ISLE FILE
Kaua'i's Blanchard wins Pipeline shortboard event
Advertiser Staff
Alana Blanchard, of Hanalei, Kaua'i, won the shortboard division of the T&C Surf Women's Pipeline Championship yesterday in 4- to 8-foot waves at Banzai Pipeline.
Carol Cunningham photo via Associated Press
Kira Llewllyn of Australia captured the bodyboarding division and Kim Hamrock, of Huntington Beach, Calif., claimed the longboard title in the first stand-alone women's surfing event held at the famed surf spot on Oahu's North Shore.
Alana Blanchard, 15, works the Banzai Pipeline at the T&C event.
Each champion received $500.
Blanchard eliminated Melanie Bartels, ranked No. 8 in the world, and four other women to claim the title. Conditions in her final were a little inconsistent, offering only an occasional barrel and not many open-faced rides.
But Blanchard, 15, found her way on to the longest, cleanest waves to emerge as a clear-cut winner.
"I didn't think I had that many good rides, but I guess it was the same for everyone," Blanchard said.
Blanchard's top two scores of 6.83 and 6.33, each out of a possible 10, put her 2.5 points ahead of runner-up Crystal Dzigas of Honolulu. Ashley Hunter, 14, of Punalu'u took third.
Llewllyn's victory signaled a changing of the guard in international pro bodyboarding as Brazilians had dominated the sport for more than a decade.
"For a couple of years now there have been Australians making finals — today there was myself and Mandy (Zieren) — and I think we put a bit of a whirlwind into the lineup," Llewllyn, 21, said.
Hamrock, the oldest surfer in the event at 44, has surfed professionally for more than 20 years. She caught every long, open-faced wave available in winning the longboard event.
Jodi Young of Ocean Promotion contributed to this report.
BASEBALL
HPU loses, wins
Grandon Costa batted 4 for 4, Brandon Sato had three hits, and Jay Baptista and Greg Benoit each had three RBIs as Hawai'i Pacific defeated Lander University (Greenwood, S.C.), 12-7, last night to salvage a split of a doubleheader at Aloha Stadium.
Adam Strongman hit a two-run homer as Lander won the first game, 8-5.
HPU (10-8) and Lander (18-6) close the series with another doubleheader today at Aloha Stadium, starting at 4 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Irish win tourney
Notre Dame won all four games and was named champion of the Hawaiian Airlines Spring Fling Tournament after the final round was canceled yesterday because of rain.
Hawai'i and Campbell finished 2-2, and Nevada and Virginia finished 1-3.
UHH sweeps BYUH
Sarah Steele pitched a one-hitter and Natalie Fujimoto hit a solo homer and two-run single as Hawai'i-Hilo beat Brigham Young-Hawai'i, 4-1, yesterday to complete a sweep of a Pacific West Conference doubleheader at Old Kona Airport field.
The Vulcans (14-2 overall, 7-1 PacWest) scored in the bottom of the eighth on Charity Senas' RBI single to beat the Seasiders (4-12, 0-6) in the opener, 3-2.
DIVING
UH's Wang second
University of Hawai'i junior Rui Wang finished second in the women's platform at the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships yesterday at Oklahoma City.
Arizona State's Trisha Tumlinson won with 448.45 points. Wang scored 431.25 points while teammates QiongJie Huang (325.95) placed 15th and Miranda Maas (181.15) 19th.
RIFLERY
Tanoue finishes fifth
Nevada senior Ryan Tanoue, a 2001 Saint Louis School grad, finished fifth yesterday at the NCAA Rifle Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Tanoue amassed 687.1 points. Memphis junior Beth Tidmore won the air riflery event with 694.2 points.
