Host Iolani was the only local team to challenge California squads in the first round of its volleyball tournament. Hawaii’s best off to
rough startStar-Bulletin staff
California's Mater Dei won pool B with a perfect 8-0 record, while Clovis West (Calif.) won pool A over Iolani with a tiebreaker. Both teams sported 7-1 records and split 9-15, 15-2 when they tangled late in the day.
Leilehua finished fourth in Iolani's pool with a 2-6 record, but scared the Raiders before losing 15-10 in the second set after losing 15-4 in the first.
Hawaii Baptist took third place in pool B with a 4-4 record, fattening up on the other two Hawaii teams in its bracket. HBA swept through Waiakea and Farrington, but did not fare so well against champions and runners up Mater Dei and El Molino (Calif.)
Pools C and D compete today.
Aiea comes back to beat New York in World Series
Down 1-0 going into the final two innings, Aiea rallied to beat New York and come within two games of the Junior Little League World Series at Taylor, Mich., yesterday.Aiea tied the game in the fifth and won it in the sixth on a double with the bases loaded.
Blaze Moleta threw a complete game to get the win.
Aiea plays Indiana today and New York plays Louisiana. The winners advance to tomorrow's semi-final game that determines the United States participant in Saturday's championship match.
Kaneshiro, Tomori to compete in LPGA tourney
Dawn Kaneshiro of Lahaina, Maui, and Christel Tomori of Hilo will participate in an LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament next week, Aug. 21-24, at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla.Of the 170 players in the field, the low 30 finishers after four days of play will advance to the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.
Surfers and boarders waiting for the waves
The Oxbow World Longboard Championship at Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa, was postponed for the third consecutive day due to continued small surf at the Point yesterday, but Hawaii's boarders should be able to compete today.Hawaii's Kekoa Uemura, Chris Vandervoort, Bonga Perkins, Zane Aikua, Duane DeSoto, Lance Hookano and Rusty Keaulana will vie for the title.
The Morey Pro surfing event at Teapuhoo, Tahiti, is also waiting for a sewll to come in.
Three surfers from Hawaii -- Mike Stewart, Jeff Hubbard and Jarrett Lau -- won their heats before the surf died down.
Grass at Aloha Stadium? Not so fast, says Hayashi
Aloha Stadium Manager Eddie Hayashi denied a local newspaper report yesterday that a decision had been reached to install a new surface for the football field.Hayashi said in a press release that the information provided by Les Keiter was incorrect. The story read that stadium officials were strongly considering installing grass or artificial grass by the 2002 season.
The Star-Bulletin reported nearly 18 months ago that the NFL preferred a grass field rather than artificial turf for the Pro Bowl.
At the time, NFL groundskeeper George Toma said grass could be put on top of the field for the Pro Bowl as an alternative to tearing up the brand-new artificial surface.
Hawaii's own
Benny Agbayani, Mets: New York's crowded outfield situation has certainly dug into the St. Louis and Hawaii Pacific product's playing time, as he sat out of the Mets' 2-1 loss to the Padres yesterday.The last time Agbayani started three games in a row was Aug. 1-3, right after his team acquired Matt Lawton from the Twins on July 31. Agbayani has missed six games since then, going 5-for-21 (.238), and he hasn't had a hit in his last seven at-bats.
Mike Fetters, Pirates: The Iolani graduate did not pitch in Pittsburgh's 5-2 loss to the Diamondbacks after appearing in the team's previous two games.