ISLE FILE
Pearl City Seniors reach regional final
Advertiser Staff
Jason Rasa pitched a one-hitter with six strikeouts as Pearl City defeated Montana, 11-1, yesterday in a semifinal game of the Little League Senior Division (ages 14-16) Western Regional at Salem, Ore.
Pearl City will play Arizona today at 2 p.m., Hawai'i time, for the regional championship and a berth in the World Series, Aug. 13 to 19, in Bangor, Maine. Pearl City beat Arizona, 16-7, on Saturday in pool play.
Arizona advanced to the final by defeating previously unbeaten Southern California, 6-5, in 11 innings yesterday.
Ryno Acosta and Bryson Nakamura each had two hits and two RBIs in Pearl City's win over Montana. Rasa added two hits, and Rory Nakayama and Bully Casarez each had two RBIs.
MORE YOUTH BASEBALL
PEARL CITY JUNIORS LOSE
Nevada broke from a 3-3 tie with six runs in the bottom of the fifth to defeat Pearl City, 10-3, yesterday in the Little League Junior Division (ages 13-14) Western Regional at Beaverton, Ore.
A.J. Johnson had three hits, and Robert Brown, Kala Neal, Kahana Neal and Keanu Sato each had two hits for Pearl City, which qualified for the playoffs by finishing 4-1 in pool play.
Pearl City has a bye today as pool play is completed, with Nevada (3-1) meeting Idaho in one of three games. Pearl City will either play tomorrow as the second-place team in its pool, or Thursday as the winner of its pool.
MILILANI PONY OUSTED
Chula Vista South eliminated Mililani, 11-1, from the P.O.N.Y. Pony Division (ages 13-14) West Zone Regional in Fullerton, Calif., yesterday.
Mililani, which had 21 hits in its first two games, was held to three hits, including a double by Keoki Lopez.
Mililani finished the double-elimination tournament with a 1-2 record, including a 10-9 defeat to Simi Valley (Calif.) in the opener that coach Les Ebato said was tough on the team. Mililani took a 9-7 lead into the bottom of the seventh, eventually losing on a two-out, two-strike three-run homer.
GOLF
CHUN, KIM ONE BACK
Mari Chun, a Stanford University sophomore from Pearl City, and Kimberly Kim, a former Big Island resident now living in Arizona, each shot 1-under-par 70 yesterday and were one stroke off the lead in a tie for fourth in the opening round of qualifying for the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at North Plains, Ore.
Both had three birdies and two bogeys on the 6,380-yard Witch Hollow Course of Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club.
Paige Mackenzie, Margaret Shirley and Mi Jung Hur share first after shooting 2-under 69.
Three other golfers from Hawai'i are also in the 156-player field, which will be trimmed to the top 64 for match play after today's second round of qualifying.
Ayaka Kaneko, a Sacred Hearts junior, shot even-par 71 and was tied for eighth; Stephanie Kono, a Punahou School junior, made four birdies but had five bogeys and a triple bogey to finish at 4-over 75 in a tie for 46th; and Tammy Surtees, of Waikoloa, struggled to a 19-over 90 and was in 154th.
Chun credited her caddie and mother, Lani, for keeping her relaxed.
"She's a comedian, and she tells funny jokes while I play," Chun said.
OLYMPICS
HAWAI'I KIDS QUALIFY
Four Hawai'i athletes qualified for the finals of the 2006 U.S. Junior Olympic Skills Competition. There will be 72 kids, ages 8 to 13, competing in the finals Thursday to Sunday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Each finalist gets airfare and accommodations for the three-day event.
Rachel Christensen, of La'ie, is the West finalist in girls tennis, 10-11 age division. Michael Mariteragi, of Hau'ula, qualified in track and field for boys 12-13. Aloha Gilman (8-9) and Joshua Christensen (12-13), both of La'ie, qualified in basketball.
The U.S. Junior Olympic Skills Competition is a free, grass-roots, Olympic sports program that teaches kids about "the advantages of living a healthy lifestyle by promoting fitness, physical activity and sports participation."
In its first year, more than 1.5 million participants from all 50 states competed.
In addition to participating in the competition, finalists have three days of activities interacting with U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The National Finals event will replicate Olympic festivities.
TRACK
WEAVER GAVE BEST SHOT
Meghan Weaver, a University of Hawai'i junior, threw the shot a lifetime best 50 feet, 7 inches to win gold at the Canadian Track and Field Championship in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Weaver, who is from London, Ontario, also surpassed the UH record of 49-5 3/4 set in 1962 by Cel Rutledge.
Rainbow Wahine senior Novelle Murray, who is from Surrey, British Columbia, finished second in the discus with a throw of 161-10 1/4.
