Sports Update
KONISHIKI RETIRES
Associated Press
Sumotori Konishiki--Hawaii's Salevaa Atisanoe--retired
today in Japan with the ceremonial cutting of his topknot.
Konishiki was the first foreign-born sumotori to reach the
high rank of ozeki, or champion, in his sport's history.University of Hawaii President Kenneth P. Mortimer arrives in California today with a briefcase full of options as the 16 presidents of the Western Athletic Conference gather for the first time since news of the WAC split. Mortimer meeting
with WACBriefcase full of questions
after last week's 'sucker punch'After shaking off last Tuesday's sucker punch that eight WAC members will defect from the conference after next season, Mortimer yesterday said he has clearly thought out the alternatives for Rainbow sports.
Mortimer believes what is likely to happen at the meeting, held this Monday through Wednesday in Monterey, Calif., is talk on how to address the future of both the defecting eight universities as well as those remaining in the WAC.
He hopes the group will first agree to a timeout so everyone can review the situation before any commitments are made.
"But if we don't, and there's a need to move fast, I'm prepared to do that," said Mortimer, who returns Wednesday.
Among the choices is to get the defecting eight members to open the club door to UH by offering to once again pay for the visiting team's travel subsidies, which could cost more than $400,000 a year.
But Mortimer insists the travel money won't come at the expense of UH academics, already lean from consecutive years of budget cuts.
"Our general funds are going pretty much to support the academic enterprise, and I would be very reluctant to take an issue like this and affect the academic side of the house," Mortimer said.
Instead, he believes private fund-raising, alumni donations and other means can offset the travel subsidies.
Another route for Manoa is to join an existing conference. Mortimer already has had conversations with several people on the subject, but he declined to elaborate.
But he did say he's ready to discuss membership in the Pac-10, if recent events somehow prompt that conference to tender membership to Hawaii.
Meanwhile, Mortimer praised the support he's received this week from local companies and individuals who want to help. For example, some travel agencies have offered their expertise if travel expenses become an important issue.
"That's why I feel good in going off to know that the people in the state of Hawaii are interested in athletics, want to find a way to continue to play in this game, and will put their shoulder to the wheel, whatever the alternatives that come before us," he said.
Chicago Bears rookie Olin Kreutz said he deserves "the dummy of the year award" for running a couple of red lights near the Beretania police station early yesterday morning. Chicago Bear Kreutz
By Pat Bigold, Star-Bulletin
arrested for for DUI"I feel sorry because of all the young kids who want to look up to me," said the 20-year-old Kreutz, who was arrested for driving under the influence after being stopped at about 2:30 a.m. "I wasn't a good example for them."
He was a third-round draft pick of the Bears on April 18 after declaring for the NFL Draft in his junior year at the University of Washington.
"I guess I get the dummy of the year award for doing this. They stopped me a few minutes from the police station. I shouldn't have been out that late anyway."
The 6-foot-3, 297-pound Kreutz said he was driving Nebraska redshirt freshman offensive lineman Dominic Raiola home after the two had some beers at Kreutz' residence to mark Raiola's departure for the mainland.
Both are former all-state football players for 12-time Oahu Prep Bowl champion St. Louis.
Kreutz said his license is suspended for 30 days and he will appear in court on June 26.
That will pose an inconvenience because he is due to return to Chicago June 13.
Kreutz said he spoke to his agent, Mark Bartelstein, and he expects the NFL to test him periodically for alcohol abuse because of the incident.
"But it's the law and you have to take your medicine," he said.
"My mom said maybe it's a good thing they pulled me over. She said it's better to have me calling from the station than to have someone else calling to say her son died in a crash."
Concluded Kreutz, "I'll be staying closer to home now."
If you think they're everywhere, it's because they are. Seemingly at every beach park and flat-water venue, it's "Paddles up!" Paddling enjoing new popularity
By Cindy Luis, Star-BulletinOutrigger canoe paddlers are turning out in record numbers at many of the 29 Oahu clubs this season, as well as state-wide. The sport is enjoying a resurgence at every level, from the youth to makule divisions.
The interest is manifesting itself in various forms.
New clubs want to join both of Oahu's associations. Na 'Ohana O Na Hui Wa'a expects to expand from 14 to 16 clubs next season; the 15-member Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association has two affiliate distance-only clubs and one -- Puuloa -- looking to join next season.
New koa canoes are being blessed, such as the one belonging to Na Wahine O Ho'olikolehua on Thursday.
"We had over 1,000 paddlers at our first regatta last Sunday," said June Leialoha, president of Hui Wa'a, which is celebrating its 25 season. "Usually for a first regatta, we're lucky to have 600 or 700, if that much.
"What I see with the registrations is more participants in the younger age-groups. I know the numbers are increasing on the other islands, too. It looks like when it comes time for the state championships, competition is going to be very tough."
The Hawaii Canae Racing Association holds its 46th state championships Aug. 1 at Ke'ehi Lagoon. There are nine weeks for crews to prepare for the 33-race event, as well as for the several changes in qualifying rules and race distances.
At the state competition, many of the distances will be shortened, the men's and women's sophomore events will be dropped and a mixed (coed) novice race will be added. Hui Wa'a is replicating the format of the states this season while the Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association (OHCRA) is planning to retain the traditional distances and make the mixed novice a non-scoring event.
OHCRA has also changed its format for state regatta qualifying. In years past, the OHCRA champion from each event automatically earned a berth into the state race with other crews earning lanes based on performances throughout the season.
This year, qualifying will be based on regatta performances throughout the season, with OHCRA championship counting as much as any other regatta.
That's not good news for defending state champion and traditional powerhouse Outrigger Canoe Club. With many of its younger members away at mainland schools, OCC's strategy has been to peak toward the end of the season and qualify as many crews as possible at the OHCRAs.
"Typically, we have gotten better as the season goes on," said David Buck, OCC's first-year head coach and, at 24, one of the youngest in club history. "I'm looking forward to trying to repeat (as state champs) but we're a little short on numbers right now. In past years, everyone seems to come out (for practice) later.
"We're also a little short on novice paddlers. If you've been a member of the club for any length of time, you've pretty much paddled at one time. But our kids are strong and they're excited. We've got one more week to prepare for the opening regatta and maybe drag some more paddlers out."
What brought paddlers back to Waimanalo Canoe Club was to move back its training site from Kailua Beach to Waimanalo Beach. Membership has more than doubled, now that the younger paddlers can walk down or ride bikes to the paddling site instead of looking for a ride.
"Moving back to Waimanalo has made it easier on everyone," said Nani Akeo, coach of Waimanalo Canoe Club. "It's also been a real positive for the community. A lot of adults here needed to get involved with something positive, like recreation.
"We've been fortunate that other clubs have helped us out. Hui Nalu has loaned us use of their canoes on weekends. Kailua has allowed us to use their canoes on the (Kaelepulu) canal so the novices can train on flatter water. Canoe paddling is coming back. I think kids should learn what the ocean is all about."
Waimanalo Canoe Club members will possibly be perpetuating other aspects of Hawaiian culture if land is made available for a canoe halau. Akeo said there are plans to build a traditional storage structure after the regatta season.
The OHCRA regatta season opens June 7 with the Clem Paiaina Regatta at Ke'ehi Lagoon. Hui Wa's second regatta is tomorrow, also at Ke'ehi Lagoon.
Last weekend, Koa Kai opened the Hui Wa'a season with a stunning win at Ke'ehi, edging 11-time association champion Lokahi, 62-61. It is believed to be the first time in the association's 25-year history that an A-Division (17 crews or less) won the overall regatta title over an AA (18-33 crews) club.
"I don't know if we have the numbers to do it again this week," said Norman Kahale, a member of Koa Kai's winning Golden Masters (52-older) crew. "And now everyone will be watching for us. But it was pretty exciting. As the races went by, everyone thought we had a chance but no one was expecting it to happen"
OBVIOUSLY, nothing's etched in stone these days. One day you're in the Western Athletic Conference with 15 other teams. Next thing you know, poof!, the WAC's gone. Its core ripped out with the defection of eight schools, who plan on forming their own league. WAC—go or no?
By Bill Kwon, Star-BulletinWhether Hawaii will be invited to join the "Gang of Eight" remains to be seen. Both Hawaii and Fresno State are apparently involved in a bidding war to be the ninth member.
It figures to be an either/or situation because Wyoming president Phillip DuBois is quoted as saying that expansion would not go beyond nine. "The great failings of the WAC was its size, and we don't want to repeat that by responding to too many schools," he said.
Who said size matters?
Basically, the Great Breakaway is sort of a back-to-the-future WAC with the defectors swapping UTEP for UNLV and Las Vegas glitz. And if Hawaii rejoins them -- paying tribute through the nose in the form of travel subsidies -- it's like the WAC of old but with a new name.
In any event, things won't be the same again.
And you have to feel for UH athletic director Hugh Yoshida. If he had a difficult time scheduling opponents for the football Rainbows before, imagine the problems he'll now face if they don't belong to a conference.
JUST when Yoshida was about ready to confirm the Rainbows' 1999 football schedule, suddenly he might have to get an eraser out. Forget a pen with indelible ink. A No. 2 pencil will do.
It's interesting to note that on the 1999 schedule are four of the eight schools that left the WAC -- Brigham Young, Utah, New Mexico and San Diego State.
The other four conference games are against Southern Methodist, San Jose State, Fresno State and Texas-El Paso. That is, if there's still a WAC.
"Obviously, we have to do a whole deal of rescheduling. But at least we have a year to look at it," Yoshida said.
The four nonconference games are pretty much set -- University of Southern California, Toledo, Navy and Virginia. Yes, Virginia. The Trojans are all but signed and sealed to play in the season opener, while Navy and Virginia will close out the year.
UH president Kenneth Mortimer isn't about to burn the bridges with the defecting schools. But Mortimer was definitely upset by their surreptitious tactics. So much so that Mortimer said he'll make sure that Yoshida is aware of his feelings about scheduling them in the future if they were to become nonconference opponents.
"Why bring teams you're recruiting against?," Mortimer said. "I'm going to deny them that opportunity, if that happens."
FOR years BYU opted to play the Rainbows here in order to exercise the 12th-game exemption which proved beneficial to its football program. It not only enabled the Cougars to upgrade their football schedule by playing the likes of Penn State, Washington and UCLA. It also fattened their athletic coffers with another home game.
So did Air Force a number of times. And New Mexico once.
"Athletic directors only see the bill for travel expenses to Hawaii," said Jim Donovan, UH assistant athletic director. "They don't think about the extra game they can play at home that makes more money for them."
In BYU's case, it's a big deal, a million-dollar gate. That's a pretty good dividend from a $32,000 travel investment in going to Hawaii.
And these schools insist on being subsidized? If anything, they should be giving UH a little rebate.
SURF MEET UNDER WAY: The NSSA Hawaii Region Surf Championships got under way this morning with preliminary heats in six divisions at White Plains Beach, Barbers Point.
Finals in those divisions and one other will be held tomorrow. Also tomorrow, the Hawaii Regional High School Championships will be held, beginning at 8 a.m.
Prep titles up for grabs are in surfing and bodyboarding with championships awarded in individual and team performances. Competing for the high school titles are defending national champion Kauai, Kamehameha, Punahou, Campbell, Kahuku, Waianae, Roosevelt, Moanalua, Waipahu, Leilehua and King Kekaulike.
The top four teams will advance to the national championships, June 21-22, at Huntington Beach, Calif. The meet finishes June 7 with age-group and military competition.
Some 175 surfers are competing in the three-day event. For more information, call Richard or Linda Robb at 674-9060, or check the daily hotline at 674-1532.
'DA KINE' WINDSURFING ON MAUI: More than 120 windsurfers from 13 countries were to race Saturday in the Da Kine Classic at Kanaha Beach Park on Maui, which starts off the 14th Nifty Maui Race Series.
Kevin Pritchard of Sun City, Calif., who won the U.S. Open title last week at Corpus Christi, Texas, will defend his Da Kine crown. Other contenders include Haiku, Maui, standouts Micah Buzianis, the U.S. Open runner-up, and Sierra Emory, the defending Hawaii State Slalom champ.
The racing begins at 11:15 a.m. after a 10 a.m. skippers meeting.
QB CLUB: The Rainbow Dancers, University of Hawaii associate athletic director Marilyn Moniz-Kahoohanohano, former UH football great Tommy Kaulukukui and St. Louis School football coach Cal Lee will entertain Monday's meeting of the Honolulu Quarterback Club. Lunch at the Pagoda Restaurant begins at 11:30 a.m. The program starts at noon.
MISS HAWAII GOLF: The second annual Miss Hawaii Golf Tournament, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Miss Hawaii Scholarship Pageant, will be played Friday, June 5, at the Bay View Golf Park.
Players will meet reigning Miss Hawaii, Erika Kauffman, former title holders and this year's contestants.
Entry fee is $110, which includes an awards ceremony with pupus, beverages and prizes. Proceeds go the Miss Hawaii Scholarship Program.
For more information, call 591-9339 or 737-3525.
STATE BIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS: More than $1,000 in prizes is on the line at the Gordon Biersch Hawaii State Time Trial Championships June 7 at Malaekahana State Park.
Being held in conjunction with the time trials is the inaugural Nytro-Hawaii's Fastest Triathlete on Wheels.
The time trial courses are 40 kilometers in the men's and women's brackets, and 20 kilometers in the juniors, masters and 65-plus divisions.
Racers must present a valid U.S. Cycling Federation license at registration or purchase a one-day license up registering.
Check-in and late registration are from 6:15-7 a.m. on race day. For information or application, call 235-3567.
SOFTBALL HONOR FOR ODAMURA: Junior shortstop Kristy Odamura of the University of Hawaii at Hilo softball team has been named to the All-NCAA Division II West Region second team.
Odamura led the Vulcans with a .422 batting average and set UH-Hilo single season records for at-bats (166), runs scored (51), hits (70) and walks (25).
See expanded coverage in Saturday's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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