Hawaii Beat

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Thursday, December 30, 1999

Alaska team rips
St. Louis for Wong title

Brandon Edwards, the tournament MVP, scored 22 points as East Anchorage, Alaska, blitzed host St. Louis, 84-48, in the championship game of the Walter Wong Holiday Basketball Classic last night at McCabe Gym.

The Thunderbirds averaged 74.9 points a game in the tournament, winning by an average margin of 30.3 points per game.

They also finished fifth in the Iolani Classic, winning five of seven games in the two tourneys.

Junior Wong had 13 points to pace the Crusaders.

Ikaika Alama-Francis popped in 23 points, leading Kalaheo to a 47-44 victory over Iolani in the third-place game.

Hawaii's Oahu Bowl win rebroadcast on Saturday Hawaii's Jeep Oahu Bowl football victory over Oregon State will be rebroadcast Saturday on Oceanic Cable Channel 16 at 5 p.m. "We feel we must make this rare exception to retelevise the game,'' said Lenny Klompus, CEO of Bowl Games Hawaii, noting the overwhelming public demand for a rebroadcast. The Christmas Day game was originally shown live on ESPN. The Rainbows defeated the Beavers, 23-17, to finish the season at 9-4.

Francis on Butkus All-Century high school football team

Hawaii's Russ Francis, an all-pro tight end for the San Francisco 49ers, was named yesterday to the Dick Butkus Network's All-Century high school team.

Francis, who set a national prep record in the javelin at Pleasant Hill (Ore.), was a multisport star athlete at Kailua High before moving to Oregon for his senior year. He competed for the University of Oregon in football and track, before beginning an NFL career that lasted from 1975 to 1989.

Francis is one of four prep receivers named to the all-century team. The others are former NFL greats Lance Alworth, Steve Largent and Paul Warfield.

Two Hawaii powerlifters qualify for national meet

Noy Southichack and Carmela Baqui set Hawaii records at the recent state powerlifting championships and have qualified for the U.S. national championships in February.

Southichack, competing in the 97-pound weight class, set a Hawaii record of 231 pounds in the deadlift. Baqui, in the 105-pound class, had a record-setting deadlift of 287 pounds.

Although not qualifying for the national competition, Julie Kimoto set two American records in the 181-pound class. She bench pressed 220 pounds and had a deadlift of 391 pounds.

Baqui was named the meet's champion of champions and best deadlifter. The best bench press award went to Kimoto. Lanessa Villegas earned the award for best squat lift.

The women's results were omitted from the original list submitted by meet organizers.