Hawaii Beat
Star-Bulletin staff
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Kauai's Dizon earns Camp honor
Colorado inside linebacker Jordon Dizon, a Waimea High School graduate, was named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America team yesterday.
Dizon, a 6-0, 225-pound senior, was the league coaches' choice as the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named first-team All-Big 12 by both the Associated Press and the coaches.
"This is a tremendous honor for Jordon," CU head coach Dan Hawkins said in a release. "As I have said before, it's nice when the right players are recognized with the right awards. He's so humble and such a great leader and team player, it's good to see him rewarded this way. He is the standard, on and off the field."
Dizon wrapped up his regular-season career with 160 tackles, second in the nation, and was first in solo stops (120). He is also the nation's second active leading tackler, finishing fourth all-time at Colorado with 440 career stops.
"This has been a great experience, mingling with the best of college football," Dizon said from Orlando, Fla., in a statement released by the school. "Every which way you turn, there's someone you easily recognize. Not only my peers, but legends of the game. It's really humbling and reinforces the fact how lucky I am to be here and what an honor it is to be selected as an All-America. It's a dream come true."
Hawaii junior slotback Davone Bess was named to the Walter Camp second team. Bess is the Warriors' all-time leader in touchdowns scored and a three-time first-team All-WAC selection.
Honolulu native Tommy Lee retires
DILLON, Mont. » Montana-Western football coach Tommy Lee has announced his retirement after seven seasons at the NAIA school.
"I have thought about retiring the last few years and it was just the right time," Lee said yesterday in a statement released by the school. "I have been coaching for over 40 years and I want to spend more time with my family and on the golf course. I will miss the players and the relationships that develop with my coaches and players."
He coached at his alma mater, Saint Louis School, was head coach at Willamette for 10 seasons and served as offensive coordinator at both Portland State and the University of Montana. Lee coached at Toronto of the CFL and San Antonio of the World League of American Football before moving back to the college ranks, first at the University of Utah and then at Montana-Western.
Gale Sayers camp coming in June
Enrollment is under way for the inaugural Gale Sayers Fantasy Pro Football Camp, June 5-8 next year in Honolulu.
The camp is open to men 21 and older and will give participants a taste of a pro football training camp.
Camp host Sayers, Dick Butkus, Lem Barney, Bobby Bell, Elvin Bethea, Ken Houston and Super Bowl XXII MVP quarterback Doug Williams are scheduled to appear. Camp coaches include June Jones and Jerry Glanville.
Proceeds benefit the Gale Sayers Center, set to open in June 2008 on Chicago's West Side.
For more information or to register, call (847) 391-4819 or log on to www.GaleSayersCenter.org.
Seben is PacWest player of year
Hawaii-Hilo's Fabiane Seben, Laura Rodriguez and Hillary Hurley topped the PacWest Conference women's volleyball first team.
Seben, a sophomore middle out of Brazil, earned Player of the Year honors. Sophomore Laura Rodriguez was selected libero of the year. Hurley was named freshman of the year for the Vulcans, who captured the PacWest title with a 14-0 conference record (23-5 overall).
Sophomore middle blocker Lauren Bayer, named newcomer of the year, was joined on the second team by teammates Desiree Agader and Josimara Pinheiro.
First-year Vulcans head coach Bruce Atkinson was named coach of the year.
» BYUH senior outside hitter Noelle Filimoeatu and junior setter LeeAnn Mapu both earned first-team honors for the second year in a row.
Junior middle blocker Faylynn Merrick made the second team.
» Chaminade's Trina Kauliakamoa, a junior outside hitter, also was a first-team PacWest repeat selection.
Silverswords senior middle blocker Evelyn Bluthenthal made the second team and freshman outside hitter Samantha Miller gained honorable mention honors.
Murakami to speak at Hilo fundraiser
Collegiate Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Les Murakami will be the featured speaker at the Hawaii-Hilo baseball fundraising dinner and auction on Jan. 21 in Hilo.
During his 30-year career at UH-Manoa, Murakami led the Rainbows to six Western Athletic Conference championships and 11 NCAA tournament appearances, highlighted by a second-place finish in the 1980 College World Series.
Tickets to the event -- at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel -- are $50 per person. Corporate tables are also available. For more information, call 974-7700.