Wednesday, October 7, 1998

UH-Hilo gaining
cross-country notice

By Cindy Luis
Star-Bulletin

It's a secret that coach Mike McFate is happy to share. His Hawaii-Hilo cross-country teams are among the best in the country.

"I don't know what else we can do to get noticed," said McFate, in his seventh year. "We've already built the program into a power. Either one or the other team (men's or women's) has been ranked in the Top 20 every year from the first year I've been here.

"We've had 17 people compete in the national championships. My athletic director (Bill Trumbo) asked me if I could take it to the national level when he interviewed me. I think we already have."

The Vulcan men are 24th in their west region that combines NCAA Division I and II teams. Ahead is UC Davis at No. 10 and Cal Poly Pomona at 12. Humbolt State is literally on their heels at No. 25 with Chico State on the verge of being ranked.

But few have noticed the Vulcans.

"We can't get ranked much higher because there's so little competition," said McFate. "We don't have a lot of competition to make us better. HPU's Christian Friis has pushed my guys but if we have better people around us, we're going to compete harder."

At the University of Hawaii Invitational Sept. 6, Friis won the 3-mile men's race in 15:33. The Vulcans took five of the next six places, led by Eleazar Hernandez' time of 15:43, in winning the men's title with 22 points; Long Beach State was a distant second at 44 points.

Hernandez was the California state junior college champion in 1997. He and Vulcan teammates Jesus Villavicencio and Danny Oliva led Moorpark College to the California J.C. championship.

The Vulcans are looking at their Hilo Invitational on Saturday as a tune-up for the regional championship at Bellingham, Wash., on Nov. 7. Only the top two teams will advance to the national meet in Lawrence, Kan., and "if we're not first or second, we're on vacation," said McFate. "I think we're good enough to make it to the nationals. I think this team is Top 12 in the U.S. But we have to prove it Nov. 7."

Saturday's course is 6-kilometers for the women, 10-kilometers for the men. Hilo, when it's dry, "can be ideal for cross country," McFate said. "With all the rain, it isn't usually ideal."

HPU MOVES UP: The Hawaii Pacific women's volleyball team has vaulted to the No. 7 spot in the NCAA Division II rankings released yesterday.

The Sea Warriors (12-1), with straight-set wins over Chaminade and Hawaii-Hilo (twice) last week, moved up from No.12. The last time HPU started a season 12-1 was 1990, the year the Sea Warriors won the NAIA title.

BYU-Hawaii (11-0) remained the unanimous No. 1 pick in the poll for the fourth straight week. The Seasiders, winners of 45 straight matches, received all 24 first-place votes.

HPU and the rest of the Hawaii quadrant of the Pacific West Conference head to Ellensburg, Wash., for the PacWest Crossover Tournament tomorrow and Friday. The four island teams will face Humboldt State, Lewis-Clark State, Western Oregon and host Western Washington.

Western Oregon and Lewis-Clark State are provisional members of Division II and ineligible to compete for the PacWest championship. The Wolves are ranked fourth in the NAIA poll with the Warriors ranked sixth.

LEADERS OF THE PAC: Hawaii players continue to dominate the PacWest statistics.

BYU-Hawaii's Becky Laubach is tops in kill percentage (.471), followed by teammate Arlete Silva second (.398) and HPU's Hai Yan Wang tied for third (.345). Silva is second to HPU's Debbie Sant'Anna in kill average, 5.1-4.7, with Wang third (4.6) and BYUH's Vanessa Valansi fourth (4.3).

In assists, Seasider junior Juliana Lima leads the way with an 11.84 average. Valansi is second in digs, Laubach third in blocks and Wang third in aces.

PacWest women

Pacific Division

		Conference 	Year
 		W-L	Pct.	GB	W-L
BYUH 		7-0	1.000	--	11- 0
HPU 		5-1	.833	1-1/2	12- 1
UH-Hilo 	2-2	.500	3-1/2	7- 7
MSU-Billings 	1-1	.500	3	8-10
Chaminade 	2-6	.250	5-1/2	4-11
Anchorage 	1-3	.250	4-1/2	8-10
Fairbanks 	1-3	.250	4-1/2	7-10
W. New Mex. 	0-2	.000	4-1/2	4-10

West Division

		Conference 	Year
		W-L	Pct.	GB	W-L
x-W. Oregon 	6-1	.857	--	12- 1
x-Lewis-Clark 	6-1	.857	--	13- 2
Sea. Pac 	5-1	.833	1/2	11- 4
Humboldt 	3-4	.429	3	8- 7
W. Wash. 	2-4	.333	3-1/2	8- 7
x-Simon Fraser 	2-4	.333	3-1/2	5- 7
St. Martins 	2-4	.333	3-1/2	3- 6
Cen.Wash. 	0-7	.000	6	2-12

x-ineligible for postseason play

This week's matches

Friday-Saturday

BYU-Hawaii, Chaminade, Hawaii-Hilo, Hawaii Pacific at PacWest Crossover Tournament, Ellensburg, Wash.

PacWest leaders

Hitting percentage

 		K	E	Att	Pct.
Laubach, BYUH 	115	17	208	.471
Silva, BYUH 	174	42	332	.398
Price, WWU 	196	49	426	.345
Wang, HPU 	189	40	432	.345
Wean, LCSU 	30	10	58	.345

Kill average

 		G	Kills	Avg.
Sant’Anna, HPU 	41	210	5.1
Silva, BYUH 	37	174	4.7
Wang, HPU 	41	189	4.6
Valansi, BYUH 	27	117	4.3
Igoe, LSCU 	53	212	4.0

Assist average

 		G	Asts	Avg.
Lima, BYUH 	37	438	11.87
Webb, UAF 	61	676	11.08
Pascua, LCSU 	54	596	11.04
Tuitele, HPU 	41	451	10.37
Wride, UHH 	46	477	10.14

Ace average

 		G	Aces	Avg.
Tupoola, HSU 	54	36	0.6
Vernell, WWU 	59	39	0.6
Wang, HPU 	41	24	0.5
Hanna, HSU 	54	30	0.5
Sant’Anna, HPU 	41	21	0.5