Posted on: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
HOMEGROWN REPORT
Lee finds lacrosse a good fit at Pacific
By Kalani Takase
Advertiser Staff Writer
At first, Lilia Lee didn't know what she was getting into. During her sophomore year at Pacific (Ore.), Lee was talked into trying out for the newest varsity sport on campus: women's lacrosse.
The only problem: the 2005 Kamehameha graduate from Waimanalo had never played lacrosse before.
"I just saw some posters around campus for it and I thought it was like men's lacrosse ... full contact," said Lee, who lettered in soccer and basketball at Kamehameha.
"I found out women's lacrosse is a non-contact sport, but I thought it was still something interesting because we don't play it in Hawai'i (in high school)," she said.
The junior midfielder, one of four players from Hawai'i on the Pacific roster, led the Boxers in scoring with 61 goals, 13 assists and 74 points.
"There were a few girls from Hawai'i that had started playing when it was a club sport (for one year in 2005), but most of us began playing together at the same time," Lee said. "I knew a couple people when I went out for the team, but the majority of the people I had never met before and now they're my best friends. Lacrosse has definitely brought us together and kept us together."
The other players from Hawai'i are senior attacker Shanlyn Souza (Kaua'i '05 of Koloa), junior midfielder Alana Kansaku-Sarmiento (Hilo '05) and junior midfielder Christine Nishida (Kailua '06).
"We all had to learn really fast how to do everything," Lee said. "It was probably the hardest sport I ever had to learn. I almost quit actually, but I stuck it out and it's worked out."
Souza had 15 points (9 goals and 6 assists), Nishida four goals and Kansaku-Sarmiento four points (3 goals and an assist).
The Boxers completed their season with a 6-7 record after losses to Linfield and Puget Sound last week.
"We missed a winning record by one game, which is huge for a third-year program on the West Coast since lacrosse is predominantly an East Coast sport," Lee said. "This was the best season we've had so far."
MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
UC Irvine senior libero Brent Asuka ('Iolani '05 of 'Aiea) had a team-high 14 digs in a sweep of Stanford Friday. Freshman outside hitter Brad Lawson ('Iolani '08 of Honolulu) led the Cardinal with 11 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Spencer McLachlin (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) had eight kills, junior setter Kawika Shoji ('Iolani '05 of Honolulu) notched 39 assists and freshman libero Erik Shoji (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) had 14 digs for Stanford.
USC sophomore setter Riley McKibbin (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) had 51 assists and 10 digs in a sweep of Hawai'i Friday. Sophomore outside hitter Tri Bourne (Academy of the Pacific '07 of Honolulu) added 12 kills and 11 digs.
Lindenwood (Mo.) senior outside hitter Devin Shiroma (Damien '05 of Honolulu) had 10 kills, 11 digs, two blocks (one solo) and one ace to help the Lions sweep Cal Baptist in Saturday's NAIA National Championship final. Shiroma finishes as Lindenwood's all-time leader in kills in a season with 601 (4.45 per set).
BASEBALL
Northwestern freshman designated hitter Paul Snieder (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) batted 2 for 5 with a triple, three RBIs and two runs scored in a 15-6 win over Trinity International last week.
BYU senior first baseman Kasey Ko (Punahou '05 of Kailua) hit a homer and a double with four RBIs, two runs scored and a walk in a 12-7 win over Utah Saturday.
Southern Utah junior designated hitter Bucky Aona (Punahou '06 of Makakilo) hit a pair of two-run home runs in a 22-8 win over Western Illinois Thursday. Senior outfielder Nick Freitas (Kamehameha '05 of Honolulu) went 3 for 5 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored and senior second baseman Keli'i Zablan (Saint Louis '05 of 'Ewa Beach) batted 4 for 4 with a double, three RBIs and four runs scored. Freitas hit a homer with four RBIs, Zablan also homered with three RBIs and Chester Wilson (Saint Louis '05 of Honolulu) added a solo homer in Friday's 18-12 win over Western Illinois. Freitas hit a pair of homers with four RBIs in the series finale, an 8-4 win for the Thunderbirds.
SOFTBALL
East Carolina junior third baseman Cristen Aona (Punahou '06 of Kapolei) was named Conference USA Hitter of the Week after leading the Pirates to five wins last week, including a three-game sweep of Memphis. Aona hit a two-run, walk-off homer in a 3-1 win over North Carolina State Wednesday. She hit .444 and extended her hitting streak to eight games.
Mississippi State freshman outfielder Ka'ili Smith (Kapolei '08) hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to lift the Bulldogs to a 4-2 win over South Carolina Saturday.
New Mexico State sophomore catcher Hoku Nohara (Kamehameha '07 of Waimanalo) batted 6 for 9 in a three-game series at Utah State last weekend. Nohara had a homer with two RBIs and two runs scored in Monday's 10-0 victory. Earlier, she drove in two runs in a 10-9 win over Boise State Friday.
TRACK & FIELD
Linfield (Ore.) sophomore Chelsea Machida (Maui '07 of Kahului) tied for second in the women's high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 1 3/4 inches at Saturday's Lewis & Clark Invitational. Teammate Lani Speer (Kahuku '08 of Hale'iwa) was sixth in the long jump (16-5 1/4) and 17th in the triple jump (32-0 1/4). Nicole Smith (Kamehameha-Maui '07 of Wailuku) of Pacific (Ore.) was ninth in the 100-meter dash (13.92 seconds) and 10th in the 200 (28.74). Teammate Jenna Matsumoto (University High '08 of Kailua) finished 10th in the 100 hurdles (16.81). David Maile (Kamehameha '06 of Kaimuki) of Pacific (Ore.) finished 36th in the men's 800 in 2:09.44.
Colorado's Javen Correia (Maryknoll '08 of Wai'anae) was second in the men's 110 hurdles (15.95) and 17th in the 100 (11.77) at the Colorado Invitational on April 11.
TENNIS
UC Irvine senior Heidi Kaloi (Kamehameha '05 of Wahiawa) helped the Anteaters beat UC Davis, 6-0, in the Big West Tournament quarterfinals Friday with a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 5 singles and 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles. Kaloi won 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 at No. 6 singles Saturday to help UC Irvine clinch a 4-3 semifinal win over UC Santa Barbara. Kaloi and teammate Clare Fermin won at No. 1 doubles 8-4 in Sunday's final against Long Beach State, but the 49ers won the other two doubles matches and went on to win the match, 4-1.
Cal State Northridge sophomore Brooke Doane (Kamehameha '07 of 'Ewa Beach) won two matches Saturday to help the Matadors win 4-1 in a Big West Tournament quarterfinal. Doane won 6-0, 6-3 at No. 3 singles and 8-3 at No. 1 doubles. In a 4-2 loss to Long Beach State, Doane and teammate Evgeniya Vertesheva won 8-2 at No. 1 doubles to finish 19-2 overall and 10-0 in the Big West.
DePauw (Ill.) sophomore Janelle Arita (Punahou '07 of Mililani) won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles in a 9-0 win over Illinois Wesleyan Saturday.
GOLF
Point Loma Nazarene senior Sam Cyr (King Kekaulike '05 of Makawao) took medalist honors by two strokes at a 36-hole NAIA qualifier that concluded yesterday in Monroe, Ore. Cyr shot 75-68 for a 1-under 143.
Pacific (Ore.) sophomore Valerie Kitamori (Waiakea '07 of Hilo) was named Northwest Conference Women's Golf Student-Athlete of the Week after she won medalist honors at Sunday's Boxer Invitational in Banks, Ore. Kitamori shot 5-over-par 77 to win by one stroke.
WOMEN'S WATER POLO
Occidental (Calif.) sophomore attacker Karie Nickle (Kamehameha '07 of Honolulu) scored two goals in a 6-5 win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) Saturday.
Cal Lutheran freshman Jane Galluzzi (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) scored three goals in a 13-4 win over La Verne (Calif.) Sunday.
HONORS
Willamette (Ore.) senior Andrew Murakami (Leilehua '05 of Wahiawa) was named Northwest Conference Men's Tennis Sportsman of the Year. Murakami, a transfer from Redlands (Calif.), is 12-6 in singles and 12-7 in doubles.
Pacific (Ore.) freshman Cat Goya (St. Andrew's '08 of Kane'ohe) earned First Team All-Northwest Conference tennis honors and teammate Megan Yoshimoto (Mililani '08) was named to the Second Team.
San Diego freshman golfer Alex Ching (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) was named West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year. Ching tied for 15th at the WCC Championships, averaged a team-best 71.73 strokes per round and had four top 10 finishes this year.
Advertiser staff writer Stanley Lee contributed to this report. Reach Kalani Takase at ktakase@honoluluadvertiser .com or 535-2404.
Reach Kalani Takase at ktakase@honoluluadvertiser.com.
