Hawaii Beat
Star-Bulletin staff
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5 selected for Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame
The Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame will add five new members when its 10th class is inducted next year.
Linda Fernandez, Dr. Donnis Thompson, Richard Tom, the late Tom Gentry, and the late Mark Tuinei were selected by a panel of local media representatives yesterday. They will be honored at the Feb. 6 banquet at the Hawaii Country Club.
Fernandez, who played volleyball for the University of Hawaii in the early 1970s, was a champion and all-pro in the International Volleyball Association and once won the ABC-TV "Superstars" women's division.
"I am surprised," said Fernandez, who runs a physical therapy business. "I've spent my life in sports and it's really nice to get recognized, even later on. I'm still involved in sports, even though it's a different way."
Gentry, who died in 1998 at age 67, was known as the "Fastest Man in Offshore" as a record-setting speedboat racer.
Thompson was a pioneer in women's sports and served as the University of Hawaii's first women's athletic director. She later became the state's Department of Education superintendent.
Tom, who trained at the Nuuanu YMCA, was a bronze medalist in weightlifting at the 1948 London Olympics. The 123-pounder is believed to be the first Chinese-American Olympic medalist.
Tuinei was a standout football player at Punahou, UH and with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. He played offensive tackle for 15 years and was named All-Pro twice, winning three Super Bowl championships. He died in 1999 at age 39 after an accidental drug overdose.
Barry to coach Chaminade soccer team
Bob Barry will take over on an interim basis for Andy Gasper as the Chaminade women's soccer team's head coach.
Gasper led the Silverswords during their inaugural season this year. He is moving to Southern California.
Barry is also the men's soccer coach at Chaminade. The Silverswords are in the process of hiring a women's full-time coach.
Ex-major leaguer Epstein to run hitting camp
Former Major League Baseball player Mike Epstein will bring his three-day instructional hitting camp to Honolulu next month.
The camp includes an evening seminar Jan. 12 at Kahala Elementary and two four-hour hitting sessions, Jan. 13-14, at the Mililani baseball complex at 85-1200 Meheula Parkway.
The cost is $375, which includes both hitting sessions, a SwiftStik training bat and camp T-shirt.
For more information or to register, call Dean Sato at 306-8282.
Volleyball coaching vacancy at Sacred Hearts
Sacred Hearts Academy is looking for a girls volleyball coach following the resignation of Jonathon Tom after three seasons.
The Lancers have advanced to the past two Division II state championships, winning the title last month. Résumés can be sent to SHA athletic director Wade Okamura via e-mail to wokamura@sacredhearts.org or by fax to 732-6524.