Baldwin grad aims at U.S. women's golf title
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
Maui's Shayna Miyajima will be riding a wave of confidence tomorrow when she flies to New York to represent Hawai'i in next week's U.S. Women's Amateur Golf Championship.
Miyajima equaled her career-best of 5-under-par Saturday when she shot 69 at Pukalani en route to winning her second straight Maui Women's Open.
She had won the state's only berth in the nationals with a 1-over-par 73 on July 16 at Mid-Pacific Country Club.
Miyajima is a 2000 Baldwin High graduate, and 1999 state high school champion. She will be a junior at San Diego State, where she has earned an upgrade from partial to full scholarship starting next month.
Her play this summer has been markedly better than her fall-spring seasons at San Diego State, when she averaged 77.4 strokes for 10 rounds, with a low of 71.
Miyajima credits better putting for her improvement. "I tried my best to birdie the easy holes," on Saturday, she said. She followed with a 1-over 73 Sunday at Maui Country Club and won by five strokes, leaving in her wake two-time champion Bobbi Kokx, among others.
Second by five strokes was Rie Ganir, a recent graduate of Maui High who has signed with the University of Portland. Ganir will join senior Cecily Quinajon (Waiakea '99), who ranked No. 3 for Portland last season with an 81.5 average.
The U.S. Women's Amateur, at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough, N.Y., starts Monday. After two days of stroke-play competition, the field is cut for match play.
FOOTBALL
• Canyons (Calif.) JC/Western Michigan
The same California community college that sent Hawai'i one of its most exciting transfers is sending a solid Hawai'i player to Western Michigan.
Isaak Sopoaga, a 6-4, 310-pound defensive tackle from American Samoa, started practice in Manoa this week. Defensive coordinator Leon Criner of College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita said: "You may see his name in lights one day. ... He's not blockable, a terror."
Meanwhile, linebacker Hausia Faleofa (Kahuku '98) of Waialua, started camp at Western Michigan on Saturday. Faleofa was first-team All-Western State Conference as a sophomore last fall.
Faleofa used his 4.7-second 40-yard speed to be a fearsome pass rusher and play chaser for Canyons. He played there in 1998 before taking a two-year Mormon church mission, and returned last fall.
"I came back stronger because the only thing I got to do on the mission was push-ups," Faleofa said.
Canyons will continue to have a Hawai'i presence this season.
Michael Stewart (Kailua '01) was the No. 1 center in spring practice. "We're expecting real big things from him," Criner said, and Kahana Kauahi (Kailua '01) "is expected to step in" to one of four vacated defensive line positions.
Also returning is tight end Eddie Bance (Kalaheo '96). Middle linebacker Ammon Kaleo (Kailua '01) was a part-time student (gray shirt) at Canyons last year but did not play.
Shalom "Tui" Tuimalealiifano (Waipahu '00), a starter at Cerritos last season, transferred to Canyons. "We expect him to really give us a boost in the defensive line, probably at defensive end, Criner said. Tuimalealiifano is 6 feet 5 and a trim 265 pounds.
Falaniko Noga (Farrington '02), a 2001 second-team all-state linebacker, joins Canyon's Hawai'i group.
Canyons went 10-1 last year in the fourth year of its program, and won a bowl game for the first time.
