Owens, Atuaia sports
persons of the month

Hawaii football return specialist Chad Owens and Wahine playmaker April Atuaia are the Quarberback Club outstanding male and female sports persons for the month of December.

Owens sparked the Warriors to a upset win over unbeaten Brigham Young by returning both a kickoff and punt for touchdowns. He also set NCAA records for returns and was named to the freshman All-America team.

Atuaia, a sophomore two-guard, was named Western Athletic Conference player of the week December 10 and to the Tesoro Invitational all-tournament team. She helped lead UH to the championship of Ala Moana Hotel Paradise Classic and is the team's leading rebounder.

The two honorees become candidates for the outstanding male and female athletes of 2001, to be recognized at the Club's annual Banquet of Champions February 18 at the Pacific Beach Hotel.

They will be recognized at Monday's meeting of the Quarterback Club at the Pagoda International Ballroom.

Chaminade basketball coach Aaron Griess, Hawaii swimming coach Mike Anderson and basketball coach Riley Wallace are all scheduled to speak on Monday.

Lunch starts at 11:30 a.m. and the program begins at noon.The public is invited. For more information, call AlMinn at 261-5143.

Sea Warrior tennis falls to Division I SMU

The top-ranked men's tennis team in NCAA Division II fell in its first match of the season, as Hawaii Pacific lost to Division I No. 9 Southern Methodist 5-2 yesterday at the Kailua Racquet Club.

HPU's No. 1 doubles team of Mikael Maata and Jan Tribler defeated SMU's Johan Brunstrom and Eric Cohn, ranked fourth in Division I. Tribler also beat Brunstrom at No. 2 singles to tie the dual at 2-2.

But momentum swung to SMU, as the Mustangs closed out the win.

"We just ended up on the short side of the stick," HPU coach Henry Somerville said. "I was really pleased with what I saw."

HPU next hosts Sonoma State on Jan. 24.

Wilson to receive UH community service award

Artie Wilson, color analyst for Hawaii basketball games on KFVE, has been named the 2002 recipient of the inaugural Kane Fernandez Community Service Award by the UH Letterman's Club.

The award, named for the late chairman and CEO of Fernandez Entertainment Inc. and UH Letterwinner's Club Board of Director, will be given annually to a former Hawaii letterwinner for community volunteer service.

Wilson, a realtor and partner for Prudential Locations and past UH Letterwinner's Club president, was a member of the Hawaii men's basketball and baseball teams from 1970-74. As Letterwinner's Club president, he hosted the Donna Collins Fundraiser, helped raise over $55,000 in membership dues, donations and endowments, and secured and refurbished the Letterwinner's Clubhouse. He is also president for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation of Hawaii.

Wilson will be honored during halftime of tonight's Rainbow basketball game against SMUat the Stan Sheriff Center.

Tatupu dismissed from football post

WRENTHAM, Mass. >> The Mosi Tatupu era at King Philip Regional High School is over.

The former New England Patriots running back was told that he and his staff will not be rehired for the 2002 season, The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro reported.

Tatupu had a 29-43 record in seven seasons at the high school, which has about 1,000 students.

King Philip had just one win last season, but was 8-2, 6-4 and 8-2 in the previous three.

School officials, citing a confidentiality code involving personnel matters, refused to comment.

"I had an inkling it might happen," Tatupu told the newspaper. "They want to go in another direction and I don't have anything nice to say. So I won't say anything at all and leave it at that."

Tatupu, a Punahou graduate who played at Southern California, played for the Patriots from 1978 to 1990.