the Cowboys as the No. 1 scorer during their 2023, 2024 and 2026 DII state championships. In two of those title games, Kauka sank the go-ahead jumper to put Kohala up late.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=318\">\u2018This is a horrible, tragic thing\u2019: Homicides rattle Puna residents and their sense of place<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In Kauka\u2019s dominant senior season, he averaged 26.3 points per game, scoring 30-or-more eight times \u2014 including a career-high 42-point outburst against Hawaii Prep on Jan. 20. In the Feb. 4 BIIF DII championship against Pahoa, Kauka scored 31 points to secure his fourth island title. In the state tournament, he averaged 27.3 points per game against Kihei Charter, Damien and Seabury Hall, and was selected to the HHSAA All-Tournament team.<\/p>\n<p>Across the 2025-26 season, Kauka led all of HHSAA DII in points per game, total points and free throws made.<\/p>\n<p>Kauka transferred to Utah Prep at the beginning of his junior year to play alongside some of the top talent in the country, but returned home to play for the Cowboys at the end of the season.<\/p>\n<p>Kauka ends his high school career with multiple BIIF and <em>ScoringLive<\/em> Player of the Year awards, the 2025-26 Hawaii Gatorade Player of the Year and the 2026 <em>Star-Advertiser<\/em>\u2019s All-State Fab 15 Player of the Year \u2014 the first Division-II athlete to receive such an honor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s a leader on and off the court, all of the younger guys look up to him,\u201d former Kohala coach Kihei Kapeliela said after winning state in February. \u201cHe\u2019ll go down as one of the greats, if not the greatest (player in Kohala history).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kauka was also selected to the Hall of Honor for his superb volleyball play, as he was an All-BIIF selection.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to being recognized as an immortal Hawaii athlete, Kauka additionally signed his letter of intent to play men\u2019s basketball for the University of Hawaii-Hilo this week \u2014 officially joining Kaniela Aiona\u2019s program.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=317\">Visitor accused of hurling rock at monk seal pleads not guilty<\/a><\/p>\n<p>2026 HHSAA<br \/>\nHall of Honor Class<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Layden Kauka, Kohala (basketball, volleyball)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Alika Ahu, University Lab School (baseball, basketball)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Hunter Berger, St. Louis (wrestling)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Nihoa Dunn, KS-Kapalama (basketball)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Ashlyn Jacobsen, Campbell (cross country, track)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Kekama Kane, Iolani (football, soccer)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Destiny Look, Mid-Pacific (soccer, track, volleyball)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 James Millare, Moanalua (track)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Chloe Obuhanych, Pearl City (air riflery, judo, wrestling)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Synnove Robinson, Punahou (cross country, swimming, water polo)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Zaira Sugui, Moanalua (flag football, judo, wrestling)<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Journei Webster, Punahou (swimming)\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kauka named to HHSAA Hall of Honor &#8211; Hawaii News, Sports | Hawaii Tribune-Herald<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":321,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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