Prep Beat

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Wednesday, May 12, 1999

Mid-Pacific
earns state berth

Mid-Pacific Institute finished fourth in Interscholastic League Honolulu during the regular baseball season but has turned it around during the playoffs.

The Owls (14-7) defeated Iolani (15-4) for the second time in four days, guaranteeing MPI a berth in the state tournament.

Last night, Bryan Tanabe scattered five hits and Kenji Takanishi's two-out, bases-loaded infield single drove in the game's only run in the Owls' 1-0 victory at Ala Wai Field. The win sets up another 6 p.m. game at Ala Wai tomorrow to determine who gets the ILH's No. 1 seed in the state tourney.

The Owls used singles by Reid Asato, Garrett Kuwahara and Lance Takaki to load the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth.

Takanishi beat out a chop-single to third to score Asato.

Mid-Pacific	000	010	0--1	9	0
Iolani		000	000	0--0	5	1

Bryan Tanabe and Jacob Flick; Kanoa Fong, Erik Yamamoto (6) and Travis Mitsuda.

W--Tanabe. L--Fong.

Leading hitters--MPI: Bryan Lee 2-3; Garrett Kuwahara, 2-4; Lance Takaki, 2-4.

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Iolani ousts
St. Francis

Kacy Nekoba hit five 3-pointers and Monica Tokoro scored a game-high 19 points as Iolani eliminated St. Francis from the ILH girls' basketball tournament last night at McCabe Gym.

The 78-49 win lifts the Raiders into today's 4:30 p.m. semifinal game against Maryknoll at McCabe. In today's second game, Mid-Pacific takes on defending state champion Punahou.

The loss was the Troubadours' first this season. St. Francis (15-1) won the ILH Division II title at 14-0 and beat University in a first-round game Monday.

St. Francis	15	13	5	16--49
Iolani		22	26	18	12--78

St. Francis: Malena Feeney 5, Kahikina Whittle 0, Jami Strapple 10, Jackie Caballero 6, Deeann Nahale 2, Donna Anderson 0, Stacey Doran 1, Joanne Howard 2, Tiffany Asuncion 6, Chelsey Correa 0, Paea Williams 0, Liz Narkon 11, Jamila Jarmon 6.

Iolani: Tricia Nishimoto 17, Kacy Nekoba 18, Monica Tokoro 19, Kari Hayashi 4, Janna Young 0, Noelle Izumi 5, Shayna Higa 0, Kristen Masunaga 2, Keri Tomomitsu 4, Christina Demetropolis 0, Elyssa Street 3, Mitzi Ing 2, Ine Samia 0, Rachel Faleafine 4.

3-point goals--Iol: Nekoba 5, Tokoro 2, Nishimoto.

Mid-Pacific 42, Sacred Hearts 36: At McCabe Gym, Ashley Watamura and Christina Hee were the only Owls to score in the first half, but it was enough to help eliminate the Lancers.

Watamura scored all nine of Mid-Pac's first-quarter points and finished with 17. Hee scored the Owls' eight second-quarter points on her way to 14.

Sacred Hearts	7	8	9	12--36
Mid-Pacific	9	8	10	15--42

Sacred Hearts: Tara Lynch 4, Nicole Inouye 0, Malia Sales 0, Brittney Aiwohi 9, Sandy Okada 7, Carlene Hardin 5, Pua Reis 0, Keala Dolfo 4, Samanta Alapa 6, Kaui Miranda 1.

Mid-Pacific: Lianne Ige 2, Erika Sayson 8, Jessica Eji 0, Brenda Bauer 1, Ashley Watamura 17, Crystal Foster 0, Christina Hee 14, Megahn Chun 0, Rosella Leonhardt 0, Kimberly Hee 0, Stephanie Toshi 0, Jean Kasamoto 0.

3-point goals--SH: Okada.

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State track, tennis
this weekend

Punahou senior Eri Macdonald can close out her stellar prep running career with another four-peat at this week's Island Movers State Track and Field Championships at Maui's War Memorial Stadium.

Macdonald, the only Hawaii high school runner of either gender to win four cross-country state titles, is seeking her fourth consecutive individual track title in the 800 meters. She holds the meet record of 2:13.23 and is the top seed in both the 400 and 800 events.

The Buffanblu girls' team is seeking its fourth straight state title and 24th overall. The Buffanblu boys have won the past three state titles and are after their 25th overall.

BOYS' tennis WIde open: With the graduation of Lahainaluna's Malino Oda, the winner the past two years, a new boys' tennis champion will be crowned. The top three seeds are Punahou's Ikaika Jobe and Jesse Peer and OIA champ Brian Lee, a senior at Leilehua.

For more on two-time defending girls' champion Erin Hoe of Mililani, see today's Prep Extra feature on page C-1.

The Punahou boys' team has won the last eight titles, 30 overall. Iolani and Mililani shared last year's girls' championship.

The top-seeded doubles teams are Bradlee Lum and Kevin Konishi from Kauai, and Lauren Akitake and Jan Ikeda from Baldwin.

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Athletes of the Week

Victoria Chang

Punahou track

The junior had the fastest time nationally at 3,000 meters at Saturday's ILH Championships, finishing in 9:38.94. She won the event by nearly two minutes. Chang also won the 1,500 in record time.

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Jerome Williams

Waipahu baseball

With the bases loaded and no outs in the seventh, the senior struck out the final three Mililani batters to earn the save in the Marauders' 5-1 victory Friday. He also struck out 20 in a 3-2 win over Roosevelt on Thursday.

HONORABLE MENTION

Baseball

Derek Akimoto, Aiea: Held Castle to two hits as Na Alii earned the final OIA berth in the state tournament with a 3-1 win in the tournament's fifth-place game.

Brandon Fujimoto, Mid-Pacific: Tossed a one-hitter as the Owls forced another game with Iolani by defeating the Raiders, 4-1, in the ILH Tournament on Saturday. He also picked up a seven-hit win over Kamehameha.

Brandon Hookala, Pearl City: Homered in two games to help the Chargers to the OIA title with wins over Kailua and Waipahu. He also had a three-run double in the bottom of the seventh to rally Pearl City over Kalaheo, 8-7.

Kukui Lucas, Roosevelt: Hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, then pitched a perfect seventh in relief as the Rough Riders edged Campbell, 3-2.

Girls' basketball

Kori Montez, Nanakuli: Scored 19 points Saturday to lead Nanakuli to a 50-40 win over Farrington in the OIA Tournament.

Monica Tokoro, Iolani: Scored 21 points in Tuesday's loss to Punahou but finished as the ILH's leading scorer.

Boys' golf

Jaime Matsumura, Kauai: Won the state title at the Waikoloa Kings Course by a stroke; he had finished second the past two years.

Girls' golf

Shayna Miyajima, Baldwin: Won the state title at the Hapuna Golf course by a stroke.

Boys' track & field

Travis Ah King, Kamehameha: Won the 100 high hurdles and 300 intermediate hurdles at Saturday's ILH Championships.

Robby Phillipp, Mililani: Won the 800 and 1,500 races and anchored the Trojans' winning 4x400 relay team.

Zack Toyofuku, Iolani: Won the 100 and 200, was second in the 400, ran the second leg on the Raiders' record-setting 4x100 relay team.

Girls' track & field

Leila Hammonds, Mililani: Won the long jump, anchored the record-setting 4x100 relay team, finished second in the 100 and 200, and third in the triple jump to help the Trojans repeat as OIA champs Friday.

Eri Macdonald, Punahou: Set a meet record in the 400, won the 200 and 800 and anchored the Buffanblu's winning 4x400 relay team.

Vera Simms, Mililani: Set a meet record in the 300 low hurdles, won the 100 high hurdles, anchored the winning 4x400 relay team and anchored the Trojan's record-setting effort in the 4x100 relay.

Sara Yap, Punahou: Set meet records in the 100 high hurdles and 300 low hurdles, was on the winning 4x400 relay team and won the triple jump.

A male and female athlete will be selected each week based on their performances of the previous week.To nominate an athlete, call the Star-Bulletin sports department between 6-11 p.m. at 525-8600; fax the info to 525-5497; or e-mail to sports@starbulletin.com.