ISLE FILE
Hawai'i gets national masters track meet
Advertiser Staff
The University of Hawai'i's new rainbow track is already attracting national attention.
USA Track & Field's masters division selected Hawai'i as the site for its 2005 national championships, according to Dick Sutton, president of the Hawai'i Association of USA Track & Field. It is the first time Hawai'i has been awarded the meet.
More than 1,000 athletes (ages 30 and older) are expected to attend the meet at UH's rainbow-colored track at Cooke Field in early August 2005. The renovated track was unveiled this past October.
"We didn't have the facility to hold such a meet in the past, but now we have a good facility that can handle all of the disciplines including the steeplechase, and shotput, hammer, discus and javelin throws," Sutton said.
Sutton, UH track coach Carmyn James and Hawai'i masters middle-distance runner Ron Pate made a half-hour presentation at the USA Track & Field annual meeting in Kansas City, Mo., which included passing out shell lei and macadamia nuts, a brochure highlighting the new track, and a video.
Other finalists were Charlotte, N.C., and Spokane, Wash.
Sutton said the video featured messages from UH president Evan Dobelle and athletic director Herman Frazier, who won Olympic gold in track in 1976, and is a vice president on the U.S. Olympic Committee.
"(Frazier's) invitation and presence carries a lot of credibility," Sutton said.
National meet officials visited the UH facility before the final presentation in Kansas City.
"It's a good step because we're looking at other national and world events now that we have the facilities," Sutton said.
Sutton said he, Pate and masters athlete Francis Mukai put together the bid this past summer for the masters nationals.
SWIMMING AND DIVING
• Chen honored: University of Hawai'i swimmer Yan Chen has been named Western Athletic Conference swimming and diving Athlete of the Week for the second time this season.
Chen, a sophomore from China, set UH records in the 200-yard and 400-yard individual medley at the Texas Invitational this past weekend.
She swam the 200 in 1 minute, 59.83 seconds and the 400 in 4:16.44. Chen also swam the second-best Hawai'i mark in the butterfly in 2:01.04.
BASKETBALL
• Salisbury earns PacWest award: Brigham Young-Hawai'i senior Scott Salisbury was named the Pacific West Conference Player of the Week after leading the Seasiders to three victories.
Salisbury, a center, averaged 20.3 points and 14.3 rebounds per game last week. He leads the conference with 12.3 rebounds per game and is fourth in scoring (17.7).
BYUH is 5-1 and will face St. Martin University on Jan. 3 at Cannon Activities Center.
