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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, January 22, 2007

ISLE FILE
Ho tops field of 48 to win Hard Rock Cafe Junior Pro

Advertiser Staff

"Now I can put this trophy up next to one of my father's Hard Rock Cafe World Cup trophies," said Mason Ho, whose father, Michael, is a famous North Shore surfer and former world title contender.

BERNIE BAKER | Special to The Honolulu Advertiser

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Mason Ho beat a field of 48 surfers to win the Hard Rock Cafe Junior Pro yesterday in waves of six to eight feet at Sunset Beach.

Ho sealed the final with a 9.90 score, the highest of the event, and won $2,000.

Kaua'i's Kyle Ramey and Maui's Clay Marzo finished second and third, respectively. Fourteen-year-old John John Florence placed fourth.

"Now I can put this trophy up next to one of my father's Hard Rock Cafe World Cup trophies," said Ho, whose father, Michael, is a famous North Shore surfer and world title contender during the 1970s and '80s.

"He's won out here at Sunset Beach so many times and to win one here, especially this contest being the first Hard Rock Cafe event since those days when my father used to compete means a lot to me."


MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

VITALE LOSES IN OAKLAND

Hawai'i fighter Falaniko Vitale lost a split decision to Iowa's Jeremy Horn in the "Superfight" main event of the International Fight League mixed martial arts card Friday night at Oakland, Calif.

A crowd of more than 5,000 at Oracle Arena jeered when Horn was announced as the winner.

The bout featured five 5-minute rounds. Two judges scored it 48-47 in favor of Horn; the third judge had it 48-47 in favor of Vitale.

Vitale landed more punches, and Horn ended the bout with a cut under his left eye and bruises on both sides of his face. However, Horn scored more takedowns.

Vitale dropped to 21-7. Horn, who is considered one of the top grapplers in the world, improved to 79-15-5.

The bout was in the 185-pound class. Horn actually weighed 188 pounds at the official weigh-in on Thursday, but Vitale agreed to accept the bout. Vitale made the 185-pound limit.

COED SAILING



HAWAI'I FINISHES THIRD

UC Irvine beat a field of 13 teams yesterday to win the 2007 Rainbow Invite hosted by the University of Hawai'i at Ke'ehi Lagoon.

The Anteaters tallied the best low score of 67 points followed by USC with 76.

Hawai'i had three different teams in the regatta, as well as a joint squad with UCLA. The Hawai'i Red team, powered by Mark Spector, Leanne Horvitz, Brittany Peterson, Chip Lollar and Sarah Dosek had the best finish at third place with 109 points. William Whitman, Pamela Magasinn, Andrew Meade and Cassandra Harris helped the Hawai'i Blue squad finish fourth with 112 points, while the Rainbow Wahine, paced by Crystal Bronte, Jaclyn McLoughlin, Becky Mabardy and Darla Baldwin, placed sixth with 158 points.


WATER POLO

UH BEATS ALUMNAE

Sophomore All-America utility Kelly Mason scored four goals as the University of Hawai'i women's water polo team defeated an alumnae squad, 17-13, Saturday at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatics Complex.

Senior 2-meter Amy Logan added three goals. Eko Lapp, who played for UH from 1998 to 2001, led all scorers with five goals.

The Rainbow Wahine open the season Feb. 1 in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match at San Jose State.