Two St. Francis softball assistant coaches have started an online petition asking for support in their request for the ILH to immediately move the Saints up from Division II to D-I for league and state competition.
“I fully support their effort,” St. Francis head coach Randy Langsi said Monday. “I’m really hopeful and I feel like the girls deserve it.”
Langsi said he doesn’t know if the ILH can grant the request and referred that question to Saints athletic director Chad Konishi.
Calls to Konishi and ILH softball coordinator Missy Kilbey for comment were not immediately returned.
Briana Tovio-Asato and Ululani Reyes, the two assistant coaches and former St. Francis players, are the ones who started the petition.
St. Francis, which will be closing its doors for good after this school year, won the state Division II championship a year ago and was ranked as high as No. 4 in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser poll of all teams (D-I and D-II) in the state two weeks ago. The Saints were second in the D-II states in 2017 and third in 2016.
They are off to a 2-2 start in ILH play with losses to No. 2 Maryknoll and by one run against No. 7 Mid-Pacific.
In the petition, Tovio-Asato and Reyes wrote, “This is Saint Francis School’s final year in existence. The varsity girls softball players, parents, coaches, and alumni wish for its very last varsity softball team to play at the top of their capabilities by competing with the top softball programs in the state of Hawaii and be recognized for doing so.
We are extremely passionate about this endeavor as Saint Francis School and its softball program are very, very dear to our hearts. We simply intend to give our best effort to fight for our girls so they may experience the opportunity they have been humbly asking for year after year.”
You can view the petition here.
Thank you all for your support!
Please view this video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WE7R93u8Y7Dux4OzjYNUaqgKQa-Bhu50/view?usp=sharing
Should’ve moved up 2 weeks ago before the season started. Or right after last year when you guys were beating everybody up.
Exactly why theres a petition. They been trying for years but kept getting denied.
@Too Late
Attempts were made in the past, including the times you mentioned. This is why we are at this point now.
With due respect to the effort you coaches are putting in, I think it is too late and unfair to the other teams in the league to make such a late decision. It also seems weird that Sacred Hearts got in D1 and St. Francis did not. It could very well be an administrative issue because lets be honest here in saying that St. Francis admin does not have the best track record when it comes to proper paperwork.
Good luck to you guys but if this petition does not go through, just go out and win the D2 states again. Nothing wrong with that and I think that would be a terrific way to finish.
FYI. Declarations for teams to move up and down are made by the AD of each school. This happens well before the season starts and coaches and ADs have a lot of time to decide what to do. I highly doubt STF wanted to move up this year cause if they wanted to, it wouldv’e happened. To be honest, they are a perfect fit where they are and hopefully they can end up winning a DII state championship as the doors close behind them . That would be a great accomplishments for these girls. Good luck.
Yes perfect fit for D1 the only people who would think otherwise would be a parent or a coach of another school who is afraid that they wont make it to states because they would have to go through Saint Francis first lol. To be the best you have to play/beat the best. Just saying lol
I applaud the effort, but please……. if you coaches strongly felt this way, you would have put out a petition to convince your AD to change your designation way before the season started.
And btw, what were the attempts that you mention of? In the petition, ” but it seems as though they have been held in Division II against their own will to move to Division I” could mean anything. The league is holding you back, your own AD is holding you back, your HC didnt push hard enough, all kinds of ways to interpret that.
Shoot, this petition should have been put out before last years team which many will agree was stronger than this years team. Dont give us that BS about competing with the best and being recognized for doing so stuff.
Y’all need to learn how to do things the right way and have some dang integrity.
@ILH why you didn’t sign what school you from, is it because you know you will lose when you face Saint Francis? Obviously you dont want to play the best because you may not earn a seat in states. Talk about integrity you should support Saint Francis and you should wanna have to beat them in order to earn the spot in stead of just automatically get 1 of spots and wasting playoff field time just to watch you get SASA. Lol what a joke!
Nani nani boo boo, you scared thats why, you no more integrity because you dont support St. Francis.
Pathetic.
You dont even address anything I pointed out. You and whoever was in power to move the team up to D1 the past two years are the real Scared Chivkens.
Where was your outrage all these years they been beating teams up in D2?
If true, how da heck did Sacred Hearts move up to D1 before you guys??
Pathetic and joke worthy.
BTW, when was the petition filed??
HPW??
The school announced that grades 7-12 were being discontinued after this year on January 7th, 2019.
Seems like a lot of time to petition for a move to D1 prior to the season.
OMG aren’t we really scared 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣
So sorry you dont have faith in your team/school I don’t have kids at that school or that’s playing but it’s sad that you think so little of your team,. Cry baby, cry baby 🤣🤣🤣
And CORRECTION: from what I read they didn’t just beat up D2 teams they spanked the heck out of D1 ILH teams as well that’s why last year they tied Punahou for 1st place in ILH. And 4th place over all, so are you on the team that got to go to states because Saint Francis was in D2😁 There should be no D1 or D2 when it comes to ILH because they all play each other through out the season, unlike OIA D1 play D1, D2 play D2. For ILH they should be going with the top 3 best record, top 2 going to D1 states and 3rd top team goes to D2 for states. But because of all the cry baby alumni for ILH they have people on the board that just likes to sneak in where they didn’t earn to be. With that being said: Bye Felicia and get your heavy high makamaka head of your horse cause that weight of that head is breaking it’s back.
Lucky STF got their petition denied bcuz they 2-2 on the season. Lol. They won’t even make it to be one of the 2 ILH D1 teams to go to states. If you going blame anyone blame your AD and your parents.
The real FEAR is fading into nothingness with regret that you shoulda, woulda, coulda won the CUP.
Honestly, if your house was in order ya’ll would have been in Division 1, but too much drama.
According to your format, say if Iolani finished 3rd or even Punahou, they would represent the ILH in the Div II State Tournament. I no think you when think that one out, kinda like the rest of your arguments. But keep on with the “you one Scaredy Cat” action it shows how well thought out your argument is.
Just for clarification, if following the rules and teaching teens integrity and hard work is being high makamaka then yes, I am SUPER HIGH MAKAMAKA.
With that being said, you have a great day striving to be the best you can be.
In Division II.
Toodles.
Haha, who is (ILH) commenting??? Please tell me that person is a student and not an adult.. so shame!!! Lol!