Ex-Mililani soccer star to play against UH

By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i's high school girls soccer Players of the Year for 2000, 2001 and 2002 are coming home this weekend with the University of Oregon for spring games, but only Mele French (Mililani '02) will play.

Nicole Garbin (Baldwin '01), the state's top high school girls player in 2000 and 2001, is rehabilitating her left knee after surgery last September for a 90 percent-torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Oregon will play Southern California at 11 a.m. Saturday and Hawai'i at 4 p.m. Monday, both on the UH soccer practice field mauka of Cooke Field.

"Nicole is dying to play, but we are going to play it safe," Oregon coach Bill Steffen said. "She is back to running, and she can do anything but extreme cutting and contact."

Garbin set an Oregon record of four game-winning goals as a freshman in 2001. She was hurt before the first game last season and has applied for a medical redshirt year.

Steffen said French "is having a great spring thus far. She is letting her personality come through."

Northern Colorado Senior Ashlyn "Momi" Markus (Iolani '99 of Kalama Valley) has spent most of her college career in the training room at Greeley, Colo. She sat out the 1999 and 2001 seasons with injuries and her 2002 season ended after eight games because of another injury.

But she got on the field March 8-9 and had five goals and an assist in five spring season games.

"Momi was tremendous," coach Tim Barrera said. "She is healthy and fit and playing with a lot of confidence."

TRACK & FIELD

Colorado Junior Matthew Carr (Punahou '00 of Kaimuki) threw a 35-pound weight 57 feet, 9 1/2 inches — sixth-best in Colorado indoor history — to finish eighth in the Big 12 Indoor Championships.

SOFTBALL

Siskiyous (Calif.) JC Freshman Johnna Rowland (Mililani '02) pitched a no-hit, no-run game against Butte on March 8. Rowland is 4-1 with a 0.50 ERA in 27¡ innings. Opponents are batting .111 against her.