LIHUE, Kauai-- Liz Masakayan and Elaine Youngs rallied from a 7-0 deficit to win the Women's Professional Volleyball Association's Best of the Beach IV championship yesterday at Nawiliwili Park. Ninth seeds are
best on beachThe ninth-seeded tandem came back to defeat the fourth-seeded team of Karrie Poppinga and Angela Rock, 15-13.
Masakayan and Youngs completed their rally by scoring the last five points in the 59-minute match.
The winners split $10,000 with the losers splitting $8,000.
It was the second championship title for Masakayan and Youngs this season. It was the first final for Poppinga, the former University of Hawaii All-American now living in Mililani, and Rock, who had finished third in three previous tournaments on the 1997 tour.
Third place went to second seeded Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno, who beat No. 1 seeds Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak, 15-6.
BENNETT LEADS SEA WARRIORS: At San Rafael, Calif., Teresa Bennett, a sophomore from Mililani, scored in the 75th minute off a pass from Myrissa Olanda to give the Hawaii Pacific University women's soccer team a 2-1 victory over Dominican College yesterday.
The Sea Warriors (4-3) took the lead in the 17th minute when Jannicke Snildal, a freshman from Orkanger, Norway, scored on a header off Bennett's corner kick.
Dominican (5-2) tied the score at 1-1 midway through the second half on a goal by Joan Hoyt.
HPU's next match is against Whittier College Wednesday.
RECORD FOR VARELA: Gustavo Varela, a native of Mexico City, toured the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation "Race for the Cure" downtown 5-kilometer course in a record 15 minutes, 40 seconds yesterday.
He finish ahead of Duncan Macdonald (16:07) and Steve Jenness, who was third in 16:27.
The women's winner was Mareike Ressing, a German graduate student in food services at the University of Hawaii, who was timed in 17:26.
Heidi Ballendorf (18:50) finished second and Connie Comiso-Fanelli (19:38) came in third.
Approximately 1,300 participants took part in the event.
OJBT WINNERS: Noel Ogata and Cindy Sakuda won their eighth and third titles, respectively, on the Oahu Junior Bowlers Tour yesterday at Waianae Bowl.
Ogata defeated Marc Fujita, 160-156, in the final. Sakuda beat Laura Matsushima, 167-123, for her title.
SUPER SERIES: Lance Kim of Wahiawa rolled games of 275, 289 and 299 for a three-game series of 863 in the Aiea 700 Mix Handicap League Saturday at Aiea Bowl.
Kim threw 30 out of a possible 36 strikes.
NEW SOFTBALL COACH: Pat Gagen has been named the softball coach at Brigham Young University-Hawaii.
Gagen coached Chaminade in 1995 and was the BYUH assistant coach in 1989 and '90, before the school dropped the sport. The program was reinstated last season and the Seasiders finished 3-33.
Jackson Mapu will be Gagen's assistant.
CHANGE OF MIND: Michael Palitang, who had planned to join the University of Hawaii at Hilo basketball staff, has decided to return to Copenhagen, Denmark.
GOLF & DINE: The Golf & Dine special at the Waikoloa Beach Resort on the Big Island will continue through Dec. 15.
Golfers can play any day after 3 p.m. at the Waikoloa King's Course for $40 and that includes a twilight dinner special at the Waikoloa Beach Grill.
For further information, call (808) 886-7888.