Ben Yuri Biersach

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Manti Te‘o - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

Manti Te‘o’s presence looms large over the history of Punahou football. His arrival on the roster in the mid-2000s coincided with the emergence of the School’s athletic program on the national stage, and he was the linchpin of a talented team that won the Sons of O‘ahu’s first gridiron koa trophy.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Shawna-Lei Kuehu - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

An ‘Aiea playground legend since the fourth grade who honed her skills at the Kalākaua Clinic, Shawna-Lei Kuehu made an outsized impact on the Hawai‘i girls basketball scene from the moment she set foot on the court as a 5’10” Punahou freshman. Her prolific scoring ability and excellence in every facet of the game propelled her to greatness as one of the most highly decorated prep hoopsters ever to play in the state.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Erik Shoji - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

As the son of University of Hawai‘i women’s volleyball coach Dave Shoji, Erik Shoji grew up absorbing the collective wisdom of his father’s training culture. By the time Erik started his varsity career as a Punahou freshman, he was ready to contribute to a program that had a long history of success in the Hawai‘i prep arena.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Stephanie Kono - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

Stephanie Kono’s journey to athletic greatness got off to a challenging start. In 1997, the seven-year-old finished dead last in her first O‘ahu Junior Golf Association tournament. In her next competition, she finished second to last.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Brian Wells - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

No Punahou student of his generation embodied the all-around athlete profile better than Brian Wells. Competitive, hyperfocused and blessed with an otherworldly jumping ability that belied his modest height, Wells became a multiple individual and team state champion across three sports.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Kristin Lim - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

The foundation of competitive excellence in Hawai‘i tennis established by brothers Robbie and Mikey Lim – both two-time state singles champions – inspired greatness in their younger sister Kristin, leading her to write one of the most storied careers in the history of the Punahou girls program.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Alex Ching - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

Growing up in Hawai‘i in the 1990s, Alex Ching was small for his age and burned off his boundless energy by playing nearly every sport under the sun. He gradually came to focus on golf and tennis, training privately with his father as his primary coach and competing in diverse tournaments. As he grew into his body throughout his varsity career at Punahou, he gained a foot in height and 50 pounds in weight, also gaining glory with individual and team championship trophies.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Onaona Miller - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

Onaona Miller's basketball prowess was well-known before she ever stepped on the hardwood in a buff ’n blue jersey. The versatile 5’11” athlete started her prep career at Hilo High, where in 1996 she was the BIIF Player of the Year and led her Vikings squad to an undefeated regular season, the BIIF championship, and a fifth-place finish in the state tournament. Possessing impeccable fundamentals, she could play all five positions on the court.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Daniel Chow - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

Daniel Chow’s composure, awareness and discipline came together on the mat to make him one of the most decorated boys grapplers at Punahou. A master of technique and leverage while wearing either the judogi or the singlet, Chow’s high instinctive IQ gave him the ability to puzzle out winning strategies during matches and create a championship career.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Lahaina Zoller - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

Lahaina Zoller possessed a lethal combination of speed and stamina, and during her four years of high school played soccer, sprinted in track and field, and ran cross country. She earned 11 varsity letters and contributed to nine state championship teams, winning titles in all three sports during each of her sophomore, junior, and senior years.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Scott Martines - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

Whenever the Punahou baseball and football teams of the mid- 1990s needed an injection of power, Scott “Scooter” Martines was there to provide it. His combination of skill, aggression and competitiveness made him one of the most decorated buff ’n blue athletes of his era.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Allison Lipsher - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

Allison Lipsher specialized in one thing during her four years as a Punahou varsity soccer player in the early 2000s: guarding the buff ’n blue goal. Her mastery of the keeper position and the team’s subsequent success made her one of the greatest to ever play the sport in Hawai‘i.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Jacob Garcia - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

Jacob Garcia’s introduction to grappling as a middle schooler in the early 1980s was through judo, but he soon switched to wrestling full-time. His dedication, skill and ambition forged him into one of the most dominant competitors of his era. During his four-year varsity career, he won three ILH titles and two state championships – and lost only four matches.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Michelle Yoshida - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

In the storied history of the Punahou girls swimming program, Michelle Yoshida stands out as an exceptional contributor. During her four-year varsity career, she won 15 state championship races and helped lead the School to three state team titles.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Chris Small - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

As a Punahou kindergartner in 1983, Chris “Buster” Small would watch his older brother Radford, a senior, play on the buff ‘n blue baseball and football teams. A decade later, when Chris became a varsity athlete competing in the same two sports, he would utilize both his brawn and brains to forge a Hall of Fame career.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Chrissy Chow - 2026 Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame

by Ben Yuri Biersach

Chrissy Chow mastered the art of winning on the mat during her athletic career at Punahou. Her experience, leadership and relentless drive allowed her to build one of the most dominant high school grappling careers ever seen in Hawai‘i.

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Award-Winning Facilities With a Broader Purpose

by Ben Yuri Biersach

On a late August day in 2025, luminaries of the tennis world converged on Queens, New York, for the second round of the U.S. Open Championships. As top players like Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic battled on court, Punahou School was celebrating a victory of its own: receiving an Outstanding Facility Award from the United States Tennis Association (USTA), which recognized the Dillingham Tennis Complex as one of the finest in the country, alongside facilities at uni...

Punahou Bulletin • 05/19/2026

Point by Point: The Making of a Legacy

by Ben Yuri Biersach

Kristin Lim witnessed the beginning of “The Streak.” The year was 2003, and Lim – then a Punahou sixth grader – watched as the Buff ’n Blue varsity girls won the state team title in tennis at Central Oʻahu Regional Park, ending an 11-year absence from the top of the podium.

Punahou Bulletin • 02/11/2026

2025: A Banner Year for Buff ’n Blue Tennis

by Ben Yuri Biersach

Since Punahou founded its tennis club in 1901, the School has consistently invested in the sport and competed at the highest levels, earning numerous accolades along the way. 2025 was no exception. From standout student-athletes to award-winning coaches, the Punahou tennis program distinguished itself on courts near and far.

Punahou Bulletin • 10/10/2025

Cover to Cover: When Creativity Collides with Algorithms

by Ben Yuri Biersach

In one striking image, Peter Pan gazes out over Neverland, illuminated by the light of a crescent moon. In another, an 18th-century schooner in search of treasure drops anchor in the azure harbor of a tropical island. In a third, Alice tumbles down a surreal rabbit hole past jars levitating from a bookshelf. The visual craftsmanship in these and hundreds of other literature-inspired images is highly detailed, stylistically diverse and bursting with energy. All were cr...

Punahou Bulletin • 10/10/2025

‘Do Not Rewrite this Paper for Me’: Ethics and AI

by Ben Yuri Biersach

Joshua Chang had carefully avoided using ChatGPT since his time in Case Middle School. When the generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot launched in 2022, he was a seventh grader, wary of a tool that could seemingly write an entire paper with a single prompt.

“I avoided using it,” Chang remembers. “Why would I, if I could possibly get i...

Punahou Bulletin • 07/17/2025

Touching Base: Bites of Wisdom and Wellness

by Ben Yuri Biersach

Maybe you’ve seen dietitian Kylie Sakaida in one of her wildly popular food videos on TikTok. Or perhaps you’ve purchased a copy of her bestselling cookbook “So Easy So Good: Delicious Recipes and Expert Tips for Balanced Eating.” Month by month, Sakaida’s star continues to rise as she educates a rapidly growing community about healthy diet and nutrition.

Sakaida’s understanding of the link between food and health was developed early in her life. As a child, sh...

Punahou Bulletin • 05/13/2025

Serving up Success in NYC: The Comfort of Having Buff ’n Blue on Your Side

by Ben Yuri Biersach

The afternoon of November 2, 2024, was a beautiful one on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The sun brightened a sky unencumbered by a single cloud, and the air hung crisply in the high 50s. Just before 2 p.m., a new restaurant on Allen Street quietly unlocked its front door and made a simple post to its...

Punahou Bulletin • 02/13/2025

Course Spotlight: Gaining Perspective Through Food

by Ben Yuri Biersach

"Who’s been hungry before?” esteemed local chef and Punahou teacher Mark “Gooch” Noguchi asks aloud in his Cook Your Heritage senior capstone class. With most students in the room recalling the last time they couldn’t make it to the snack bar before it closed, he goes deeper. “Have you ever been so hungry that it hurts?”

Noguchi’s line of questioning is hard-earned: as a younger man, he was houseless and lived out of his van for a time. A day’s meal once consist...