FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Eight schools leaving the Western Athletic Conference have named their new NCAA Division I-A league the Mountain West Conference, the schools announced yesterday. WAC defectors to be
Associated Press
called Mountain West"The Mountain West Conference name ... brings to mind the geographic setting of our conference," said Colorado State University president Albert C. Yates, president and treasurer of the new conference.
The schools leaving the WAC to launch the Mountain West Conference are Colorado State, Air Force, Brigham Young, UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah and Wyoming.
The new conference officially begins July 1, 1999.
Craig Thompson, commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference, last week was named to lead the new league.
The Mountain West Conference has not selected its headquarters, but the prospective sites reportedly have been narrowed to Las Vegas and Colorado Springs.
Janice Chung and a bunch of her friends play a makeshift version of Football Fever every week and she's had the hot hand recently. Chung hot with Fever
She picks 9 of 10 and takes the weekly prize
Star-Bulletin staffSo, it's no surprise that Chung hit nine of 10 games in the Star-Bulletin's weekly contest. Her ballot was the first chosen among those whose picks were equal to or better than our best celebrity panelist. Thus, she is this week's winner of $500 and four tickets to the Jeep Oahu Bowl on Christmas Day.
"We have a group of us that watch 'Monday Night Football' on satellite," Chung said.
The friends fill out Football Fever ballots and find out who did the best the next week. Chung said she has been the best of the bunch the past two or three weeks, but winning $500 is a greater payoff.
One of Chung's favorite teams is the Denver Broncos. She was watching Sunday when former Hawaii kicker Jason Elam kicked a 63-yard field goal, tying the all-time NFL record.
"That was unbelievable," Chung said.
Star-Bulletin assistant sports editor Randy Cadiente and KGMB sports anchor Neil Everett were the top celebrity panelists this week. Both finished 7-3.
Laura Rehg, of the Hawaii Wahine sailing team, placed 10th among 16 finalists in the Intercollegiate Yacht Racing Association Women's Singlehanded National Championship last weekend at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. UH sailor 10th at nationals
Rehg, the first Wahine to compete in the national event, sailed a Laser and totaled 140 points in 16 races.
Her best showing was a third-place finish in one of Saturday's races.
Harvard's Margaret Gill won the regatta with a low score of 83.
While Rehg was competing solo on the East Coast, the UH women's team took part in two West Coast events hosted by Stanford, finishing third in one regatta and eighth in the other.
Molly O'Bryan, Natalia Tangalin, Ursula Austin and Julie Ann Iinuma sailed for the Wahine.
PINEAPPLE CUP TEAM NAMED: Zachary Knysh, Ikaika Jobe, Erin Hoe and Jafra DePontes have been selected to play for the USTA/Hawaii Pacific Section in the Pineapple Cup tennis tournament Nov. 11-15 at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows on the Big Island's Kohala Coast.
The tournament brings together many of the top junior players in the country for four days of competition in singles and boys, girls and mixed doubles.
Each sectional team will consist of that section's top-ranked 18 boy and girl, and top-ranked 16 boy and girl.
CUBS' WOOD AT AUTOGRAPH SESSION: Pitcher Kerry Wood of the Chicago Cubs, who struck out 20 batters in one game during his 1998 rookie season, will sign autographs at the McKinley High School cafeteria Sunday from 1:15 to 2:45 p.m.
Autograph prices will be $30 for flat items, $35 for baseballs, $40 for small equipment such as minihelmets and minigloves, and $50 for premium items such as jerseys, bats and helmets.
There also is a $3 admission charge.
For more information, call the Sports Gallery Hawaii, 626-1145.
UH TO HOST SWIM MEETS: The University of Hawaii will host the 2000 World Swimming Championships and two major 1999 meets, the U.S. 25K National Championships in June and the Pre-World Championships in November, UH athletic director Hugh Yoshida announced last week.
In conjunction with the June 5 25K Nationals, an Elite Training Camp for open water swimmers has been proposed for Hawaiian waters.
The Pre-World Championships will feature top swimmers from all countries in 5K, 25K, Team, Master, Para-Olympian and Age Group competition.
MINI-GOLF FOR A CAUSE: The 1998 World Youth Network hosts the First World Mini-Golf Tourney at Kaneohe Bayview Golf Park on Nov. 21.
A minimum pledge of $40 ($20 for children 10-under) is required. Tee times are at 9 a.m. or 10:30 a.m.
World Youth Network Hawaii is a nonprofit organization that serves the youth in the community through a Life Skills Curriculum.
Call 239-4431 for pledge forms and more information.