The Fall 2016 signees pose for a photo. Brien Ing | SL

Purchase image 1 of 1

WAIKIKI — The queen may have moved on, but the show must go on.

When longtime Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance director Doris Sullivan announced in February that the organization she built over the better part of the last two decades would cease operations, it left the future of several high-profile events up in the air. One of them being the many National Letter of Intent signing day ceremonies that the PIAA has put on for so many years.

The events — which are held up to three times a year — are unique on many levels, bringing together student-athletes from dozens of public and private schools to celebrate their prep successes and, in the process, launching thousands of collegiate athletic careers — and even a few professional ones.

However, with PIAA — a non-profit organization — largely at the mercy of donations, the costs kept adding up for Sullivan, who has operated out of New Mexico the last few years.

Following last year's final NLI signing event in April, it looked as though the tradition would go by the wayside.

Enter Education First.

The Laie-based non-profit, under the direction of co-founders Asai and Keawe Gilman, stepped up to the proverbial plate and took on the task of hosting the signing day ceremonies.

Wednesday's early signing period event — which featured 43 high school seniors early in the morning at the Waikiki Elks Club — was the first under new management, so to speak, and it ran without a hitch, under the watchful eye of Kawika Kane, Education First's Operations Director, who served as master of ceremonies.

"We believe in higher education opportunities for youth, so in order to promote the opportunities to play college sports and pursue a degree, this is very congruent to our mission and the opportunities to highlight these outstanding student-athletes and promote high school sports," Kane said.

Education First, which was founded in 2003, has put on numerous educational workshops for most of the state's high schools, as well as football and rugby camps. Kane said it was only natural for the company to take over for PIAA.

"Because we provide similar programs for promoting higher education, when we heard that Doris would retire, we immediately reached out to see how we could support her," Kane said. "Doris has been very involved from the beginning. Unfortunately she wasn't able to attend today, but we feel very privileged and honored to continue this. We wanted to provide that opportunity to continue her legacy and keep that signing day event going."

While Sullivan was not in attendance Wednesday, many veterans of her volunteer staff were out in force to help make the transition a seamless one.

The ultimate benefactors are the student-athletes, whom the honor was not lost on.

"I was a little disappointed when I found out that it wasn't going to happen anymore last year," said Iolani volleyball player Kacie Miyama, who signed with Graceland University (Iowa) Wednesday. "But I found out from my friend that they were going to do it this year and she told me to sign up right away and I did and I'm pretty glad I did."

Miyama got to take in the festivities alongside her Iolani teammate, Ana Oglivie, who signed with the United States Military Academy at Westpoint. The pair helped lead the Raiders to their first state championship in 15 years last month.

"We've known each other since we were little and who would've imagined that now, so many years later, we're signing together," Oglivie said. "I really appreciate her. She deserves a ton of credit for what she did for our team."

Two other sets of teammates were among the signees.

Campbell's battery of pitcher Danielle Cervantes and catcher Jocelyn Alo, along with outfielder Nikki Corla, penned their college commitments. Cervantes and Corla will attend UH-Hilo, while Alo will play for defending national champion Oklahoma.

"I love Dani and Nikki," said Alo, who was previously verbally committed to Cal Berkeley. "It feels so good to share this with them. We all worked hard and now college is coming around soon, so it feels good."

Cervantes and Corla joined Mililani catcher Markie Okamoto and Pearl City shortstop Darian Obara in signing with the Division-II Vulcans.

"It's always nice to get to know new people and get to play with other people from other places, so I'm excited for that," Cervantes said.

Two other OIA West softball players, Mililani's Merilis Rivera (UH-Manoa) and Maya Yoshiura (Cal State Stanislaus) were in familiar positions Wednesday. Rivera, the Trojans' All-Hawaii third baseman, flanked Yoshiura, her shortstop, as they signed their letters of intent, just as she does on the softball diamond.

"It's just an amazing feeling to share this with Maya and the rest of my teammates," Rivera said. "We've been together for four years now and it's just amazing to be right next to each one of them."

Yoshiura said putting pen to paper Wednesday was a rewarding final step what has been a long process.

"I just try to do my best every day and I guess the hard work paid off right now," said Yoshiura. "Working to get here together, with my teammates, means so much to me and sitting right next to each other and signing is just an incredible feeling."

Former Kamehameha and University of Hawaii volleyball standout Kanani Danielson delivered the keynote address.

NLI signees

Baseball
Hunter Breault (Kamehameha), Univ. of Oregon
Cole Cabrera (Punahou), Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Joseph Cantillo (Kailua), Univ. of Kentucky
Matt Nakamoto (Punahou), Bowdoin College
Markus Ramos (Campbell), Univ. of Oregon
DJ Stephens (Saint Louis), San Jacinto College
Kai Terada-Herzer (Punahou), Amherst College

Beach volleyball
Teiana Cataldo (Punahou), Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Women's crew
Madison Meister (Punahou), Louisville

Men's golf
Kengo Aoshima (Iolani), Wake Forest
Andrew Chin (Punahou), Brigham Young

Men's track and field
Tyler Nguyen (Leilehua), Willian Penn Univ.

Women's track and field
Kristen O'Handley (Kaiser), Portland State Univ.
Kameron Smith (Campbell), Portland State Univ.

Softball
Jocelyn Alo (Campbell), Oklahoma
Danielle Cervantes (Campbell), UH-Hilo
Alana Cobb-Adams (Kamehameha), SIU-Edwardsville
Nikki Corla (Campbell), UH-Hilo
Rayla Jacobs-Kea (Kamehameha), Midland College
Jerae Keliikoa (Mililani), Bloomfield College
Darian Obara (Pearl City), UH-Hilo
Markie Okamoto (Mililani), UH-Hilo
Merilis Rivera (Mililani), UH-Manoa
Alo Salausa (Leilehua), Nevada
Alyssa Salud-Mendoza (Waianae), Eastern Arizona
Maya Yoshiura (Mililani), Cal State Stanislaus

Women's swimming
Madison Balish (Punahou),Brigham Young
Lia Foster (Punahou), UCLA
Maia Petrides (Mid-Pacific), Washington State

Women's basketball
Kamaile Kandiah (Punahou), Utah Valley
Victoria Kintz (Kaimuki), Holy Names

Women's tennis
Tristen Bryant-Otake (Mid-Pacific), Northern Colorado

Women's water polo
Malia Gacutan (Punahou), Villanova

Women's volleyball
Katherine Asberry (Mililani), Felician Univ.
Jordan Ishida (Mid-Pacific), Siena College
Kacie Miyama (Iolani), Graceland Univ.
Kira Morikawa (Punahou), Oklahoma
Kassidy Naone (Le Jardin), Portland
Ana Oglivie (Iolani), U.S. Military Academy (Westpoint)
Shayla-Ann Santos (Sacred Hearts), DePaul
Hannah Tavares (Hawaii Baptist), Charleston Southern
Eimanie Thomas (Mid-Pacific), North Texas
Kaile Tuisamatatele (Kapolei), Western Nebraska