Sports Update
Punahou grad comes home as UC Santa Barbara hitter
Alika Williams takes his major seriously. He's studying Geography, with a minor in Volleyball.The senior hitter for UC Santa Barbara has traveled the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, searching for a playing home. His third stop has been a charm and, Saturday night, the 6-foot Punahou School product was hoping for a successful homecoming party when his Gauchos take on Hawaii in a first-round playoff match at the Stan Sheriff Center.
"It's ironically fitting, getting to come home to play in front of family and friends for this one," said Williams, who was on the Rainbow bench as a freshman in 1995. "I'm really happy to be here for this match.
"I made the move (to UCSB) and it's worked out really well. I'm glad I did it."
15 isle residents running the Boston Marathon
The 15 Hawaii residents (three of them women) who will run in the 102nd Boston Marathon on Monday had a lot going through their minds as they departed our balmy weather for a place noted for its extremes this time of year.In the 1961 Boston Marathon, snowstorms traveled at 10 to 12 mph over the 26.2-mile Hopkinton-to-Boston course and temperatures averaged out at a teeth-chattering 38 degrees.
In 1987, the temperatures were in the mid to high 80s and the humidity soared to 95 percent.
"I'm kind of concerned about the weather," said 41-year-old Jeff Nakasone, a chef at Alan Wong's on South King Street who is making his Boston debut.
"It might be warm at the start in Hopkinton and then get cold farther on, so I'm wondering what to do."
But Nakasone said he'll probably take the advice of Duncan Macdonald, former U.S. 5,000-meter record holder who also did marathons before he retired from running.
Macdonald told the running chef to start the race with a warm tee-shirt that he'd be willing to discard along the way.
Nakasone, who qualified for Boston with a 3:07:07 finish at December's Honolulu Marathon, said he's always wanted to run the world's oldest and most prestigious foot race.
"Now that our kids are 10 and 7, I've had a lot more time for training," he said.
UH pitcher corrals Grand Canyon Antelopes
Jamie Aloy said he felt better throwing in the bullpen Wednesday than he did against the Grand Canyon University Antelopes at Rainbow Stadium Friday night.The sophomore left-hander would have had a difficult time convincing the Grand Canyon hitters of that after the University of Hawaii Rainbows posted a 9-4 Western Athletic Conference victory in front of 958 fans.
Aloy fanned eight and walked three in pitching his second complete game of the season. He lost focus just once when Grand Canyon's Cody Ranson belted a three-run homer over the right-field wall in the fifth inning.
"He changed speeds a lot. When he saw their hitters make an adjustment (at the plate), he also made an adjustment," UH pitching coach Carl Furutani said.
Aloy said he was able to mix his curve, slider and change-up with an occasional fastball. He felt tired in the ninth, but after the first two Antelopes ripped solid singles and a run scored on Matt Forbes' sacrifice fly, the Rainbows turned their third double play to end it.