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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, May 28, 2006

ISLE FILE
Kono leads international field by two

Advertiser Staff

Kono

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Hawai'i's Stephanie Kono shot a 2-under-par 70 yesterday to take a two-stroke lead after the opening round of the Thunderbird International Junior in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Kono made four birdies, including an 18-footer on No. 18, and a double bogey at the par-72, 6,271-yard Raptor Course at the Grayhawk Golf Club.

"On the front nine, I made a lot of pars and birdies when the opportunities came," Kono, 16, said. "I played really steady today and the key to my round was putting. Tomorrow, I need to try to hit it closer to the hole to have a lot more birdie opportunities."

Tied for second at 72 are Esther Choe of Scottsdale, Ariz., Jane Rah of Torrance, Calif., and Stacey Kim of Columbus, Ga.

Kimberly Kim, who moved from Pahoa on the Big Island to California earlier this year, is tied for fifth at 73.

Hawai'i's Tadd Fujikawa is in an eight-way tie for 24th in the boys division after a 5-over 72 on the 7,113-yard layout.

Rory Hie, of Lakewood, Calif., made 10 birdies en route to a 7-under 65 and a three-stroke lead.

The tournament, which is conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, has a field of 48 boys and 36 girls, ages 12 to 18, from 16 states, Australia, Canada, China, Columbia, Finland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia, Sweden and Taiwan.


TRACK AND FIELD

WEAVER PLACES 18TH

University of Hawai'i sophomore Meghan Weaver placed 18th in the discus and 20th in the hammer throw yesterday at the NCAA West Regional Championships in Provo, Utah.

Weaver, the first UH athlete to qualify for the regionals in three field events, threw the discus 142 feet, 1 inch and launched the hammer 174-5.

USC's Kate Huchinson won the discus with 181-6, while teammate Eva Orban took the hammer event with a regional record 226-8.

UH junior Patricia Gauthier finished in a six-way tie for 18th in the pole vault after clearing 12-6. She barely missed her next height of 12-11 3/4, which would have tied her personal best. UCLA's Chelsea Johnson won with 13-11 3/4.


SOCCER

BARRY TO COACH AT CU

Former University of Hawai'i women's assistant soccer coach Bob Barry has been named head coach for the men's program at Chaminade University.

Barry also coached Iolani School for 23 years, leading the Raiders to five state championships in the 1970s and '80s, and was inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2004.

Barry also coached the men's team at Brigham Young-Hawai'i from 1998 until the program was dropped after the 2000 season. He was an assistant at the University of Richmond in 1996-97 and at the University of Massachusetts in 1985.

In other Division II news, Hawai'i-Hilo signed Marissa McCandlish of Santa Ynez Valley Union High School (Calif.).

McCandlish was the Los Padres League Defensive Player of the Year, Central Coast Player of the Year and a California Interscholastic Federation first-team selection. She also was her team's MVP and the school's Female Athlete of the Year.


JUDO

TAKATA FINISHES FIFTH

Taylor Takata, a 2000 Iolani School graduate, finished fifth in the 66-kilogram (145-pound) division yesterday at the 2006 Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Takata lost a nine-minute overtime marathon to Canada's Sasha Mehmedovic in one of the two bronze-medal matches.

Earlier, Takata threw his former Olympic Training Center teammate Felipe Novoa and pinned Colombia's John Ordonis before losing to Cuba's Yordanis Arencibia, a two-time 2006 World Cup Champion on penalties.


WRESTLING

NAKAMURA FALLS

Grant Nakamura, a Baldwin High graduate, lost in the quarterfinals of the 121-pound division of the Wrestling Team Trials yesterday in Sioux City, Iowa.

Matt Azevedo, of Arroyo Grande, Calif., beat Nakamura, 1-0, 2-1.

In preliminary matches, Nakamura beat Michael Martinez, of Pagosa Springs, Colo., 3-1, 1-0, then fell to Luke Smith, of Chippewa Falls, Wis., 1-0, 9-4.


TRIATHLON

MARR, ROSS FASTEST

Timothy Marr and Rachel Ross won the open divisions of the North Shore Triathlon yesterday off Mokuleia Beach Park.

Marr completed the 400-meter swim, 10-mile bike ride and 3-mile run in 46 minutes, 9 seconds. Tai Blechta finished second in 48:09.5 and Kalen Darling third in 48:31.8.

Ross had the best time among the women with 52:22.5, followed by Janell Petalver in 58:23.7 and Heather O'Malley in 59:48.1.