ISLE FILE
Perkins fourth in longboard division
Advertiser Staff
Bonga Perkins of Hale'iwa placed fourth in the longboard division of the ISA World Surfing Games.
The final day of the eight-day contest was completed in 1- to 3-foot waves at Huntington Beach, Calif.
Perkins was the only Hawai'i competitor remaining for the final day of the contest. He advanced through a semifinal heat earlier in the day, but could never find a high-scoring wave in the four-man final.
Mathew Moir of South Africa won the longboard division.
Other individual champions were Jordy Smith of South Africa (open men's surfing), Julia Christian of the United States (open women's surfing), Manuel Centeno of Portugal (men's bodyboarding), and Kira Llewellyn of Australia (women's bodyboarding).
Australia won the team championship, followed by Brazil and the United States. Hawai'i, which was allowed to enter as its own country, placed sixth.
More than 300 surfers representing 33 countries participated in the contest, which is held every two years at a different site around the world.
MORE SURFING
MERLE-JONES THIRD
Jesse Merle-Jones from Kaua'i placed third in the O'Neill Cold Water Classic men's surfing contest yesterday at Santa Cruz, Calif.
Merle-Jones won his quarterfinal and semifinal heats earlier in the day to advance to the four-man final.
Toby Martin of Australia won, followed by Nathaniel Curran of California. Merle-Jones received $3,000 for his third-place finish.
Maui's Ian Walsh tied for seventh place.
In the Oakley Pro Junior for surfers age 20 and younger, Maui's Dusty Payne placed fourth. The junior event was also held at Santa Cruz, Calif.
TENNIS
WALKUP ADVANCES
University of Hawai'i senior Sabita Walkup advanced to the consolation finals at the Wilson/ITA West Region Championships yesterday at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego.
Walkup, the 20th seed and lone Rainbow Wahine left in the tournament, beat UCLA's Anna Victoria Lind, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
Walkup, a transfer from Tennessee, will play USC's Katja Decker-Sudowski, who hasn't lost a set in consolation singles play.
Six other Rainbow Wahine played extra consolation matches. Senior Samanta Cappella won both of her matches.
The tournament concludes today.
GOLF
PLANOS QUALIFIES
Kapalua's Lori Planos shot a 7-over-par 79 for the second straight day yesterday to qualify for the match-play portion of the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship at West Point, Miss.
Planos, at 14-over 158, finished 16 strokes behind top qualifier Dawn Woodard (72-70—144) of Franklin, Tenn.
The top 64 qualifiers will begin match play today. There are four players tied at 165 and they will play this morning for the final three spots.
