ISLE FILE
Freitas-Ronquilio wins bodyboarding contest
Advertiser Staff
Daniela Freitas-Ronquilio rode big waves to a big victory in the women's division of the Rockstar Games Pipeline Pro bodyboarding contest yesterday at the Banzai Pipeline.
Wave-faces were estimated to be around 15 to 18 feet, making it some of the biggest waves ever for a women's bodyboarding contest.
Freitas-Ronquilio won four heats yesterday, including the four-person final. She rode the only quality wave in the 30-minute final, receiving a score of 6.2 (out of 10).
Freitas-Ronquilio is originally from Brazil, but now resides in Makakilo.
The other three finalists struggled in the big waves.
Kira Llewellyn of Australia placed second, Aoi Koike of Japan was third, and Leila Alli of Brazil was fourth.
Marina Taylor of the Canary Islands tied for fifth place, but clinched the International Bodyboarding Association world championship.
The Pipeline Pro is the final stop of the 2006 world tour. Taylor is the first competitor — male or female — from the Canary Islands to win a world championship.
The men's division is expected to start today at the Banzai Pipeline.
TENNIS
LAM FALLS IN FLORIDA
Hawai'i's Chris Lam, starting his second full professional season, lost to doubles partner Pierrick Ysern, 6-3, 6-3, yesterday in the second round of the $10,000 Grand Slam Futures event in Tampa, Fla.
Lam upset second-seeded Todd Widom, 7-5, 6-2, in Wednesday's opening round. He and Ysern also lost to the third-seeded team of Mashiska Washington and Daniel Yoo, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6.
Lam now heads to the Big Island, where he will play in the $50,000 Waikoloa Challenger later this month.
UH MEN NO. 68
The University of Hawai'i men's tennis team is ranked No. 68 in the first FILA Collegiate Tennis Rankings of the spring season. The Rainbow Warriors began the 2006 fall season at No. 70 and moved up two spots to start the spring season.
UH freshman Andreas Weber achieved the school's highest-ever singles ranking at No. 37. Weber went 8-3 during the fall season and was undefeated in two mock dual matches, which included wins over players from ninth-ranked Stanford and No. 27 Tulsa at the No. 2 position. Weber also had a 5-1 record in three-set matches.
SURFING
JONES FIFTH AT FLORIDA
Daniel Jones of O'ahu's North Shore tied for fifth place in the O'Neill SI Pro men's surfing contest yesterday at Sebastian Inlet, Fla.
Jones advanced through two heats early in the day, but then was eliminated in the semifinals. Nathan Carroll of Sunset Beach was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Former world champion C.J. Hobgood of Florida won the contest.
It was the first event of the 2007 World Qualifying Series.
BASKETBALL
ALVES HONORED
Brigham Young-Hawai'i freshman Lucas Alves has been named the Pacific West Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week.
Alves averaged 15.7 points and 7.7 rebounds in three wins.
