ISLE FILE
Irons, Robb surf into third round of Spain meet
Advertiser Staff
Hawai'i surfers Andy Irons and Kalani Robb won their first-round heats in the Billabong Pro Mundaka yesterday at Mundaka, Spain.
The opening day of the event was held in spectacular 8- to 10-foot waves.
Irons, who is currently ranked No. 1 on surfing's World Championship Tour, was one of the top performers of the first round. His best two rides received scores of 8.5 and 8.25.
Robb, who is ranked No. 9, had scores of 8.0 and 6.5 in his first-round victory.
With their wins, Irons and Robb advanced directly to the third round.
Shane Dorian of the Big Island placed second in his opening heat and will now have to surf in the second round.
The contest is the ninth of 12 stops on this year's world tour.
SOFTBALL
• UH players earn academic honors: Four Rainbow Wahine softball players were named 2002 scholar-athletes yesterday by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
Freshman Tracie Uchima tops the UH players with a 3.85 cumulated GPA with a major in animal science. She is followed by sophomore Justina Kahaku with a 3.68 in pre-education, senior Stacie Hirano with a 3.63 in business and freshman Noelle Izumi who earned a 3.50 in psychology.
Hawai'i maintained a respectable 2.96 cumulative GPA for the 2001-02 academic year.
BASEBALL
• Kamehameha star to San Diego: Kamehameha Schools' shortstop Keoni Ruth said he will accept a baseball scholarship to the University of San Diego.
Ruth, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior, was a first-team Interscholastic League of Honolulu all-star and a second-team all-state selection last year.
"I like the baseball facilities and it seems like the coaches will bring the best out of me and help me improve as a baseball player," Ruth said. "On the academics side, it's a real good school."
Ruth said he also was offered a scholarship by the University of Hawai'i. The first day he can sign a letter of intent is Nov. 11.
At San Diego, he will join outfielder Gavin Ng, a sophomore, from Mililani High.
CROSS COUNTRY
• Punahou Invitational: The Punahou Cross Country Invitational will be held tomorrow at the Central O'ahu Regional Park.
More than 1,100 athletes from the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, O'ahu Interscholastic Association, Maui Interscholastic League and Big Island Interscholastic Federation will be representing their schools.
The two-mile event will begin with the intermediate races at 12:30 p.m., and finish with the JV girls starting at approximately 2:45 and the varsity girls getting started at approximately 3:30.
The boys JV and varsity events will be held on a three-mile course with the JV runners expected to start at about 4:10 and the varsity boys starting at 4:45.
GOLF
• Three make cut: Hawai'i's Brendan Moynahan, Brian Sasada and Kevin Ralbovsky made the cut yesterday at the Western PGA Club Professional Championship.
The $150,000 tournament is being played at Thanksgiving Point Golf Club in Lehi, Utah.
Steve Schneiter, of nearby Sandy, retained his lead with a 4-under-par 68, for a two-day total of 132. James Blair climbed into second by tying Schneiter's day-old course record of 64. He is two shots back.
Moynahan had a 71 and is at 145. Sasada (75) is a shot behind him and Ralbovsky (71) is at 147.
Hawai'i's Matt Hall (72-149), Ron Castillo Jr. (74-150) and Kirk Nelson (79-153) missed the cut.
The low 30 at the conclusion of tomorrow's final round earn a berth in the 2003 PGA Club Professional Championship.
WATER POLO
• BYUH wins: The Brigham Young University-Hawai'i men's water polo team downed host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 11-4, yesterday, and improved to 6-6.
The Seasiders took a 7-1 halftime lead, led by sophomore All-American Vanja Kalabic who scored the first three goals.
