ICEMEN COMETH
Wahine sweep Tulsa
TULSA, Okla. >> The University of Hawaii softball team swept a doubleheader at Tulsa yesterday with its third and fourth consecutive shutouts of the Golden Hurricane.But the Wahine still lost a half-game on front-running Fresno State in the Western Athletic Conference standings. FSU won three games against Portland State yesterday.
UH trails Fresno State by one game with four remaining for each team.
But after yesterday's 3-0 and 7-0 victories, Hawaii coach Bob Coolen is confident the Wahine (42-16, 12-4) are at least on the way to their first regional appearance since 1998.
"We've had a good year on the road," Coolen said. "That's one of the things they look at."
In the first game, Desiree Duran (15-4) pitched a six-hitter to win her eighth consecutive decision, and Felicity Witt (20-10) followed with a three-hitter against Tulsa (12-38, 2-10).
Stacey Porter had five of UH's 23 hits yesterday.
The Wahine close their regular season hosting San Jose State with doubleheaders Friday and Saturday.
HPU seeded 4th
The Hawaii Pacific softball team was seeded fourth yesterday for the Pacific West Conference tournament.The Sea Warriors will play top seed Humboldt State in the first game of the double-elimination affair on May 4.
Western Washington earned the right to host by winning the PacWest Western Division title with a doubleheader sweep of Saint Martin's yesterday.
HPU earned a spot in the four-team tournament by winning the Pacific Division regular season title.
The winner of the tournament does not get an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.
Wahine edge Gauchos
The sixth-ranked UH Wahine water polo team was one goal better than their seventh-ranked opponent, UC Santa Barbara.Down 3-0 after the first quarter, UH erupted for five goals in the second and took a 5-3 halftime lead.
UH improved its record to 22-8 and advanced into tomorrow's fifth-place match against San Jose State, at 2 p.m.
Local pro goes for long-drive title
Shannon Pule, assistant professional at the Turtle Bay Resort Golf Club, will compete in the Long Drivers of America Texas Shoot-Out at Forth Worth, Texas, Thursday through Saturday.Pule, winner of the 1997 Hawaii State Long Drive contest, is one of 64 golfers in the field vying for the right to qualify for the World Championship in October.
Rose appointed
Dennis Rose has been appointed director of golf at the Turtle Bay Resort, announced Hy Adelman, Project Director for Oaktree Capital Management, LLC, the new owners of the resort.
Since returning to the islands from California in 1975, Rose has been the first assistant and teaching professional at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, and was the vice president of resort operations/director of golf at the Waikoloa Beach Resort.
Ashba-Bareis win Night Doubles
Ashlee Ashba and Rosie Bareis teamed to win the Women's Night Doubles Tennis Tournament last night, upending Janelle and Kimi Kaloi, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, at the Kailua Racquet Club.Unseeded Janelle and Kimi Kaloi reached the finals by upsetting the top-seeded team Friday night, but couldn't break through against Ashba and Bareis.
Ashba and Bareis fought off three break points in the seventh game of the third set after play was halted by rain with them holding a 4-2 lead.
Ashba and Bareis held on to win the game and finished off the match in another long deuce game.
Janelle Kaloi, 17, a senior at Kamehameha School, missed her prom to play in the final last night.
No. 1 seeded Maylani Ah Hoy and Hana Krivonozkova defeated Vanne Akagi-Bustin and Sylvia Schenck, 8-3, for third place.
Defending champions Petra Gaspar and Tagifano So'onaole, who both play for BYU-Hawaii, withdrew from the tournament because of injury. Ah Hoy and Krivonozkova also play for BYUH.
[WE GET LETTERS]
Poor sports
I witnessed an incredible display of poor sportsmanship at the recent 2001 Hawaii State Gymnastics Championship.Because the coaches from the Kokokahi Gymnastics Team disputed a score with respect to one of their competitors, they prohibited their entire team from accepting the team award presentation at the end of the meet.
While I can understand someone being upset when judges issue a score that is lower than expected, the immature behavior of the Kokokahi coaches set an extremely poor example for the girls they are training and created a bad impression of the entire gymnastics community in Hawaii. The National USA Gymnastics administration was gracious enough to allow the Hawaii State Championships to be held in conjunction with the Pontiac American Team Cup, and the last thing they remember is an unreasonable display by one of the better gymnastics teams in Hawaii.
Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done to repair the damage. I just hope these coaches can get control of themselves and behave in an appropriate manner at future meets.
Fred B. Li
Memories are short
Memories are short. While all the action goes on to name the Rainbow Stadium after Coach Murakami, all the pressure seems to be to hire Pat Murphy of ASU. But we old-timers remember Murphy when he was with Notre Dame.In about 1989 or 1990, Murphy brought his Fighting Irish here. It was a night game. It poured down rain. Past midnight (I think) the rains poured and UH was ahead, but Murphy wouldn't allow the game to be called. This was his fighting spirit.
Coach Les argued loud and long that Murphy would never be invited back to Hawaii.
I take it Les was not part of the selection committee. But as I read it, Murphy is the ultimate insult to Coach Les.
Harry Ball
Kailua
[WINNERS & LOSERS]
[WINNERS]
Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala: The Pittsburgh Steelers extended the former St. Louis School running back's contract for the next three seasons. The three-year deal is for $2.7 million, including a $750,000 signing bonus.Prep athletes: After originally being canceled to make up for lost class time due to the HSTA teacher's strike, high school state championship tournaments were saved with schedules that ensured class time would not be missed.
Hawaii softball team: The Wahine swept four games at Tulsa on Friday and yesterday -- all by shutout. Desiree Duran has won eight consecutive decisions. Hawaii ends its regular season Friday and Saturday, hosting San Jose State.
[LOSERS]
The Jail Blazers: Portland forward Dale Davis and swingman Stacey Augmon (pictured) were suspended for their team's playoff game tonight against the Lakers, leaving it with only 10 players until Rasheed Wallace gets kicked out for adding to his league-record 41 technical fouls.Football on Christmas: With Hawaii losing its two football bowl games, the few fans who attended the events will be forced to catch their fix either in front of the tube or on the West Coast, where the games will be played.
College basketball in Hawaii: Although they got a temporary reprieve this week, events like the Rainbow Classic and Maui Invitational could still fall victim to NCAA legislation making it less attractive for top-notch teams to play in the tournaments.