BOWL GAMES

Aloha Bowl Classic
a boost for WAC

By Paul Arnett
Star-Bulletin

The NCAA certification of the Aloha Bowl Christmas Classics yesterday at bowl meetings in Tampa, Fla., throws a lifeline to the Western Athletic Conference.

League commissioner Karl Benson learned yesterday that the Insight.com Bowl dumped the WAC from its December game in favor of teams from the Big East and the Big 12.

"But some of the sting of that decision was removed after we learned that the NCAA approved the Aloha Bowl doubleheader," Benson said yesterday afternoon. "They're going to take our second team for one of those two games, and we couldn't be happier for it."

Bowl Games of Hawaii won approval for a second game that at this point doesn't have a name. The first one will be the Jeep Aloha Bowl and will be broadcast on ABC-TV. Kickoff is 10:30 a.m. (HST). The nightcap of the doubleheader will have a 3:30 p.m. kickoff time and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

In addition to the WAC, Bowl Games of Hawaii officials also will have the fourth and fifth choices of the Pac-10, and an at-large selection. Which teams play in which game will be determined after the regular season is over.

"I'm not sure what we're going to call that game, but it won't be the Mele Kalikimaka Classic," Bowl Games of Hawaii chief executive officer Lenny Klompus said. "We may name it Aloha Bowl2 and call it the deuce like ESPN does. It depends on whether we have a sponsor or if Jeep decides to do both games."

Tickets go on sale today. Sideline seats will be $45 for both games. Klompus said the 18,000 annual season-ticket holders will have the right to keep their seats. The mailers will go out by Memorial Day.

"We're pleased the NCAA waived its standard rules to allow us to play this game this year, rather than 1999," Klompus said. "We had to make several presentations over a two-day period, but it was worth it. We're making history having the first doubleheader and Hawaii is a big part of it."

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SOCCER

Starsiak adds speed to UH

By Al Chase
Star-Bulletin

Continuing his quest to increase team speed, University of Hawaii women's soccer coach Pinsoom Tenzing has signed Jennifer Starsiak of Notre Dame Academy in Hingham, Mass., to a national letter of intent.

Starsiak played forward, midfield and sweeper at Notre Dame and was a Catholic Conference All Star all four seasons. She also was named to the Boston Herald Eastern Massachusetts All-Scholastic first team after her junior year.

She scored 49 goals and had 30 assists in her final three seasons with the Aces.

During the summer she plays for the Fuller Hamlets in the Massachusetts Premier League. Current Wahine players Megan Lytle and Melissa Philbrook also compete for the Hamlets.

Hamlets coach Martin Bowden said: "Jennifer has absolute burning speed with tricky footwork."

Starsiak is the fourth mainland recruit to commit to the Wahine for the upcoming season. She joins Veronica Flores (Washington), Erin Schremser (Washington) and Kelly Keohen (California) and local standout Tiffany Makue (Pearl City).