Kapono Mao: Day-One Starter at Black Hills State by Treating Tutoring Like Film Study

School: Black Hills State University • Position: Offensive Lineman • Scholarship: FullSeries: RepMax Media — Where Are They Now? College Life

Few freshman feats speak louder than winning a starting job in the trenches. Kapono Mao did exactly that at Black Hills State—and he’ll tell you the foundation wasn’t just footwork and hands; it was time management. “Be early to class and meetings. Work hard on and off the field. Ask questions.”

Why He Won the JobKapono built a personal install routine: stance/strike reps before breakfast, calls and combos on note cards at lunch, and 10 minutes of mirrored sets before lights-out. He tracks missed assignments like pressures allowed—if it shows up once in practice, it gets its own correction block in his calendar.

Classroom FootworkThe academic leap—denser reading loads and faster pacing—met a lineman’s practicality. Kapono schedules tutors the same way he schedules extra sets: early and often. He enters sessions with three questions and leaves with two action items. By midterm season, his grade book looked like his pass-pro reel: clean.

In-Season Balance

Meetings & Practice: Arrives early to run first-step angles.

Academics: Daily 60-minute study anchor after dinner—non-negotiable, even on travel weeks.

Recovery: Stretching while listening to lecture recordings; Sunday is for both film and formatting essays.

Leadership Through PreparationStarting as a freshman didn’t change his routine; it justified it. Coaches trust linemen who communicate. Kapono’s habit of clarifying protections and pointing out fronts carried over to office hours and study groups—collaboration as a competitive edge.

ResultTravel squad? Yes. Starting role? Earned. Grades? Strong. Black Hills State has a cornerstone who understands that progress shows up in quiet, consistent blocks on a calendar.