UHH senior Keely Kitamura’s golf season ended too soon, but at least she made the most of her time at school, working hard in the classroom to eventually help her community.
She had good timing, too, and got in some family time on the golf course before the coronavirus pandemic hit.
“The last time I was on a golf course was about a week before everything shut down,” she said. “I played at Hapuna with my dad and grandparents.”
The Spring Fling Invitational, hosted by Augustana University and scheduled for March 12-13 in Palm Desert, Calif., was canceled along with three other tournaments, including the PacWest championships.
“It’s really unfortunate for the season to end like this, but the health and safety of the athletes, coaches, and staff is more important.”
Kitamura, a 2015 Waiakea graduate, was the only senior on the eight-player squad.
She finished the season with a 88.00 scoring average in three tournaments.
Her best finish was a tie for 12th at the St. Martin’s Invitational held last October in Olympia, Wash.
She’s getting used to her new normal, staying at home with her family and dog.
“It’s a little weird not leaving the house, but I’m working from home and now I have a chance to get caught up on school work,” she said.
Kitamura is going to graduate in the fall in psychology, sociology, and political science. Then she plans to enroll in the master’s program for counseling psychology at UHH.
She hasn’t decided on what path her career will take, either a school counselor or mental health counselor.
But she’s the classic example of local girl makes good. She golfed during Waiakea’s dynasty, went to UHH and will eventually give back to the community.
UHH coach Jim DeMello pointed out that Kitamura was a well-rounded Vulcan.
“Keely represented the UHH golf program as a true student-athlete,” he said. “She was an excellent student in the classroom and improved every year on the golf scoring. She was always there when needed, and I could always count on her.”
In a proud parents’ moment for Tracy and Annie Kitamura, their daughter was a two-time All-American scholar athlete.
DeMello also liked that Kitamura grew as a person, being a good teammate and leader.
“She came in as a teenager and has matured into a young adult,” he said. “She was a leader and organizer of team activities, especially on the concession assignments.”
Kitamura looks back at her golfing time at UHH with fondness, traveling to tournaments and trying different things.
“Being a college athlete is a special experience, and I was fortunate that coach Jim gave me the opportunity,” she said. “Traveling to places like Texas, making new friends, playing at new courses, and eating good food is something I’ll always remember. Coach Jim had us try alligator and frog legs, and to my surprise it’s pretty good.”
During this time of social distancing, Kitamura still keeps in touch with some of her Warrior teammates.
“I texted some of my old high school teammates (Maya Oshiro, Kaelyn Uchida, Kaley Saludares) a couple of days ago just to check in and make sure they were doing OK.”
No matter what’s going on, Kitamura is still a good teammate.