Isle File
Hilo's Whiting wins American junior golf
Advertiser Staff
Leah Whiting of Hilo sank a 15-foot par-saving putt on her 54th and final hole yesterday to capture her first national golf title at the American Junior Golf Association Marsico Funds Tournament in Windsor, Colo.
Whiting, who will be a senior at Waiakea High School, finished with a 78-72-76—226. Alyssa Otero of Santa Fe, N.M., was second at 227 and Mayumi Kobayashi of Santa Monica, Calif., third at 229.
Waipahu's Christian Akau finished tied for sixth in the boys tournament after shooting a 73-73-71—217. Marty Melcher of Redlands, Calif., won the tournament with a 74-70-68—212.
The tournament featured 99 players from 17 states, and was played at the par-72 Pelican Lakes Golf and Country Club.
MORE GOLF
• 10th on Coast: The Southern Nevada Golf Association, behind a strong performance from defending champion Billy Harvey, came from behind to capture the Morse Cup Team Matches yesterday in the 35th Pacific Coast Amateur.
Hawai'i's team, made up of three Punahou graduates, finished 10th. The annual event was held at Forest Highlands in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Southern Nevada finished with a four-day total of 567. The two best scores of the three-man team were counted each day. Hawai'i shot 581, behind Tony Okano (73-290), Jim Seki Jr. (76-295) and Parker McLachlin (80-302).
Corey Prugh, a sophomore at the University of Washington, captured the individual championship at 281. He closed with a 4-under-par 68, tying the course record at the Meadow Course. Okano tied for 14th.
BOXING
• Limoz KOs Vella: Teddy Limoz Jr. of Honolulu knocked out Anthony Vella of Australia at two minutes, 22 seconds of the first round of a scheduled six-round super welterweight fight in a Hawai'i Professional Boxing Inc., card at Aloha Tower Marketplace on Tuesday.
Limoz, 154 pounds, is 6-1 in his five-year professional career. Vella, 153, is 0-2.
In other fights, Hawai'i boxers beat Australian opponents. Heavyweight Tali Kulihaapai (8-0) knocked out Phil Gregory (13-14-1) in the fourth round (1:38); welterweight Jerry Saribay (4-1) knocked out Brad Hemming (4-1) in the second round (51 seconds) and lightweight Luis Parra (1-0) defeated John Green (3-14-1) in a four-round unanimous decision.
SURFING
• Garcia advances: World champion Sunny Garcia of Wai'anae easily won his third-round heat in the U.S. Open of Surfing yesterday at Huntington Beach, Calif.
In small waves of 1 to 2 feet, Garcia recorded one of the top scores of the day with a three-wave total of 21.44.
Other Hawai'i surfers advancing were Kalani Robb, Andy Irons, Joel Centeio, Jason Bogle and Roy Powers. The contest is not part of surfing's World Championship Tour, but is the largest surfing event in California.
In the women's division, Melanie Bartels of Wai'anae and Sena Seramur from Kaua'i advanced to the semifinals.
WATER POLO
• Kahuku's Love to UMass: Chris Love, a Kahuku High School graduate, will be joining the University of Massachusetts Minutemen for the 2001-02 men's water polo season.
Love joins a recruiting class of nine players, seven of whom are expected to see playing time for the upcoming season.
Last season, the Minutemen placed third at the Eastern Championships and completed their ninth consecutive season with at least 20 wins.
CYCLING
• Dick Evans race tomorrow: The 112-mile Dick Evans Memorial Bicycle Race around O'ahu starts at 5:45 a.m. tomorrow in Hawai'i Kai.
More than 125 cyclists will start at the Park & Ride facility in Hawai'i Kai. The race finishes at the O'ahu Club on Hawai'i Kai Drive.
Among the elite riders are defending champion David Leddig of the Hawai'i Island Cycling Club, Ray Brust of Team Boca and Gary Shields.
The race is conducted by the Hawai'i State Cycling Association. For more information, call association president at 525-8422 or e-mail him at jkelley@abinc.com.
