ISLE FILE
Sluman, Kelly set to play in golf challenge
Advertiser Staff
Jeff Sluman and Jerry Kelly are the first professionals to commit to the First Hawaiian Bank Pro-Junior Golf Challenge on Jan. 13, prior to the Sony Open in Hawai'i.
The six-hole event at Waialae Country Club features six teams, pros with Hawai'i junior golfers. It is a benefit for the Hawai'i Junior Golf Association.
Sluman won the Sony in 1999. This season he finished 40th on the PGA money list with $1.6 million.
Kelly won the Sony in 2002. He was 26th in PGA Tour winnings with $2.1 million this season.
Last year, pro Tom Lehman and junior golfer Travis Toyama won the event with Toyama sinking the winning putt. Lehman donated his $5,000 first prize to the HJGA. The association also received $12,000 from the event.
The Sony Open in Hawai'i, the first full-field event of the PGA season, is Jan. 15-18 at Waialae.
FOOTBALL
Two from K-State in Hula Bowl: Kansas State quarterback Ell Roberson and fullback Travis Wilson have accepted invitations to play in the Hula Bowl Maui on Jan. 17 at War Memorial Stadium.
Roberson has thrown for 2,024 and 20 touchdowns going into today's Big 12 Championship against No. 1 Oklahoma.
Wilson is a 6-2, 240-pound fullback who has impressed with his blocking abilities.
Others accepting invitations were defensive linemen Douglas Goodwin (Boston College), Claude Harriott (Pittsburgh) and Isaac Hilton (Hampton) and Western Michigan defensive end Jason Babin, a two-time Mid-American Conference defensive player of the year.
For ticket information, call (808) 874-9500.
Leilehua coach named: Nolan Tokuda, a counselor at Leilehua High School, has been named varsity football head coach, athletic director Richard Townsend said yesterday.
Tokuda, who was the junior varsity football coach the past two seasons, replaces Jake Kawamata, who resigned to spend more time with his family, Townsend said.
Leilehua was 6-10 in the past two seasons under Kawamata. The Mules went to the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference playoffs in 2002, losing in the first round.
Tokuda was 17-5 as junior varsity football head coach.
RUNNING
Legends to sign: Seven legends of running — including Olympic gold medalists Frank Shorter and Joan Benoit Samuelson — are scheduled to participate in a two-day autograph session on Thursday and Friday as part of the activities leading to the Honolulu Marathon.
Others expected to participate in the free autograph session are Bill Rodgers, Rob de Castella, Mary Decker Slaney, Patti Catalano Dillon and Greg Meyer.
The session will be 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday at the beach lobby of the Outrigger Reef on the Beach Hotel.
For more information, call 734-7200 or go to www.honolulumarathon.com.
TENNIS
Junior championships: Nearly 200 players will be participating in the Aloha Airlines Junior Tennis Championships today and tomorrow at Central O'ahu Regional Park Tennis Facility in Waipi'o.
Competitors, ages 10 to 18 in three divisions (noice, intermediate and grand prix), earned spots through qualifying events this year.
UH player honored: Jarod Diepraam of the University of Hawai'i was named the Western Athletic Conference men's tennis player of the month for November.
Diepraam, a junior from Johannesburg, South Africa, defeated Stanford's Chris Rasmussen, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 in No. 4 singles. Stanford won the match, 5-2, at Kapalua, Maui, on Nov. 28.
The Stanford match was UH's only team competition of the fall.
