ISLE FILE
Arizona St. baseball team sweeps two from Hilo
Advertiser Staff
Arizona State completed a six-game college baseball series sweep over Hawai'i-Hilo yesterday, winning a doubleheader at Simmons Field in Kailua, Kona.
Andre Ethier went 4-for-4, with two runs scored and two RBIs, and Mark Sopko and Ben Thurmond combined on a two-hitter as the Sun Devils won the first game, 16-0. Jeff Larish hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning. The game was called after five innings.
In the second game, Mike Guerrero went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored in the Sun Devils' 18-5 victory. Rodney Allen hit a three-run homer in the third inning.
Hilo's Nalei Sooto had two hits, including a run-scoring double in the Vulcans' three-run third inning.
Arizona State is 6-0, Hilo 0-6. The Vulcans host Kansas in a six-game series starting Friday.
GYMNASTICS
• Japan 1-2 in Gymfest: A 17-year-old girl from Gunma, Japan, won the vault and floor exercise to capture the all-around championship of the 27th annual Aloha Gymfest at Kailua High School yesterday.
Yukari Ishizeki of Acube Takeda Gymnastics scored 37.475 to take first. She beat previous champions Miho Takenaka (2000) from Tokai TV Gymnastics in Aichi, Japan, and Elyse Wong (2001) of Kokokahi Gymnastics in Kane'ohe.
Takenaka took second with 37.25 points and won the bars. Wong was third with 37.175 and won the balance beam.
More than 180 gymnasts from Hawai'i, the Mainland, Canada, Japan and Australia competed in the three-day meet.
TENNIS
• HPTF honors: The Hawaii Pacific Tennis Foundation held its first awards banquet and annual meeting last month and honored Hui Kenika students and some of the Foundation's top volunteers. The Foundation also elected its Board of Directors.
Caroline Kuzio, 7, and Diego Munoz, 13, each won Hui Kenika No Na Keiki Junior of the Year awards. Kuzio, a second-grader, was honored for personal growth on and off the tennis court the past year. Munoz, an eighth-grader, was honored for a respectful, friendly style with a strong work ethic.
The Foundation also honored Mia Noguchi as its 2002 Volunteer of the Year. HPTF president Sam Caldwell received a special recognition award for selfless service, leadership, integrity and generosity. Caldwell has served the past two years as the foundation's president and will continue another term.
• Love doubles: The first Valentine's Mixed Doubles tournament is scheduled for Feb. 8-9 at the Turtle Bay Resort.
Divisions offered are Combo MX (6.0-9.0). Entry fee is $25 per doubles team.
For more information, call tournament director Marc Neulight at 293-6024 or e-mail marc-neulight@global.t-bird.edu.
STRONGMAN
• Canadian wins: Hugo Girard of Canada captured two of six events to win the Hawai'i Strongman Grand Prix and clinch the overall International Federation of Strength Athletes (IFSA) Strongman World Championship yesterday at Hawai'i Adventures Water Park.
Girard, who was tied for first with Svend Karlsen of Norway in the overall Strongman standings going into yesterday's final, set a world record (385.81 pounds) in the Apollon axel lift (clean and press/jerk axel with fixed wheels) and won the super yoke (carrying 800 pounds on a yoke for 82 feet).
Girard scored 74.5. Zydrunas Savickas (Lithuania) was second with 69, and Mariusz Pudzianowski (Poland) was third with 65. Karlsen finished fifth with 57.
