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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, May 13, 2002

ISLE FILE
BYUH seeks tennis history today

Advertiser Staff

Brigham Young University-Hawai'i will try to become the first school in NCAA Division II history to win both the men's and women's tennis championships in the same year.

The Seasiders — whose teams are both ranked No. 1 — will play in the finals today at Kansas City, Mo.

The BYUH women (28-0) will meet Armstrong Atlantic State (Ga.) and the BYUH men (28-1) will take on Drury (Mo.) for the national titles.

The double-title feat has been accomplished five times in Division I — each time by Stanford — and twice in Division III — by Trinity (Texas) and Williams College (Mass.).

But no school has swept in Division II although there were five occasions when one school placed both teams in the finals. Division II has been conducting championships in both sports since 1982.

BYUH has won four national women's tennis titles — 1997 and '98 in the NAIA, '99 and '00 in Division II — but none in men's play.

• • •

TRACK AND FIELD

• UH's Smith prevails: University of Hawai'i's Cheryl Smith won the 5,000-meter run Saturday at the Occidental Invitational in Los Angeles.

Smith finished in 17 minutes, 14.54 seconds. Teammates Teryn Bentley (19:10.39) placed eighth and Sara Verga (19:36.25) 12th.

UH's Casey McGuire-Turcotte and Alethe West finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 1,500 run. McGuire-Turcotte was timed in 4:35.58 and West 4:36.19. Tiffany Burgess of UCLA won in 4:25.94.

• • •

SOFTBALL

• UH not invited to NCAAs: The University of Hawai'i women's team did not receive an at-large invitation to the NCAA Division I Softball Championships yesterday.

The Rainbow Wahine finished the season with a 35-25 record.

Fresno State (49-18) is the only team from the Western Athletic Conference in the tournament.

• • •

GOLF

• Publinx qualifiers: Michelle Wie and Bobbi Kokx were the top qualifiers in the Women's Amateur Public Links sectional qualifier Saturday at the Ala Wai Golf Course.

Wie, a seventh-grader at Punahou, and Kokx each shot even-par 70, one stroke ahead of Kira Ann Murashige of Hilo. Amanda Wilson, also of Hilo, shot a 73.

The four qualify for the Women's Amateur Public Links Championships, which will be played at Sun River Resort in Bend, Ore., June 18-23.

When Kokx declined, the fourth berth went to Heidi Chua of the Philippines, in a playoff over Desiree Ching and Mari Chun.