Nancy Shon has always yearned for more. That's why the Honolulu native and 2005 Roosevelt graduate opted for a change of scenery after two years at the University of Hawai'i.

After two seasons of playing golf for the Rainbow Wahine, Shon decided to transfer to Barnard College in New York City, which presented a unique opportunity for her.

"The main reason was for academics; I wanted to push myself more," said Shon, who will graduate with a degree in English this semester. "They have a great English program there. Barnard College is a small liberal arts college under the Columbia University umbrella, so I can still play Division-I golf."

Shon said the draw of The Big Apple was another reason for the transfer.

"I always wanted to leave the Islands and experience another area and I felt like college was a really good opportunity to do it," Shon said. "I was looking into Barnard coming out of high school, too, so when the opportunity came, it just made sense for me."

As a junior, Shon placed seventh at the Ivy League Championships — which earned her all-league honors — but she took a year away from the game to pursue other things.

Shon taught English in Korea for six months before interning with a non-profit, humanitarian organization in Los Angeles for the remainder of the school year.

"I got to play two or three times in Korea and I would practice here and there," Shon said. "After the internship, I went back home and practiced more and tried to get my game back."

While she admittedly struggled upon her return, Shon has steadily improved and last weekend she won medalist honors at the Roar-EE Invitational in Suffern, N.Y.

Shon opened with a 71 Friday and followed that with a 77 Saturday to finish in a tie with Harvard's Mia Kabasakalis at 4-over par 148. However, Shon was declared the winner after matching scorecards on the back nine.

"I really didn't think that I had a chance to win after my score on the second day," Shon said. "Even after we had to go scorecards, I figured I lost, because I shot so bad on the back."

The Lions have one tournament left this season: this weekend's Ivy League Championships, but Shon won't be competing.

"I told my coach about two weeks ago that I wouldn't be able to play in it because it's just too close to graduation," said Shon, who is finalizing her senior thesis. "I wanted to play, but I felt like it would take up too much time and I really didn't expect to play so well at this last tournament."

Shon describes the end of her competitive golfing career as "surreal."

"I've been doing it for my entire college career and I feel like I've played some great courses on the West Coast, on the East Coast and in Hawai'i," Shon said. "I've gotten a lot of playing experience and I'll definitely miss that."

MORE GOLF

• UCLA sophomore Stephanie Kono (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) is tied for the lead going into today's final round of the Pac-10 Conference Championships at the par-72, 6,203-yard Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore. Kono shot rounds of 70 and 73 to sit at 1-under 143.

• Tulsa freshman Kristina Merkle (Moanalua '09 of Honolulu) finished fifth at the Conference USA Championships, which ended yesterday at the par-71, 6,146-yard Canebrake Country Club in Hattiesburg, Miss. She shot rounds of 71, 74 and 72 to finish 4-over par 217. The Golden Hurricane finished in third place.

• Cal State Northridge junior Ashlee Nagamine (La Pietra '07 of 'Aiea) tied for 20th at the Big West Conference Championships, which ended yesterday in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Nagamine shot rounds of 78, 81 and 80 to finish 24-over par 239. The Matadors finished in fifth place.

• Santa Clara junior Miki Ueoka (Kaua'i '07 of Līhu'e) finished in ninth place at the West Coast Conference Championships, which ended yesterday at the par-72 Hiddenbrooke Golf Course in Vallejo, Calif. Ueoka shot rounds of 84, 81 and 76 to finish 25-over par 241. Sophomore Tamara Surtees (Hawai'i Prep '08 of Waikoloa) finished one stroke behind Ueoka in 10th place and senior Jamie Nonaka (Punahou '06 of Halē'iwa) tied for 14th. The Broncos finished in third place.

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL

• Top-ranked Stanford seized the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular-season title — its first since 1997 —with a five-set win over UC Irvine Saturday. Sophomore outside hitter Brad Lawson ('Iolani '08 of Honolulu) served eight straight points, including two aces, in the fifth set. He finished with 13 kills and 13 digs. Senior setter Kawika Shoji ('Iolani '06 of Honolulu) recorded 58 assists with 14 digs, junior outside hitter Spencer McLachlin (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) put down 11 kills with 13 digs and sophomore libero Erik Shoji (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) came up with 15 digs for the Cardinal (19-6), who remained at No. 1 in the latest AVCA Division I-II Coaches Top 15 poll. Erik Shoji was named MPSF co-Player of the Week on Monday along with Hawai'i opposite Jonas Umlauft. Stanford will host eighth-seeded UC Irvine Saturday in an MPSF quarterfinal match.

• BYU sophomore Futi Tavana (Kaua'i '06 of Kalaheo) had 10 kills, hit .571 and was in on nine blocks to lead the Cougars to a sweep of Cal State Northridge Friday. In Saturday's five-set loss to the Matadors, Tavana hit .579 with 12 kills and eight blocks. The Cougars (21-8) are ranked No. 2 in the AVCA Top 15. They host sixth-seed UCLA in an MPSF quarterfinal match Saturday.

• USC junior setter Riley McKibbin (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) recorded 62 assists and 12 digs in a five-set win over UC San Diego Friday. Freshman outside hitter Maddison McKibbin (Punahou '09 of Honolulu) added eight digs for the Trojans (16-12), who are ranked No. 6 this week by the AVCA and will travel to third-seeded Cal State Northridge for an MPSF quarterfinal match Saturday. The other quarterfinal has Pepperdine playing Hawai'i on Saturday, 7 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.

BASEBALL

• Northwestern sophomore first baseman Paul Snieder (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) hit his second home run of the season in an 8-7 loss to Minnesota Friday. Snieder batted 4 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs scored in the game. The Wildcats (12-22, 5-4 Big Ten) took two of three from the Golden Gophers, including Sunday's 8-3 game, in which Snieder went 2 for 5 at the plate. He leads the team in batting average (.394), hits (54) and total bases (73).

• Cal State Northridge junior left fielder Ridge Carpenter (Kalani '07 of Honolulu) batted 3 for 5 with three RBIs and two runs scored in a 10-9 win over Cal Poly Friday. Carpenter, a transfer from Hartnell Junior College, hit his second homer of the season and had a double for the Matadors (20-15, 2-4 Big West). He is batting .297 for the year with 24 RBIs and 25 runs, and is 15 of 18 on stolen-base attempts.

• Southern Utah senior first baseman Bucky Aona (Punahou '06 of Makakilo) hit a pair of home runs in an 11-0 win over Oral Roberts Sunday. Aona belted a two-run longball in the third inning and later hit a solo homer to finish 3 for 4. Sophomore outfielder Mitchell Kauweloa (Kamehameha '08 of Kailua) batted 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored and freshman shortstop D.J. Andrade (Damien '09 of Waipahu) drove in a run and scored another for the Thunderbirds (9-25, 3-5 Summit).

• Puget Sound (Wash.) senior Jarvis Nohara ('Iolani '06 of Honolulu) played all nine positions in an 8-4 win over St. Martin's yesterday. Nohara started the game at catcher, moved to first base in the second inning, third base in the fourth and shortstop in the fifth. He then played all three outfield spots before finishing the game on the mound.

• Grinnell (Iowa) senior second baseman Chad Takabuki (Mid-Pacific '06 of Honolulu) batted 5 for 8 with a pair of doubles in a doubleheader sweep of Illinois College Saturday. Takabuki also scored five runs, drove in another and stole a pair of bases.

SOFTBALL

• East Carolina senior left fielder Marina Gusman-Brown (Pearl City '06 of 'Ewa Beach) hit her 10th home run of the season in a 7-0 win over UNC-Wilmington yesterday. Freshman catcher Kai Clark (Kapolei '09) went 2 for 3 with an RBI and run scored, and second baseman Charina Sumner (Kamehameha '06 of Kailua) also drove in a run in the win. ECU (30-14, 9-3 CUSA) has won 16 of its last 18 games, including eight straight.

• Mississippi State sophomore left fielder Ka'ili Smith (Kapolei '08) batted 3 for 7 in a three-game series against South Carolina last weekend. In Saturday's 8-4 loss, Smith hit a two-run homer — her 10th of the season. The Bulldogs (24-24, 5-15 SEC) won the series, two games to one.

• New Mexico State junior first baseman Hoku Nohara (Kamehameha '07 of Waimānalo) batted 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs in a 10-4 win over Nevada Saturday. In Friday's 8-6 loss, Nohara hit a solo home run for the Aggies (19-20, 1-9 WAC).

• Central Arizona freshman infielder Shauna Ah Yen (Baldwin '09 of Wailuku) drove in three runs and scored twice in a 7-5 loss to Pima Saturday. Freshman outfielder Shay Shibata (Maryknoll '09 of Kāne'ohe) also had two RBIs for the Vaquera (40-18). CAC earned a berth into the four-team National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association regional.

• Menlo (Calif.) freshman outfielder Nadia Le'i (Kamehameha '09 of Kahuku) batted 3 for 3 with a home run in a 6-1 loss to Holy Names Saturday. The Oaks (6-28, 1-13 CalPac) host Cal State East Bay today.

TENNIS

• DePauw (Ind.) junior Janelle Arita (Punahou '07 of Mililani) won both of her matches in an 8-1 win over Wheaton Friday. Arita rallied to win at No. 1 singles by a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 and teamed with Kelly Gebert to win 8-1 at the second doubles spot. The Tigers (17-4) return to action at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships in North Little Rock, Ark., this weekend.

• Cornell freshman Kristen Lim (Punahou '09 of Honolulu) won both of her matches in a 6-1 win over Penn Sunday. Lim won, 6-2, 5-7, 10-4, at No. 2 singles and teamed with Natalia Sanchez at No. 1 doubles, where they won by a score of 8-5. The Big Red ended the season with a 12-10 record, 2-5 in the Ivy League.

• Senior Mikey Lim (Punahou '06 of Honolulu), helped Claremont-Mudd-Scripps win its fifth consecutive Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship last weekend. Lim went 4-0 as the Stags beat Pomona-Pitzer, 8-1, Friday in a semifinal and topped Cal Lutheran, 6-3, in Saturday's final.

WOMEN'S WATER POLO

• Pacific (Calif.) junior utility Dara Tawarahara ('Iolani '07 of Honolulu) scored one goal, assisted on another and had a pair of field blocks in an 8-7 triple-overtime win over Cal State Northridge Saturday. She found the goal three more times in Sunday's 13-9 win over UC San Barbara for the Tigers (22-9, 4-1 Big West).

• UC San Diego junior attacker Hanalei Crowell (Kamehameha '06 of Kailua) scored in the first and third quarters of Friday's 15-1 win over Chapman. She now has 44 goals, 42 assists and 35 steals this season for the Tritons (16-17).

• Occidental (Calif.) freshman center Nanea Fujiyama (Kamehameha '09 of Honolulu) scored three goals and junior attacker Karie Nickle (Kamehameha '07 of Honolulu) added two more scores in a 13-10 loss to Pomona-Pitzer Saturday. Nickle also recorded six steals for the Tigers (10-14, 4-1 SCIAC).

TRACK & FIELD

• Idaho State freshman Bryce Jenkins (Leilehua '09 of Wahiawā) finished third in the men's 5,000-meter race in a time of 15 minutes and 18 seconds at Saturday's Mondo Invitational in Sacramento, Calif. The time is a personal-best for Jenkins.

• Dartmouth freshman Joy Piotrowski (Punahou '09 of 'Aiea) placed 11th in the women's triple jump with a distance of 36 feet, 3 inches at Saturday's Larry Ellis Invitational in Princeton, N.J.

WOMEN'S ROWING

• William Smith (N.Y.) junior Rebecca Charlton (Maryknoll '07 of Kaimukī) was a member of the school's winning second varsity eight crew in Sunday's 2,000-meter race against Skidmore and Tufts. On Monday, the team received Liberty League co-Boat of the Week honors.