ISLE FILE
Sing Chow propels Pearls to a national softball title
Advertiser Staff
Led by tournament MVP Leo Sing Chow, the Pearls of Honolulu won the National Fast Pitch Softball Alliance Girls 18-under Summer Nationals this past weekend in Newberg, Ore.
Sing Chow was the winning pitcher in six of the seven games the Pearls played, including Sunday's 8-1 tournament championship victory over the Fury of Creswell, Ore. Sing Chow, the state Player of the Year and a recent Kamehameha Schools graduate, also batted 3-for-3 in that game.
The tournament featured teams primarily from the western United States, including Oregon, Arizona and Washington.
Also on the Pearls were:
Miki Asamura, Lindsey Fujita, Johnna Rowland, Darcie Takemoto and Jocelyn Tamayo — all of whom were all-tournament — and Anuhea Diamond, Lauren Hiramoto, Robin Okawa, Emi Snow and Karyna Wilkerson. Stacy Hiramoto (head coach) and assistants Dwight Okawa, Merv Asamura and Tanya Sing Chow.
YOUTH BASEBALL
Babe Ruth (16-18): Hawai'i was eliminated from the Babe Ruth Regional Tournament (ages 16-18) yesterday, after losing 7-6 to host Galt, Calif.
Hawai'i scored one run in the top of the ninth to lead 6-5, but Galt scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to win it.
Aaron Fuller batted 3-5 for Hawai'i, including a double and home run.
Babe Ruth (13-15): The Hawai'i Canefire scored two runs in the top of the seventh to beat Tri Valley (Calif.), 6-5, yesterday at the Babe Ruth Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament (ages 13-15) in Fresno, Calif.
Kasey Ko held Tri Valley scoreless in the bottom of the seventh to get the save.
Cal Ripken (9-10): Bakersfield, Calif., defeated Hawai'i, 5-2, Sunday in the third-place game of the Cal Ripken Regional Tournament (ages 9-10) at Fresno, Calif.
Visalia, Calif., beat Hawai'i, 13-3, earlier in the day.
SURFING
Five more champions: Hawai'i competitors won five more titles last weekend at the United States Surfing Federation Championships at Oceanside, Calif.
The champions: Chuck Boerner (legends surfing), Brad Chang (masters surfing), Tom Kwosh (menehune bodyboarding), James Clancy (men bodyboarding) and Chacity Bernabe (women bodyboarding).
In addition, six Hawai'i competitors placed second in their respective divisions: Alika Gaspar (men bodyboarding), Tucker Bontecou (menehune bodyboarding), Nathan Rubio (drop-knee bodyboarding), Travis Watanabe (junior bodyboarding), Carmel Tanner (women surfing) and Lauran Taylor (women longboarding).
Overall, Hawai'i competitors combined to win 10 divisions during the week-long contest, which is considered the national championships of amateur surfing.
Nahina advances: Hawai'i's Kapono Nahina advanced to the semifinals of the longboarding division in the Philips U.S. Open of Surfing yesterday at Huntington Beach, Calif.
Nahina was the only Hawai'i longboarder to advance through the quarterfinals. Fellow Hawai'i competitors Keegan Edwards and Noah Shimabukuro were eliminated.
In the pro men's surfing division, eight Hawai'i competitors advanced through yesterday's trial rounds: Kekoa Bacalso, T.J. Barron, Garrett Bonner, Nathan Carroll, Dustin Cuizon, Tom Dosland, Macy Mullen and Raymond Reichle. The top-ranked surfers, including Hawai'i's Sunny Garcia and Kalani Robb, are seeded in the main rounds.
The competition will run throughout this week. There are also several Hawai'i competitors in the upcoming women's pro surfing and junior surfing divisions.
VOLLEYBALL
Wahine dominate WAC team: Kim Willoughby was named preseason Player of the Year and three other University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine joined her on the all-Western Athletic Conference volleyball team announced yesterday by the conference office.
Also selected to the preseason all-conference squad were were middle blocker Maja Gustin, leftside hitter Lily Kahumoku and setter Margaret Vakasausau.
Willoughby, a junior from Napoleonville, La., edged Kahumoku for the preseason Player of the Year award in voting by the conference coaches. Kahumoku, who sat out last season, was the 2000 WAC Player of the Year and Willoughby the 2001 WAC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American.
Willoughby led the nation in kills (850) and kills per game (7.2). Both were WAC records.
Thomas lifts U.S.: The U.S. men's junior national team, led by a match-high 21 points from Delano Thomas of the University of Hawaii, won the bronze medal at the NORCECA Junior Continental Championship Sunday night in Kelowna, British Columbia.
Thomas had a match highs in kills (17) and blocks (4) as in the U.S.'s 25-20, 20-25, 25-20, 25-20 victory over Mexico.
Thomas was selected the best attacker in the tournament, which was won by Canada.
GOLF
West wins Amatour event: Mark West shot a 2-under-par 70 Sunday for a three-shot victory at the Systemcenter Coral Creek Classic, the Amatour Hawai'i's major tournament at Coral Creek Golf Course in 'Ewa.
West, who trailed first-round leader Joe Phengsavath by two strokes, birdied three of the first five holes and finished at 3-under 141.
Eric Sonnenberg shot a 72 Sunday to finish second at 144.
Phengsavath (76) and Travis Toyama (74) finished tied for third at 145.
The Coral Creek Classic is considered a major because golfers earn double points toward the overall championship.
Coral Creek was the fourth of seven tournaments on the Amatour. The next tournament is the Koolau Golf Course Challenge, Sept. 21-22.
TRACK AND FIELD
Junior Olympians: Two Hawai'i athletes placed in the top 10 in their respective age group events at the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympic Championships last week in Omaha, Neb.
Brian Suite finished fifth in the bantam (10-under) boys long jump at 14 feet, 6 inches.
Brian Piotrowski was ninth in the midget (ages 12-13) boys discus with a throw of 96 feet, 10 inches. He also finished 20th in the shot put with 32 feet, 1 1/4 inches.
TENNIS
Csordas, Leong reign: Andrew Csordas and Chris Leong defeated Chad Cage and Willem Schotte, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, last night in the Kailua Racquet Club's Men's Night Doubles Tournament.
All other matches were postponed because of rain. Five round of 16 matches are scheduled for tonight, starting at 6.
