Karen Stupples and Debbi Koyama gained the final two spots in the 144-player field for the Sunrise Hawaiian Ladies Open starting Thursday at the Kapolei Golf Course. Ladies Open field
completeStupples shot a 3-under-par 69 and Koyama was a stroke back. Karen Davies, who had a 71, tops the list of alternates for the LPGA Tour event.
Wendy Ward defends her title in the 54-hole tournament that will also include Catrin Nilsmark, who won the Valley of the Stars Championship last week in Glendale, Calif, and two other 1999 winners, Meg Mallon and Kelly Robbins.
Also entered are Se Ri Pak, the 1998 LPGA rookie of the year, and three other past HLO champions besides Mallon, who won in 1996. They are Cindy Flom (1987), Sherri Turner (1989) and Barb Thomas Whitehead (1995).
Admission is $10 daily, or $15 for a season ticket of four days, starting with tomorrow's pro-am.
MARTINES PLAYER OF WEEK: Hawaii sophomore Scooter Martines is the Western Athletic Conference baseball Player of the Week.
The former Punahou star batted .583 (7-for-12) in the Rainbows' three-game series against St. Mary's, extended his hitting streak to five games and drove in five runs.
SOFTBALL HONOR TO GENTLE: Hawaii's Kelly Gentle is the softball Pitcher of the Week in the WAC after a 3-0, MVP performance in the Paradise Classic last week at UH.
The senior right-hander from Australia tossed three shutouts, allowing nine hits and striking out 24 in 21 innings.
Fresno State's Becky Witt was named WAC Player of the Week.
VOLLEY'BOWS FALL: Despite two wins last week over George Mason, the Hawaii men's volleyball team dropped two spots to seventh in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 15 poll released yesterday.
The Rainbows (7-2) received 165 points. Hawaii left today for a two-match road trip and will play at No. 3 Long Beach State (7-0) tomorrow and top-ranked Brigham Young (10-0) Friday.
The Cougars moved up a spot to No. 1, receiving 14 first-place votes. UCLA, jumping from sixth to second, got the other first-place votes.
SURF MEET AT PIPELINE: The Hawaiian Pro Am Circuit will launch its 15th surfing season tomorrow, wave conditions permitting, with the $20,000 Hawaiian Island Creation Pro meet at the Banzai Pipeline.
The waiting period for the three-day meet runs through Feb. 28.
Among the many local favorites expected to compete are 1998 champion Johnny Boy Gomes, Kaimana Henry and Bruce Irons.
HAWAII-ALASKA DRAG RACING: The NAPA Alaska-Hawaii Challenge, sixth annual meeting of drag racers from the 49th and 50th states, will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Hawaii Raceway Park.
Fourteen race cars have arrived from Anchorage and some 200 Alaskans are here to race, crew and cheer on Team Alaska.
Eight-time Alaska state champion John Childs will pit his supercharged Chevy dragster against Hawaii's "Six-Second" Tom Brown in his nitrous-carburated Chevy rail in a featured match race.
Gates open at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 9 a.m. Sunday. Admission is $8 Friday and Saturday, $10 Sunday. For more information, call 841-3724.