ISLE FILE
Honolulu's Lee in final of NCAA wrestling

Advertiser Staff

Cornell's Travis Lee, a Saint Louis School graduate, beat Wisconsin's Tony Black in a 125-pound quarterfinal at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Kansas City, Mo. Associated Press

That's the classic picture today in the NCAA Division I 125-pound men's wrestling championship at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo.

No. 1 Chris Fleeger of Purdue (32-0) finally meets No. 2 Travis Lee of Cornell (33-0) via Liliha and Saint Louis School of Honolulu. (The finals will be shown delayed today starting at 2 p.m. on ESPN2)

"I have never seen (Fleeger) wrestle, so it will be an offensive battle," Lee said. "I feel I have wrestled well so far and feel that I am wrestling better each time I wrestle."

Fleeger's comments were similar: "I have not seen Lee wrestle and I am sure it will be a great match. Lee must be a good wrestler if he beat Vombaur," Fleeger said.

In yesterday afternoon's semifinal match, before a crowd of more than 15,000, Lee defeated Boise State's Ben Vombaur, 5-3, breaking a 3-3 tie on a reversal with about a minute left in the match.

Vombaur had tied the score 3-3 with a takedown early in the third period. Lee was in the down position and Vombaur "got a little high," an observer said. "Travis came out the back way, slipped him off and got a reversal for 5-3."

Lee's morning quarterfinal against Wisconsin's Tony Black was even closer. It ended with the score tied 2-2 but Lee was awarded a point for "riding time" because he had controlled (ridden) Black the entire second round.

"One thing about Travis," Cornell assistant coach Steve Garland said, "he is consistent."

Lee and Fleeger were scheduled to meet Feb. 3 in an all-star tournament, but Lee tore a meniscus cartilage in his left knee Jan. 18 at Ohio State and had to withdraw.

"Since he wrestles out west, I haven't seen him," Lee said of Fleeger.

Lee's comment before the semifinal could fit his attitude toward today's final as well: "I've just gotta go out there and wrestle my style of match. ... I have to stay focused on the task at hand."

Hawai'i's other national qualifier, Iowa State redshirt freshman Grant Nakamura of Baldwin, was eliminated in the second round of the 125-pound consolation, or wrestle-back, bracket. Nakamura lost to Heath McKim of Air Force, 3-1, and finished his season 17-15.

Nakamura won one and lost one in the championship bracket on Thursday.

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

Rainbow Wahine win two: Kate Judd and Stacey Porter hit two-run homers to lead the University of Hawai'i to a 11-2 victory over Tokyo Women's College last night in the Hawai'i Invitational Softball Tournament at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Melissa Coogan (13-5) tossed a four-hitter, and Hawai'i scored two unearned runs on a throwing error in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat Wisconsin, 2-0, in the day's final game.

Wisconsin's Katie Layne (2-3) allowed six hits and struck out six in taking the loss.

In earlier games yesterday, Wisconsin defeated Ohio State, 1-0, and Pacific beat Ohio State, 1-0.

Pacific (17-11) is 2-0 in the tournament. Hawai'i (17-11) and Wisconsin (10-10) are 2-1, Ohio State (14-8) is 1-2 and Tokyo Women's College 0-3.

Judd's two-run homer sparked a five-run first for the Rainbow Wahine, and Porter's drive made it 7-0 in the second. The game was called after five innings because of eight-run mercy rule.

Shannon Tabion pitched the complete game, allowing both runs on five hits with seven strikeouts.