ISLE FILE
Balding to coach Punahou

Advertiser Staff

Punahou School reached into its seemingly endless store of coaching talent yesterday and picked Peter Balding to coach its boys varsity volleyball team.

Balding, who has coached three state championship teams at Punahou in previous assignments, will replace Lyman Lacro, who resigned last weekend to concentrate on finishing his master's degree.

Balding, 43, started coaching at Punahou in 1983 as an assistant to Chris McLachlin, whose teams won 11 state boys championships. Balding won two himself as head coach in 1989 and '90 and added a girls title in '93 during a four-year stint as head girls coach.

Balding assisted Lacro with the boys varsity the last two years after three years as boys JV coach.

He asked for the head boys assignment again if it came open, said athletic director Tom Holden, who made the announcement yesterday. "He's a high-energy coach. I don't know of anyone who is more prepared," Holden said.

Balding teaches K-2 physical education at Punahou and is co-chair of the physical education department with former girls basketball coach Shelley Kahuanui Fey.

PRO FOOTBALL

• Amey to arena1: St. Louis School graduate Gabe Amey, a receiver and linebacker, has signed a one-year contract with Carolina in arena1 after playing 1 1/2 seasons for Macon in arena2.

Last season he caught 82 passes for 1,104 yards and 23 touchdowns in 17 games.

Amey was the all-time leading receiver at Menlo College in California, where he caught 200 passes for 2,987 yards and 18 touchdowns from 1997-2000 and made catches in 36 consecutive games.