ISLE FILE
Team USA to defend Cup softball title here
Advertiser Staff
International softball will return for the third straight year when the U.S. Cup is played June 17-21 at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Team USA, which has won both U.S. Cups and both Olympic gold medals, will be joined by women's teams from Japan, Chinese Taipei, Canada and Greece, which qualified for next year's Games as host.
The United States will be seeded first at the 2004 Olympics in Athens after winning its fifth consecutive World Championship last year. Japan was second and Chinese Taipei third, earning spots in the eight-team Olympic field, along with fourth-place China.
Australia earned a sixth spot in March by winning the Asia/Oceania Qualifier.
The 18-member U.S. national team will be picked from among 45 players just invited to the June Selection Camp. It will represent the United States here, and at the Canada Cup (July 4-13) and Pan American Games (Aug. 5-14).
The USA Elite Team will also be chosen at the camp and compete at the Canada Cup and Japan Cup.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
• UHH gets top JC player: The Hawai'i-Hilo men's basketball team yesterday received a commitment from a junior college player that is drawing comparisons to former UHH high-flyer Stanley Ibia.
Steven McMaryien, a 6-foot-4 wingman from West Los Angeles College, averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists this past season and will have two years of eligibility remaining.
"He's a very tough player," UHH head coach Jeff Law said. "Steve can guard players from the point to center. He's very athletic and plays above the rim similar to former Vulcan Stanley Ibia."
McMaryien joins Terrance Troupe as new players for the 2003-04 season.
Troupe, a 6-6 transfer from Pierce College, signed during the early signing period. He elected to not play this season and will have three years of eligibility remaining. Troupe averaged 10 points per game as a freshman.
SOCCER
• Coaches selected: Michele Nagamine and Josh Fouts have been named women's and men's coaches for a National Select Team regional camp in Seattle, June 19-22.
Nagamine is head coach of the Kamehameha Schools girls varsity and Leahi Soccer Club teams. Fouts is goalkeeper coach for the University of Hawai'i women's team.
They were selected for the regional assignments by the Hawai'i Soccer Association, a member of the U.S. Soccer Federation.
TENNIS
• Lajola wins Easter doubles: 'Aiea eighth-grader Dennis Lajola lost in the singles semifinals but won the doubles title in the Easter Bowl played in Palm Springs, Calif.
Lajola, seeded third, lost to top seed Donald Young of Chicago, 6-3, 6-4, in the Boys 14s. Lajola will play Jason McNaughton of San Diego for third place today.
Lajola got a measure of revenge when he teammed with Steven Forman of California to defeat Young and Jay Wong of California for the doubles title. The scores were 6-3, 0-6, 7-5.
Lajola and Forman advanced to the final by defeating Adam Schwartz and Alex Vasin, 6-3, 6-2.
The Easter Bowl is a U.S. Tennis Association Super National Championship.
TRACK AND FIELD
• Macdonald, Simms ranked: O'ahu residents Eri Macdonald and Vera Simms are seventh and eighth in NCAA Division I track rankings released this week.
University of Oregon's Macdonald, a 1999 Punahou School graduate from Kailua, is No. 7 in the 800-meter run with her time of 2 minutes, 7.4 seconds Saturday at Eugene, Ore.
University of Michigan's Simms, a 2000 Mililani High graduate, is No. 8 in the 400-meter hurdles with her time of 58.43 seconds on March 22 in the Florida State Relays at Tallahassee. At that time, Simms' mark was the fastest by a collegian in the nation this year.
VOLLEYBALL
• Hardimon a Sword: Moanalua High's Patti Hardimon, a second-team all-state girls volleyball player, said she signed a scholarship agreement Wednesday night to play for Chaminade next season.
Hardimon, who is 5 foot 8, said coach Glennie Adams told her she would play middle blocker as she did in high school and would play next season.
Hardimon said she would receive room, board and tuition in her volleyball scholarship, and she had additional aid that would pay for her books and other expenses.
"I think it's best for me since I can stay home and play in front of my family and friends," Hardimon said. Other colleges wanted her to walk on and redshirt next season, she said. "I wanted to play as a freshman and I want to go to chiropractic school after I get my bachelor's and I didn't want to be away from home 8 to 10 years," Hardimon said.
