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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, March 21, 2007

HOMEGROWN REPORT
Ching, Nagata top scholar-athletes

By Leila Wai and Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writers

Megan Ching

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Chelsea Nagata

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Cal State Northridge basketball player Megan Ching and UC Irvine swimmer Chelsea Nagata were chosen their schools' Big West Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year.

Ching and Nagata were among 16 conference student-athletes selected for the honor.

Ching, a 2003 Kamehameha Schools graduate from Honolulu, was picked for the second straight year. She is third in career assists (321) at Northridge. Ching will graduate this year with a degree in Biology, and plans on attending medical school and becoming a doctor, according to a release.

"Megan is a great team player," said Matador head women's basketball coach Staci Schulz in the release. "She is so unselfish. She always puts the needs of the team first."

Nagata, a 2004 Maui High graduate, recently earned All-America honors in the 100 butterfly for the second straight year at the NCAA Championships.

A psychology major, Nagata has earned Dean's List honors in each quarter at UC Irvine and plans to attend graduate school to become a professor or practice as a clinical psychologist, according to a release.

FOOTBALL

  • Oregon State offensive lineman Jeremy Perry (Kahuku '04) was selected to the Rotary Lombardi Watch List for the second straight year. It honors college's top down linemen or an individual who plays within five yards of the line of scrimmage.

    SWIMMING

  • Lindenwood (St. Charles, Mo.) senior Erin Nakamoto (Kalani '03) earned All-America honors after finishing as the runner-up in the 100 butterfly in 58.27 seconds at the NAIA National Championships in San Antonio, Texas, in the first weekend of March.

    Nakamoto also finished fourth in the 200 individual medley (2:12.16) and eighth in the 100 backstroke (1:01.39).

    Her 200 freestyle relay (1:38.05), 400 medley relay (4:02.39), and 200 medley relay (1:49.94) teams were fourth and her 400 freestyle relay team finished fifth (3:37.99).

    Junior Jon Lau's ('Iolani '04) 200 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay squads earned All-America honors after both finished third.

    Nakamoto was also named an NAIA Scholar Athlete.

    SOFTBALL

  • Redlands sophomore second baseman Dory Baga (University High '05 of 'Aiea) drove in two runs in a 2-1 win over Whittier March 10.

    She doubled in the fourth inning to tie the game and hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

  • UNLV junior first baseman Sandy Nakamura (Mililani '03) went 1 for 3 with a run in a 10-0 win over Rhode Island Saturday, and 1 for 1 with an RBI in a 5-4 win over Long Island earlier that day.

  • Maine freshman pitcher Jessica Ghazali (University High '06 of Waimanalo) was named the America East Pitcher of the Week March 12.

    Ghazali posted a 5-1 record, with a 3.86 earned run average.

    "I knew that with being a freshman, it would be hard to see some pitching time so I'm thankful for the opportunity to be throwing in games so early in the season and I'm thankful for my team's offensive support," Ghazali said in an e-mail.

    BASEBALL

  • San Diego State junior shortstop Troy Hanzawa (Mid-Pacific '03) was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week for the first time.

    "I was really happy to get it, but was even happier that we were able to sweep a series against UCLA and go into conference with a 15-11 record," Hanzawa said in an e-mail. "I was just honored for the award as well as the sweep."

    Hanzawa hit safely in all four of San Diego State's games last week, collecting multiple hits in three of those games.

    "I changed some things with my stance and approach to certain pitches," Hanzawa said. "I felt really good this past week and I hope I will be able to transfer it to the upcoming (conference) series."

    He batted .533 on the week (8 for 15) with a .632 on-base percentage as the Aztecs went 3-1 on the week. He struck out once in 19 plate appearances.

  • San Jose State outfielder Chris Balatico (Mililani '03) batted 4 for 10 with a steal to help the Spartans take 2 of 3 from Pacific over the weekend.

  • Cal State Northridge infielder Jonathan Sakurai ('Aiea '03) batted 4 for 11 with three steals, but the Matadors were swept in a three-game series by Washington over the weekend.

  • Brigham Young first baseman Kasey Ko (Punahou '06) batted 5 for 11 with three RBIs to help the Cougars take 2 of 3 from UNLV over the weekend.

  • Central Arizona JC freshman outfielder C.J. Johnson ('Iolani '06) drove home the go-ahead run and batted 2 for 4 in a 3-2 win against Gateway Saturday in Phoenix.

    Johnson also batted 2 for 4 with a double and two steals in a 20-1 win against SUNY-Cobleskill Sunday. He is batting .339 on the season.

  • City College of San Francisco sophomore Korri Kamaka (St. Anthony '05) pitched a complete game in a 4-1 win against Hartnell College Thursday. He gave up one unearned run on four hits and struck out three.

    In league play, Kamaka is 2-0 in three starts with a 0.38 ERA in 23 2/3 innings pitched.

  • Chemeketa J.C. (Salem, Ore.) catcher Sheldon Santiago (Saint Louis '05) batted 5 for 9 with five RBIs and a grand slam in a two-game sweep, 9-4 and 10-4, of Blue Mountain J.C. March 11.

  • Santa Barbara City College freshman Keahi Piiohia (Kamehameha '06) had three hits, including an RBI double in a five-run second inning, in a 6-2 win over Moorpark March 10.

    WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

  • Belmont (Nashville, Tenn.) freshman guard forward Tereva Moore (attended Radford) was named to the Atlantic Sun Conference All Freshman team.

    Moore averaged 5.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game during the regular season.

  • Menlo (Atherton, Calif.) junior guard Kepua Lee (Moanalua '04 of Honolulu) scored 20 points, but Menlo lost to Iowa Wesleyan University, 63-50, in the first round of the NAIA Division II National Championship March 7.

    Lee also had a game-high 15 rebounds to record her 10th double-double of the season.

    WOMEN'S GOLF

  • Puget Sound (Wash.) senior Emily Lau ('Iolani '03) and Willamette (Ore.) sophomore Whitney Ueno (Hilo '05) shared Northwest Conference Golfer of the Week honors, after tying for the title at the Willamette Invitational with two-round scores of 155, two strokes ahead of third place.

    Pacific (Ore.) freshman Jasmine Ching (Waiakea '06 of Hilo) was an honorable mention.

  • New Mexico State senior Lehua Wise (Kaua'i '03 of Lihu'e) tied for 10th with a 2-under 214, with four birdies in the final round, at the UNLV Spring Invitational at the Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nev. March 14.

    MEN'S VOLLEYBALL

  • UC San Diego freshman outside hitter Will Ehrman (Punahou '06) tallied 11 kills and a .474 hitting percentage in a 30-18, 30-25, 30-16 loss to top-ranked Pepperdine Saturday.

    Pepperdine senior outside hitter Jon Grobe ('Iolani '02 of Kane'ohe) had seven kills, four blocks and three digs.

    WOMEN'S TENNIS

  • UC Irvine sophomore Heidi Kaloi (Kamehameha '05) and junior Jessica Broadfoot (Punahou '04) each won singles matches and teamed to win their doubles match in a win over New Mexico March 14.

    Broadfoot and Kaloi defeated Nora Quintal and Mackenzie White, 8-3, in No. 2 doubles.

    Kaloi beat Lucy Scott, 6-3, 6-2, in No. 4 singles and Broadfoot beat Quintal, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, at No. 5 singles.

    SAILING

  • Harvard freshman Drew Robb (Punahou '06) finished no lower than eighth place and placed in the top five in six of nine races in singlehanded C Division at Truxtun Umsted Trophy at Navy over the weekend.

    COMMITMENT

  • 'Iolani senior Morgan Langley committed to the Swarthmore College (Pa.) men's soccer program (NCAA Division III).

    Langley, who did not play for the Raiders this season, joins older brother Dylan at Swarthmore.

    Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com and Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.