One of the state's oldest track and field meets will have a couple of new wrinkles when the starting gun goes off Saturday. Punahou meet adds
events, accomodates for
lack of OIA participantsBy Jason Kaneshiro
Star-BulletinThe 56th annual Punahou Relays will be held on a single day rather than over its usual two-day run, as the lack of participation by Oahu Interscholastic Association teams sidelined by the Hawaii State Teachers' Association strike prompted meet officials to cancel the preliminary rounds.
But the meet will go on with the finals Saturday and will once again feature the Hawaii's Fastest Human competition and the six-man football power relay.
The meet will also include the debut of the 4x100-meter women's throwers relay, which will match relay teams made up of shotput and discus participants.
Approximately 250 male and female athletes are expected to participate in the event. Teams from St. Anthony (Maui) and Hawaii Preparatory Academy (Big Island) will join the Interscholastic League of Honolulu squads. Punahou coach Louis Johnson said a few OIA teams have also expressed interest in competing if they can get clearance before the meet.
The field events start at 11:30 a.m. and the running events are slated to begin at 1:15 p.m.
Volleyball signings
Three local volleyball players will continue their careers at Pacific West Conference colleges in the fall. Mililani's Kaala Lo, the three-time OIA West Player of the Year, recently accepted a scholarship offer from Brigham Young University-Hawaii, while Nohealani Burgess of Sacred Hearts Academy and Kimberly Tano of St. Francis signed with Western New Mexico University. All three players are members of the asics Rainbow Volleyball Club.
ASSETS Camp
ASSETS School hosts the Sole Fundamentals Basketball Camp on June 18-22 at Manoa Valley District Park for boys and girls in grades 5-10.The lineup of instructors at the camp conducted by ASSETS head coach Ross Kinsler features Wade Nakamura, girls' basketball coach at Homestead High in California and two-time California Central Coast Section coach of the year, Chaminade coach Aaron Griess, former University of Hawaii players Kalia McGee and Nani Cockett, former BYU-Hawaii players Brandyn Akana and Kahi Villa and high school coaches Charles Chong, Christina Furtado and Sean Clark.
The camp fee is $90. For more information, call the ASSETS athletic department at 440-3615.
Big hits in Utah
April 13 was a good Friday for former Hawaii prep baseball stars playing in Utah.Brigham Young University third baseman and Iolani graduate Kainoa Obrey recorded the first hit at Larry H. Miller Field in the grand opening of BYU's new baseball and softball facility. His first-inning single also drove in the Cougars' first run at the new park.
Outfielder Doug Jackson, another Iolani alumnus, also had an RBI single in Cougars' 7-5 win over New Mexico. Former Aiea star Mark Okano had a double for New Mexico.
Jackson and Obrey are BYU's top hitters this season, with batting averages of .376 and .375, respectively.
Over in Orem, Utah, former Molokai star Apana Nakayama had six hits, including a three-run homer for Utah Valley State College in a doubleheader sweep of Colorado Northwestern Community College. Keiki Albino, another former Farmer, scored three runs in the second game.
Never too early
Football season is still four months away, but two local football stars are already getting national attention as potential top college recruits. Kahuku defensive end Jonathon Mapu and Waianae cornerback Kekoa Reyes are listed among the nation's top prospects by the Sporting News.
Athletes of the Week
BOYS
>> Pat McGuigan, Justin Pate and Ricky Bauer, Mid-Pacific baseball: The trio combined to pitch 2013 consecutive scoreless innings last week as the Owls beat Punahou, Damien and Pac-Five to clinch the Interscholastic League of Honolulu regular season title.
GIRLS
>> Ashley Dutro, Punahou track and field: Won four events at the ILH junior varsity championships Saturday at Punahou and broke the meet record in the 100-meter dash. She also anchored the Buffanblu's winning 4x100-meter relay team.
Honor Roll
BASEBALL
>> Kila Kaaihue, Iolani: Went 7-for-9 at the plate in wins over Pac-Five and Damien, pounding out four doubles and scoring five runs.>> Kelii Correa, Kamehameha: Launched a pair of home runs in the Warriors' victory over Punahou on Friday.
GIRLS' BASKETBALL
>> Becky Hogue, Punahou: Scored 19 points on 9-for-13 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds in a win over Iolani on Thursday.>> Britnney Aiwohi, Sacred Hearts: Scored 29 points in games against Mid-Pacific and Kamehameha last week.
>> Liz Narkon, St. Francis: Scored 14 points Saturday as the Troubadours beat Lutheran to clinch their fourth straight ILH Division-II championship.
TRACK AND FIELD
>> Raynold Stowers, Iolani: Won the ILH junior varsity boys' 100- and 200-meter dash championships.>> Lauran Dignam, Iolani: Won the girls' 100- and 200-meter races at Saturday's ILH varsity meet.
>> Pac-Five was instituted in 1974 with Hawaii Baptist, University, Mid-Pacific, Maryknoll and Our Redeemer Lutheran making up the original quintet. The Pac-Five program now comprises 18 schools, and will expand to 19 next year with Le Jardin Academy. Now You Know
Back in the Day
APRIL 25, 1981
>> David Bray goes 4-for-4 at the plate and drives in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning as Waipahu rallies to beat Castle, 4-3, for the Oahu Interscholastic Association championship. Bray's heroics outshine a 16-strikeout performance by Kaiser's Sid Fernandez in the Cougars' 7-0 win over Roosevelt in the third-place game.
APRIL 29, 1989
>> Leilehua senior Adrian Murrell burns up the Kaiser Stadium track and breaks the state championship meet record in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.5 seconds. Murrell went on to star at West Virginia as a running back and is still playing in the National Football League, for the Washington Redskins.
This week's highlights
TODAY
>> Golf: The finals of the ILH championship tournament is at 9 a.m. at Waialae Country Club.
THURSDAY
>> Baseball: The ILH tournament opens with games at Iolani, Mid-Pacific and Ala Wai Field.
FRIDAY
>> Girls' basketball: Kamehameha and Punahou clash in a battle of the ILH's top teams. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. at Kekuhaupio Gym.
SATURDAY
>> Track and field: The Punahou Relays open with field events at 11:30 a.m. and running events at 1:15 p.m. The Hawaii's Fastest Human competition will be held at approximately 4 p.m.
Athletes of the week
To nominate an athlete, contact the Star-Bulletin Sports Department by 11 p.m. Sunday: 529-4782 (phone) 529-4787 (fax) sports@starbulletin.com
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