Girls Tennis: (back row from left to right) Scout Shutter (Asst Coach), Catelyn Corpuz ’28, Courtney Corpuz ’28, Mari Dela Cruz ’26, Ke‘alohi Young ’27, Isabela Jube ’28, Lauren Oliver ’26, Mia Tom ’27, Sophia Howell ’26, Anna Kern (Asst Coach), Kristi Van Diver (Asst Coach), Jason Oliver (Head Coach). Front row from left to right: Jariahlyn Rhoades ’25, Maya Eastburg ’25, Logan Tom ’25.
– By Ben Yuri Biersach ’87
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.
In March, the Boys Varsity team traveled to Irvine, California, where it captured the All-American Invitational High School Tennis Tournament. The annual event features elite prep boys teams from across the country, and with the victory, Punahou claimed the tournament’s unofficial national championship for 2025.
Tanner Ige ’25, who earned all-tournament honors and also competed on the Buffanblu squad that won the same event in 2023, reflected on the program’s recent continental U.S. success. “It’s been a really big accomplishment for us,” he said. “Coming from Hawai‘i and beating teams from California that had dominated that tournament for so long was pretty fun.”
The boys’ season was far from over after their national triumph. Upon returning home, the team resumed Interscholastic League of Honolulu competition and won the ILH team title. That momentum carried into the state tournament, where the buff ’n blue captured their fourth consecutive koa team trophy.
Ige added another milestone to his career by winning the 2025 state doubles championship, his fourth straight title in the event. He achieved the feat with three different partners over his high school career, making him the only boy in Hawai‘i tennis history to do so.
The boys program also earned national recognition for the third consecutive year, finishing as the top team in the country based on the Universal Tennis Rating. The data-driven system compiles verified results from high-level competition worldwide and is widely regarded as one of the sport’s most accurate measures of team strength.
The Punahou girls enjoyed an equally remarkable year. They claimed the ILH team title in April before winning the state championship in May, marking their 21st consecutive state title. The streak is unmatched in the nation’s prep tennis record books. The team also earned a No. 5 national ranking from Universal Tennis Rating for the 2025 season.
In early September, shortly after the start of the school year, the girls traveled to Northern California to compete in the Golden State Classic Tournament. Facing top prep programs from across the state in an all-doubles format, the buff ’n blue finished second overall.
No look back at 2025 would be complete without recognizing the program’s eight graduating seniors, each of whom contributed to four consecutive post-pandemic boys and girls state championships. Now competing at colleges across the country, many continuing as varsity student-athletes, they share a common appreciation for the role Punahou played in shaping their athletic and academic paths.
Jariahlyn Rhoades ’25, the 2024 Hawai‘i state doubles champion and now a freshman student-athlete at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, reflected fondly on her time in buff and blue. “I will always be grateful to Punahou for being like family to me,” she said. “My relationships with the other players and the coaches, who were such important mentors, are what make the culture and the program so special.”
In Recognition of Excellence
In 2025, Punahou Director of Tennis Ikaika Jobe ’01 received the U.S. Tennis Association Hawaii Pacific Division Coach of the Year award, which recognized his contributions in helping promote and grow the sport during 2024. He also won the Racket Sports Professional Association High School Coach of the Year award, for the third year in a row.
*Punahou’s tennis program carries a legacy of excellence and longevity. In our upcoming Spring 2026 issue, we will explore its storied past – and provide insights into how its formidable infrastructure has contributed to its lasting success.
Boys Tennis: (from left to right) Ikaika Jobe (Head Coach), Manny Loera (Asst Coach), Evan Delse ’26, Sage Chatterjee ’27, Jake Valoroso ’25, Bradley Hirohata ’26, Allen Kudo ’26, Koji Ho ’28, Tanner Ige ’25, Owen Allison ’27, Brandon Ramos ’25, Sibby Rodi ’25, Ryan Vande Linde (Asst Coach).
Koji Ho ’28 and Tanner Ige ’25.