Smith happy to
go home for national
championship

---

Cheryl Smith will be home for the holidays.

Smith officially made the cut into the NCAA Cross Country national championships yesterday, meaning that she will be able to run in front of her parents for the first time since coming to Hawaii two years ago.

Smith finished eighth in her regional but was invited to the championship meet because four of the seven runners ahead of her had their teams qualify as well.

The meet will be held Nov. 19 at the Furman University Golf Course in Greenville, S.C. Smith's family is coming from Kirkland, N.Y.

Although the race is six kilometers and Smith has run five-kilometer races all season long, she expects to do well because of her consistency.

"For her, the longer the distance the better," Hawaii coach Carmyn James said. "She is so strong. I timed her over 25 laps last year and each lap was within two or three seconds."

This will be the senior's first and last chance at a national cross country championship, but she comes into it with big meet experience.

Smith ran at the national championships of track and field last year and finished 12th, despite being seeded 16th.

"It's hard to say how well she will do, but she should do fine," James said. "She ran really well and finished eighth in our tough conference, and will run at nationals with no pressure to qualify."

Wahine hoop tickets go on sale today

General admission tickets for University of Hawaii women's basketball go on sale today at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Ticket prices are $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $4 for children and UH students. Seats for the Wahine Classic, which runs Nov. 23-25, are $1 higher across the board.

The Wahine open the season Nov. 17 against Washington State in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort Classic.

Professionals to take the court at Turtle Bay

Touring tennis professionals Chris Woodruff and Taylor Dent will play an exhibition match Dec. 2 at the Turtle Bay Tennis Complex. The event will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii, and tickets will cost $10.

Woodruff and Dent will hold a free clinic and autograph session the day before at Sports Authority on Ward Avenue.

Tickets for the match will be available at all Ticket Plus locations.

Lehman first to commit in Pro-Junior challenge

Tom Lehman has signed up to play in the First Hawaiian Bank Pro-Junior Golf Challenge on Jan. 8 before the Sony Open.

Lehman finished 20th on this year's PGA Tour, the eighth straight year he has been in the top 20, and will be paired with a local teen against five similar teams in a six-hole competition.