Ask native Hawai’ians Karley Yoshioka and Shaz Nakoa-Chung how best to describe their friendship, so close they’re roommates, share the same on-campus class schedule and softball teammates since high school, and Nakoa-Chung offers this:
“You know yin yang?” she said. “That’s it.”
Their personalities may differ, but at the same time, they admit they’re pretty much alike.
That, in part, too, is why they complement one another with a shared support system on the left side of the infield for Clark College’s softball team. Yoshioka (shortstop) and Nakoa-Chung (third base and catcher) are returning all-Northwest Athletic Conference South Region players who were instrumental leading Clark to its inaugural postseason berth last season. One of the more memorable moments came in a near-upset win of tournament No. 1 seed Douglas College, falling 9-7 on a walk-off three-run home run.
No longer the learners, they’re the mentors on a team featuring eight freshmen, and want their teammates to taste success. Without question, they say, their friendship assists their on-field play. They refer to it as an unique instinct.
“Six years really helps that out and contributes to our playing and chemistry,” Nakoa-Chung said.
That chemistry eventually led to winning in high school. Nakoa-Chung and Yoshioka attended different high schools but played on a co-op high school softball team comprised of players from other area schools on Oahu. As high school seniors in 2016, they led the Pac-Five Wolfpack to the program’s fifth state title in school history. Individually, Yoshioka earned the All-Hawaii Division II state player of the year and Nakoa-Chung was honorable mention.
But success didn’t come without hardship first. The year before winning state, Pac-Five had a below-.500 record and lost four games by 10 or more runs.
The two remember it well.
“We had to start from ground zero and work our way up,” Yoshioka said.
They did, and by the time their senior seasons came, they were in a new leadership role, too. Victories followed suit for a program previously known as an underdog.
Now, they want their Clark teammates to feel that same success, but know it’s a gradual process. It happened in high school and it happened last season before Clark won three of its final four games to reach the NWAC Tournament. The Penguins are off to a 6-11 start this season.
“We know what that process is, “Yoshioka said, “and know it’s possible.”
Added Nakoa-Chung: “It’s going to come, and you can’t wait for that day.”
This might be their final season at Clark, but not likely to be Yoshioka and Nakoa-Chung’s final season together. If they have their way, they’ll be teammates again at a four-year program. Most recently, NCAA Division II Concordia has expressed high interest in grabbing both for the 2018 recruiting class, head coach Meghan Crouse said.
High school, junior-college and possibly a four-year program together doesn’t surprise either Yoshioka, 19, or Nakoa-Chung, 20.
“Said Yoshioka: “We follow each other everywhere.”
