Hawaii’s Clarissa Chun named to the National High School Hall of Fame

HONOLULU – Hawaii’s Clarissa Chun has been named to the 2023 class of the National High School Hall of Fame in an announcement released today by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Chun is only the third person from Hawaii to be inducted.
 
The 1999 Roosevelt High School alumnus became the first high school wrestler in the country to win an official state high school girls wrestling title when she won the 98-pound weight class the first year the girls division was created. Chun went on to win a second state championship in 1999 to become one of the first two-time girls gold medalists in the state.
 
In the last two decades since then, she has been a trailblazer in the growth of women’s wrestling across the country.  Chun has garnered over 90 accolades and titles before becoming the head coach at the University of Iowa, the first NCAA Division I program from a Power Five conference to sponsor women's wrestling.
 
In October 2021, Chun became one of four women to be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame with Distinguished Member status for the Modern Era. Only 204 individuals have been bestowed with Distinguished Member status since the Hall of Fame began over 40 years ago in 1976.
 
Chun was a five-sport athlete during her interscholastic athletic career, qualifying for HHSAA
state tournaments in wrestling, swimming and bowling. She was a league champion in judo and
also participated in girls water polo.
 
Chun will be inducted along with 11 others July 1 at the 40th induction ceremony of the National High School Hall of Fame, which will be held at the NFHS Summer Meeting in Seattle.
 
 

ABOUT HHSAA

Founded in 1956, the HHSAA is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) educational athletic organization exclusively dedicated to serving 96 public and independent member high schools statewide, as they work cooperatively to support and promote athletics as part of the high school education program. As the umbrella organization of high school athletics, the HHSAA operates 44 state championships in 18 different sports, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition.