Hawaii Beat

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Wednesday, May 14, 1997

Robb has fast start in Japan surfing meet

IKUMI BEACH, Japan - Hawaii's Kalani Robb set the pace in round one of the ASP World Championship Tour's Tokushima Pro surfing meet yesterday with consistent rides in the early morning high tide.

Robb averaged more than seven points on four rides to finish with a 28.05 score and advanced to round three.

Also moving on to round three from Hawaii were Shane Dorian, Shawn Sutton, Sunny Garcia and Ross Williams.

Hawaii's Kaipo Jaquias, Derek Ho, Conan Hayes and John Shimooka surf in round two today.

THREE WAHINE ON ALL-WAC: Freshman Dana Degen, sophomore Stephanie Wiese and junior Tia Morenz were named to the all-Western Athletic Conference softball team announced yesterday.

Degen was named to the first team as the designated player, finishing fifth in the WAC with a .410 batting average. Morenz was voted to the second team as an outfielder, finishing 10th in the WAC at .392 and second in runs scored with 57, while Wiese was tabbed at first base after tying Degen in home runs with five.

VULCANHONORS: Keiki Mattson and Britta Kehrhahn are the University of Hawaii at Hilo's Athletes of the Year.

Mattson, a senior outfielder on the Vulcans' baseball team, led UHH with a .349 batting average.

Kehrhahn, a sophomore tennis player from Germany, has played No. 1 singles and doubles.

Sophomore biology majors Layne Takahashi (baseball) and Kristy Odamura (softball)were named the top scholar/athletes.

KENNELLYWINS:Hawaii's Keala Kennelly won the women's division of the The Surfer's Card Pro meet at Cardiff by the Sea, Calif., last weekend. It was the 1997 ClarionSurf Tour's second stop.

JENNIE K. STARTS FRIDAY: Former champions Kari Williams, Anna Umemura and Sherrie Sue will be competing in the 47th annual Jennie K. Wilson Invitational golf tournament starting Friday at the Mid-Pacific Country Club course.

Last year's winner, Kathy Cho, will not defend her title. She will be qualifying for a mainland event this weekend.

Other top contenders include Christel Tomori, a University of Oregon graduate from Waiakea, Mahina Ah Yuen, Kristel Kakugawa, Malia Poai and Kalaya Bhaedhayajibh, who plays out of Mid-Pac.

The 54-hole event with competition in five other flights ends Sunday with the championship flight leaders expected to tee off around 9 a.m.

MOLOKAI CHALLENGE: The Starbucks World Championship Blue Water Surfski (kayak) and One-Person Outrigger Canoe races will be held Sunday from Molokai to Hawaii Kai's Koko Marina.

The first paddlers are expected to arrive around noon.

SURF MEET CANCELED: The Association of Surfing Professionals has announced that the WCT and WQS events at St. Leu, Reunion Island, June 20-29, have been canceled due to political problems.