Hawaii Beat
By Star-Bulletin Staff
Wednesday, May 8, 1996
UH men's volleyball, women's basketball teams cited by Sears
The University of Hawaii men's volleyball team and women's basketball team have been awarded the Sears Collegiate Champions trophies, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics announced yesterday.
The Wahine (23-6) were selected for their Big West Conference tournament title that led to an NCAA appearance. The Rainbows earned the award based on their 19-0 record in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
The Sears awards go to the men's and women's conference winners from all 1,850 conference and 105 sports champions at three levels of NCAA competition and two at the NAIA level.
PAVAO TO REGIONALS University of Hawaii golfer Mike Pavao, the 1996 Western Athletic Conference individual champion, has been invited as an individual player to the NCAA West Regional, May 16-18 at the Stanford Golf Course in Stanford, Calif.
It will be Pavao's second appearance in the West Regional. He finished tied for 43rd as a sophomore two years ago.
Pavao earned WAC first-team honors this season, posting four top-10 finishes.
Should Pavao advance, the national tournament will be held at the Honors Course in Chattanooga, Tenn., May 30 to June 1.
SEA WARRIORS AT REGIONAL The Hawaii Pacific University women's softball team will open defense of its Far West Regional championship today when the Sea Warriors play California Baptist.
HPU (27-10) has won three consecutive Far West Regional titles.
Also in the four-team, double-elimination tournament are host Azusa Pacific and Southern California College.
KUKEA IRONMAN CHALLENGE The newly named Kala Kukea Ironman Challenge (formerly the Maunaloa Bay Ironman Challenge) will be held Saturday.
There will be short and long course, six-man canoe races. One-man canoe and kayak divisions have been added to honor Kukea's dedication to the sport.
For more information about entering or setting up a craft booth on race day, call 396-8220.
LABATTE JR. OLYMPIC QUALIFIER Tacia Labatte, 14, of the Hawaii Gymnastics Academy, qualified to be on the Junior Olympic National Gymnastics Team by finishing seventh all-around last weekend in the Junior Olympic Nationals.
Labatte and her coaches, Joe Rapp and Abra Slater, will attend the national training camp in Colorado Springs, Colo. in August.
DE REUCK TOPS FIELD Colleen De Reuck, the South African who won the women's crown in last December's Honolulu Marathon, captured the 20th Lilac Bloomsday 12-kilometer road race in Spokane, Wash., last Sunday with a time of 38 minutes and 48 seconds.
GAVIN TO UHH Erin Gavin from San Pasqual High School in Escondido, Calif., has signed a national letter of intent to play for the University of Hawaii at Hilo women's tennis team.
She played No. 1 singles this year and had a 35-4 record.