Punahou's Semisi Uluave dons a University of California-Berkeley hat at the PIAA NLI signing ceremony. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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WAIKIKI — Semisi Uluave took it down to the wire, but ended up following his heart.

Uluave, a senior offensive lineman at Punahou, put his future in writing by signing with the University of California, Berkeley early Wednesday morning. He was one of the nearly 70 student-athletes to put pen to paper at the annual Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance National Letter of Intent Signing Ceremony at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.

"Deciding on Cal was an extremely tough decision for me and my parents," said Uluave, a First Team All-Hawaii selection in 2014. "I've been saying a lot of prayers throughout this process, talking with my mom, talking with my dad personally, just one-on-one, and eventually my gut feeling and what I felt I was getting from the Lord was Cal."

Uluave was the top prospect in the state to remain uncommitted to a school entering Signing Day. He chose Cal over Texas Tech and Oregon.

"I can't say that it was a stressful recruiting process, because it wasn't and I was very blessed to have what I have, but deciding on going to Cal happened this week, Monday night and Tuesday night," Uluave said. "There was a sense of relief. I'm sad that the recruiting process is over, because it was an awesome experience."

He will be joined at Cal by his Buffanblu teammate, Kanawai Noa, who also signed Wednesday morning.

"It's very relieving, super relieving," said Noa, a First-Team All-Hawaii wide receiver.

Noa said he "had a hunch" that Uluave would end up at Cal.

"He called me on his visit saying that he liked it a lot and he was probably going to go," Noa said. "There's not much Polynesians at Cal, so knowing that he's going it's going to be pretty good for me."

Two of the state's other top football prospects, Saint Louis offensive lineman Fred Ulu-Perry and Mililani defensive lineman Rex Manu, signed to play at a pair of Pac-12 schools.

Ulu-Perry, an Under Armour All-American, signed with UCLA, while Manu, the All-Hawaii Division I Defensive Player of the Year, signed with national runner-up Oregon.

"It's a big relief. It's really a big blessing," Ulu-Perry said. "I really embraced the recruiting process. It was very stressful, it was a lot of stuff to get done, but I'm just grateful that I was wanted by colleges and I'm going to continue to work hard everyday."

Ulu-Perry took his recruiting visit to the University of Hawaii over the weekend, but opted to honor his verbal commitment to the Bruins.

"It was very difficult because of the island boy in me," Ulu-Perry said. "I love to play in front of my family and at Aloha Stadium and I still get chicken skin when (UH) comes out of the tunnel. I watched all the games this past season, so it was very difficult. I told the coaches last night, because there was a slight chance I was going to go to UH, but last night I discussed it with my family and said my prayers and I felt like UCLA is where I wanted to take my hard work at."

Meanwhile, there was little drama with Manu, who had previously reneged on a verbal commitment to Stanford to join the Ducks.

"It feels amazing," Manu said. "It's kind of setting in that all of us were going to go our separate ways to these different colleges and it feels really good, a big relief."

Joining Manu at Oregon will be his Mililani teammate, Jaren Zadlo, Saint Louis' Matthew Mariota — both of whom accepted offers as preferred walk-ons — and Kamehameha defensive back Dylan Kane. Another standout, former Punahou defensive end Canton Kaumatule, is already enrolled at the Eugene, Ore. campus after finishing high school a semester early.

"It's really going to make the experience that much better knowing people from the island coming with you, it's just going to feel like a part of the islands moving to Oregon," Manu said.

Kamehameha defensive end Mika Tafua, a Second Team All-Hawaii pick, signed with Brigham Young.

"It was just a good feeling I had and talking it over with my family, but I prayed a lot about it and in the end I had a good feeling about BYU and I cannot deny that if the Heavenly Father gave me that feeling then I have to go with it," said Tafua, who plans to take a two-year church mission in June.

It's been a tough year for Tafua, whose father passed away tragically in the Spring.

"My dad was really soft-spoken, but I think he would be proud of me," Tafua said.

Not all the student-athletes at Wednesday's ceremony came from Division I schools. Lyle Tuiloma, an offensive lineman from Division-II Nanakuli, inked his Letter of Intent with Colorado.

"It is very beautiful with some familiar faces over there," said Tuiloma, a Second Team D2 All-Hawaii selection. "There's a lot of good athletes over here. We got Rex Manu over here, we got all the other big D1 schools, so it's such a blessing to share this moment with some of the best guys in the state."

The hometown Rainbow Warriors also picked up a few signees at Wednesday morning's event in Mililani offensive lineman Jordan Agasiva and a pair of Campbell teammates in safety Solomon Matautia and offensive lineman Arona Amosa.

"It feels good to have good friends — even though they're from other schools — going to the same school," said Agasiva, a First Team All-Hawaii pick. "It's a good feeling."

Matautia had previously committed to Oregon State, but later opted to stay home to play for UH.

"When I committed to Oregon State it was more about the materialistic things, but coming to Hawaii it's a better feeling playing for the home state and in front of all my family, so I'm excited it's awesome." said Matautia, a First Team All-Hawaii selection.

For Amosa, it was a dream come to true to attend the same school that his father, Campbell coach Amosa Amosa, played for.

"I'm thankful that coach Norm Chow and the staff are giving me an opportunity to play for them," Amosa said. "There's no better place than home, so I'm glad to stay at home and my goal was to get to UH follow my dad's footsteps and build upon his legacy that he left here, so I'm excited."

To be sure, Amosa Amosa was a proud papa Wednesday morning.

"It's a dad's greatest joy. I'm so happy for Arona," the elder Amosa said. "He's worked hard to get here and I'm very fortunate, happy and thankful for UH to offer him an opportunity to carry on and further his education and continue to play football for the University of Hawaii and to be the school that I'm an alum of, I mean, what more can a dad ask for than a son to follow my footsteps?"

Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance National Letter of Intent Signing Day Ceremony

Football
Jordan Agasiva, Mililani - Hawaii
Arona Amosa, Campbell - Hawaii
William Auwae, Kapolei - Utah State
Kolby Castillo, Aiea - Minnesota-Crookston
Preston Dudoit, Kalani (Football/Lacrosse) - Univ. of Saint Mary
Dylan Frank, Radford - Midland
Alohi Gilman, Kahuku - Navy
Bryson Hughes, Kapolei - Western New Mexico
Radson Jang, Kamehameha - Army
Spencer Johnson, Saint Louis - Northern State
Dylan Kane, Kamehameha - Oregon
Aaron Kapihe, Kapolei - Pima College
John Kauwenaole, Damien - Pima College
Kapiinaokala King, Damien - Pima College
Shiloh LaBoy, Kalani - Montana State
Ronley Lakalaka, Punahou - San Diego State
Leejay Lauti, Leilehua - Pima College
Charldon Leleo Jr., Saint Louis - Cheyney Univ.
Seufagafaga Luafatasaga, Farrington - Arizona Western
Ian Lundberg, Damien - Western Oregon
Rex Manu, Mililani - Oregon
Matthew Mariota, Saint Louis - Oregon
Solomon Matautia, Campbell - Hawaii
Kanawai Noa, Punahou - California, Berkeley
Nathaniel Oishi, Iolani - San Diego State
Kanai Picanco, Damien - Pima College
Paiea Robins, Kamehameha - Western Oregon
Pesi Savea, Kapolei -     San Diego State
Quinten Soares, Saint Louis - South Dakota M&T
Trensten Spragling, Kapolei - Golden West College
Robert Straton, Punahou - Dartmouth
Daniel Sulunga-Kahaialii, Lahainaluna - Mt. San Antonio College
Jordan Taamu, Pearl City - New Mexico Military Institute
Mika Tafua, Kamehameha - Brigham Young
Alex Trifonovitch, Punahou - Hawaii
Lyle Tuiloma, Nanakuli - Colorado
Semisi Uluave, Punahou - California
Fred Ulu-Perry, Saint Louis - UCLA
Jaren Zadlo, Mililani - Oregon

Girls Soccer
Hoku Afong, Moanalua - Peninsula College
Kayla Braunthal, Mililani - Corcordia Univ. (Ore.)
Mikaila Cravalho-Meyers, Kamehameha - Whittier College
Megan Goo, Iolani - Idaho
Cierra Hamilton, Aiea - Peninsula College
Kameryn Jury-Hale, Kamehameha - Peninsula College
Summer Kaneshiro, Iolani - Idaho
Claire Kong-Johnson, Punahou - Princeton
Taylor Kuroda, Iolani - Oregon
Brandee Lane, Castle - Chaminade
Sarah Lau, Kamehameha - Hawaii
Kawai Makue, Kamehameha - Gonzaga
Megan Mararagan, Kalani - Chaminade
Noelle Mercado, Kaiser - Hawaii Pacific
Sammy Nishiyama, Punahou - Gonzaga
Raisa Strom-Okimoto, Aiea - Hawaii
Janaye Shepherd, Mid-Pacific - UT-San Antonio
Jordan Taboniar, Kamehameha    Chaminade
Caitlin Tatemichi, Roosevelt - Chaminade
Casey Thompson, Kamehameha    Azusa Pacific
Hope Tsuneyoshi, Kamehameha - Gonzaga
Kayla Watanabe, Mid-Pacific - Idaho
Emma Young, Kamehameha - Seattle Pacific