UNLV's Chong a student of game
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
The same day last week that she was honored as Female Student-Athlete of the Year at Nevada-Las Vegas, Tracie Chong was named the Mountain West Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Week for the second time this season.
Steve Spatafore • UNLV Sports Information
Chong, a 2001 Iolani School graduate from Hawai'i Kai, has a 3.90 grade-point average in computer engineering and a 48-18 career record in tennis for the 22nd-ranked Lady Rebels.
Iolani grad Tracie Chong has excelled in the classroom (3.90 GPA) and on the tennis court (48-18 record) for UNLV.
"It was definitely an exciting day," Chong said. "It is a huge honor to be female scholar athlete of the year for 2002."
During Chong's tennis week, she went 3-0 in singles, winning two in straight sets and rallying in three sets for the match-clinching victory against No. 28 San Diego State. She was 2-1 in doubles.
Next fall, Chong will transfer to Rice to pursue her computer engineering major, and play tennis.
BASEBALL
• Pepperdine (Calif.)
The Waves are making their move in the West Coast Conference, and riding the lip is sophomore closer Kea Kometani, who has pitched four straight scoreless ninth innings.
Kometani (Punahou '01 of Kahala) pitched his most impressive inning last Wednesday, when he struck out the side in the ninth as Pepperdine beat No. 2 Cal State-Fullerton, 2-1.
He pitched two more scoreless ninth innings Saturday and Sunday as the Waves swept defending WCC champion San Diego.
"A closer's job should be easier than is put on it," Kometani said.
"It's a matter of taking the correct mental approach in each game, knowing that you can get the job done and focusing — not worrying about other things. Otherwise, you are putting too much pressure on yourself."
He threw 13 pitches in striking out the side against heavy-hitting Fullerton. Against lefties, right-hander Kometani favors a backdoor slider and spots his fastball.
"You don't feel 100 percent each day; the challenge is battle and do your best each day," he said.
Kometani is 2-1 with seven saves in 22 appearances; in his last four appearances he trimmed his ERA from 5.06 to 4.26.
He has struck out better than a batter an inning (26 in 25¡), but his bad stat is a team co-leading three home runs allowed.
Peter Phillips, a classmate of Kometani's at Punahou, has pitched eight innings for the Waves.
Pepperdine leads the WCC's Coast Division with a 9-3 record (19-14 overall).
SOFTBALL
• St. Andrew's Presbyterian (N.C.)
Junior Kim Makahilahila (Kamehameha '00 of Kailua) yesterday was named Carolinas-Virginia Conference Player of the Week for offensive production and defensive perfection.
MAKAHILAHILA
Makahilahila helped St. Andrew's go 6-0, batting .476 (10-for-21), including three doubles and a triple, and producing 14 runs (nine scored and five driven in).
Her slugging average was .714 and she got on base 52.2 percent of her plate appearances.
And she was errorless at shortstop in 19 chances.
Makahilahila is batting .337 for the season and leads the Lancers in runs scored with 20.
Teammate Tina Gonsalves (Sacred Hearts '00 of Kailua) had a week to remember as well. She was the winning pitcher in three games, including a season-high 11 strikeouts against Fayetteville State, and got a save in another.
