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Metzger earns Olympic berth

Punahou product Stein Metzger and partner Dax Holdren may not have come away as the winners in the ConocoPhillips Open in Stavanger, Norway, but they did receive something even better. Their seventh-place finish in the FIVB beach volleyball event earned them enough points to clinch the USA's second Olympic berth in beach volleyball. The best eight finishes on the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour since January 2003 are used in calculating point standings.

Germany's Christoph Dieckmann and Andy Scheuerpflug defeated Metzger and Holdren 18-21, 21-15, 15-10 to reach the semifinals of the tournament.

Dain Blanton, a 2000 gold medalist, and partner Jeff Nygaard are the top U.S. team with 2,296 points. Metzger and Holdren have 1,944 points to edge former University of Hawaii player Sean Scott and Todd Rogers (1,696) in the qualification process. Scott and Rogers advanced the furthest in this tournament, finishing fifth after being defeated by semifinalists Tande Ramos and Franco Neto 24-22, 21-14.

Kevin Wong, another Punahou alum, finished ninth in the event with partner Eric Fonoimoana after being eliminated by Australia's Andrew Schact and Joshua Slack 17-21, 39-37, 15-7.

Ah Mow-Santos, Berg, Bown on Olympic team

Hawaii will be well represented in the 2004 Athens games with three players with Hawaii ties on the women's Olympic volleyball team.

Former Rainbow Wahine standouts Robyn Ah Mow-Santos and Heather Bown will be doing their second stint with the Olympic team. Ah Mow-Santos and Bown were starters for the 2000 team that barely missed medaling in Sydney.

Punahou alumnae Lindsey Berg, who played college ball for Minnesota, politely refused comment until the official USA announcement set for July 11. But Berg's father, Dennis, confirmed that his daughter was on the team.

Ching called up by U.S. National team

Kamehameha alumnus Brian Ching has been called up to play for the United States Men's Soccer National Team by coach Bruce Arena. Ching will join San Jose Earthquakes striker partner Landon Donovan for the exhibition match against Poland July 11 at Soldier Field in Chicago.

This is the final tune-up for the U.S. men before the start of the semifinal round of FIFA World Cup qualifying. The match will be shown live on ESPN2. Ching, a graduate of Kamehameha and Gonzaga, currently leads Major League Soccer in scoring with seven goals and one assist.

Outrigger 16s take second in Junior Olympics

Outrigger Canoe Club had the best finish out of nine Hawaii teams yesterday, placing second in the 16 Open division at the 25th USA Volleyball Boys Junior Olympic Championships at the Austin (Texas) Convention Center.

Outrigger lost the gold bracket final to Synergy (Calif.), 25-23, 25-19. OCC had Riley McKibbin, Spencer McLachlin and Kawika Shoji named All-American.

The Asics Rainbows finished tied for third in 16 Club after losing their first match of the four-day event in the quarterfinals, 28-26, 19-25, 19-17, to SP Mizuno (Ill.). Asics had Taylor Akiyama and Charles Bell named to the All-America team.

Outrigger 18 Club lost to eventual national champion AVA of Alberta, Canada, 25-18, 25-10, in the quarterfinals. Sean Carney and Eric Liebert earned All-American honors.

Theocharidis to coach at camp

Costas Theocharidis has been added to the list of elite former players coaching at the Volleyball Camp with Champions. Theocharidis joins former teammate Eyal Zimet and former Wahine All-American Deitre Collins as staff members of the multiple-island camp which starts this week on Maui before going over to the Big Island and concluding on Oahu.

For more information call Christine Lopes at 223-3584 or volleyballcamps@hawaii.com.

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