Hawaii Beat

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Thursday, April 29, 1999

LaBatte leads
way for Hawaii
gymnastics club

Tacia LaBatte, a 17-year-old Castle High School junior, led the Hawaiian Island Twisters to eight gold medals and was the individual champion in the recent USA Gymnastics Jr. Olympic Regional competition at Seattle.

In Level 10, the highest for the Jr. Olympic gymnasts, LaBatte won the all-around title and took gold medals in the vault, uneven parallel bars and floor exercise events.

Erin Geary won gold medals on the bars and floor. Shannon Geary, Jaclyn Hilea and Christie Chinaka also were gold medalists on the bars.

The Twisters, coached by Joe Rapp, will compete in the Jr. Olympic nationals May 15-16 at Austin, Texas. LaBatte also will participate in an international meet in London in June.

HPU softball team No. 3

The Hawaii Pacific softball team climbed from 11th to third nationally in the latest NCAA Division II poll of coaches.

The Sea Warriors, 40-3-1 in their first NCAA season, also are ranked first in the West by the NFCA coaches. They are assured a postseason spot in the Division II West Regionals.

Up next for Hawaii Pacific is the May 7-8 PacWest Conference tournament.

Hammerheads try again

The Hawaii Hammerheads tackle the Texas Terminators tonight in an Indoor Professional Football League game at Austin, Texas.

It's a rematch of the Hammerheads' 36-21 loss to Texas last weekend, also in the Lone Star State.

Hawaii (1-1) is led by Brian Ah Yat, the league's top-rated quarterback, who passed for 198 yards and three touchdowns in the teams' first meeting.

Former University of Texas standout James Brown quarterbacks the Terminators (2-0).

Ride Across America

Four Oahu bicycle riders and two from Maui will pedal from Seattle to Washington, D.C., this summer on the Big Ride Across America to benefit the American Lung Association.

The Oahu riders are Marilee Cowan, Shari Holder, Lance Nabarrete and Devin Oishi. The Maui cyclists are George Kobayashi and Noran Siegel.

To make the 3,250-mile, 6-day ride, they must raise $7,000 apiece in donations, with some of the proceeds going to Hawaii lung health programs.

Vulcans sign 6-5 forward

Ben Addink, a two-year starter at Yakima Valley (Wash.) College, has signed a letter of intent to play basketball for Hawaii-Hilo.

The 6-foot-5 Addink averaged 14 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last season.

He joins 6-4 Kyle Bartholomew of Waiakea High School on the Big Island and 6-6 Ryan Hogue of Kalaheo in coach Jeff Law's first UH-Hilo recruiting class.

Triathlon field full

Applications for the May 30 Keauhou Kona Triathlon no longer will be accepted because the event has reached its limit of 650 athletes.

The event is the only Ironman qualifier in the state.