honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Wednesday, December 22, 2004

HOMEGROWN REPORT
Isle athletes play part in NCAA title runs

 •  Ching at Hawai'i camp after breakout year

By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Athletes from Hawai'i helped their teams capture national championships last weekend.

Stanford's Leahi Hall, center, celebrated with her team after the Cardinal swept Minnesota for the NCAA Women's Volleyball Division I national title last Saturday. Hall is a King Kekaulike graduate.

Matt Sayles • Associated Press

Stanford senior defensive specialist Leahi Hall, a 2000 graduate of King Kekaulike from Ha'iku, played in two games and had one dig for the Cardinal, who beat Minnesota in three games in the NCAA Championship match Saturday.

Linfield junior defensive end Brandon Tom, a Kamehameha graduate from Kailua, sacked Mary-Hardin Baylor (Texas) quarterback Josh Welch on a fourth-and-four at Linfield's 19-yard line with 16 seconds left to help seal the 2004 Stagg Bowl title, NCAA Division III's national championship, for the first time in school history.

Tom finished with eight tackles, including two for a loss of five yards.

BRANDON TOM
Other players on Linfield from Hawai'i include: freshman running back Brad Lau (Hawai'i Prep of Kamuela), freshman cornerback Carl Lam (Hawai'i Prep of Kamuela), senior running back Puni Ellis (Kamehameha of Kailua), freshman cornerback Chris Thorpe (Radford of Kane'ohe), freshman Keone Tawata (Radford of Honolulu), freshman running back Ryan Ishizu (Maui of Pukalani), sophomore defensive end Nik Soo (Kamehameha of Kamuela), freshman linebacker/long snapper Kevin Kauweloa (Wai'anae), freshman wide receiver Josh Vierra (Kamehameha of Kane'ohe) and freshman punter/kicker Stan Fisher (Punahou of Kailua).



Women's Basketball

• Gonzaga sophomore point guard Rachel Kane (Punahou '03 of Kane'ohe) played in her second game of the season, playing 11 minutes, scoring three points, with three assists and two rebounds in a 70-53 win over Idaho Saturday.

Kane tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee last season.

• Cal State Northridge guard Megan Ching (Kamehameha '03 of Honolulu) had a game-high eight assists and added five rebounds and six points in an 84-74 win over Wright State Friday.

• UCSB senior forward Brandy Richardson (Kalaheo '01 of 'Aiea) scored seven points and grabbed six rebounds in a 96-80 loss to Arizona Thursday.

• Idaho State freshman guard India Soo (Kamehameha '04 of Kamuela) scored nine points, grabbed five rebounds and had two assists and one steal in a starting role in a 73-58 win over St. Martin's Saturday.

• Fresno State senior forward Aritta Lane ('Aiea '01) notched a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in a 74-64 win over Long Island Monday night.

• Boise State senior guard Jodi Nakashima (Roosevelt '01 of Waipahu) scored three points in a 90-63 win over Utah Valley State Saturday.

She had five points in an 81-71 loss to Weber State Monday night.

• Menlo freshman guard Kepua Lee (Moanalua '04 of Honolulu) scored 14 points in a 57-48 loss to Holy Names Friday night.

• Former Punahou all-state player Becky Hogue made an official visit to Columbia and gave a verbal commitment to play there next season, according to her father, Bob Hogue, a state senator (R-24th, Kailua-Kane'ohe).

Hogue is currently at Fullerton College (a junior college in Fullerton, Calif.) after transferring from Loyola Marymount.

She is averaging 11.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game and was voted to the San Diego Mesa Tournament all-tournament team in November.



Women's Soccer

• Duke freshman goalkeeper Allison Lipsher (Punahou '04 of Hawai'i Kai) was named the team's Rookie of the Year.

She started 19 of 23 contests and finished the season with eight shutouts. Her eight shutouts ranks as the fourth-best single season output in Duke history and her 1.19 goals against average is sixth all-time.



Men's Soccer

• Santa Clara sophomore forward Keith DeVey was named to the West Coast Conference Fall All-Academic men's soccer team.

DeVey, a 2002 graduate of St. Anthony from Kula, Maui, has a 3.74 grade point average in communications.



Men's Cross Country

• Michigan sophomore Todd Iacovelli (Punahou '02 of Kailua) was named to the fall 2004 Academic All-Big Ten Conference team.

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2457.