Hilo leads Billfish

---

Star-Bulletin staff

The Hilo Yacht Club took the lead yesterday in the 43rd Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament with 300 points.

The Big Island club was one of 22 teams that took part in the tournament held in Kailua Bay. Aboard the Force Play, Hilo Yacht Club captain Jim Patterson was the first team on the scoreboard after angler Dickie Divine tagged and released a Pacific blue marlin on 50-pound test line. It wouldn't be the club's only catch of the day.

The Hilo Yacht Club hooked its second marlin early yesterday afternoon. Angler Randy Rohner fought the fish for 92 minutes.

"It was a very strong fish. We had it to the double leader sixteen times," said Rohner.

The fish weighed about 325 pounds, which is above the 300-pound minimum for boating a marlin. However, the team opted to guarantee themselves the 300 points from tag and release rather than chancing no points if the fish didn't meet the minimum weight. Rohner's fish put Hilo Yacht Club firmly in first place with a total of 600 points.

The Buzzard Angling Team from California is in second with 300 points, followed by the Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club Young Adults Team, also with 300 points.

Ladies stroke play tournament stocked

Stephanie Kono and Lehua Wise, two members of Hawaii's Junior Americas Cup team, teed off this morning in the Hawaii State Women's Golf Association Stroke Play Championship at Mid-Pacific Country Club.

Kono, Wise, Lindsay Hong and Kira-Ann Murashige finished third out of 18 teams in last week's competition in Boise, Idaho. The foursome carded a 715, 28 strokes behind Southern California, in the 54-hole event.

The HSWGA event runs through Thursday's final round. Defending champion Michelle Wie is competing on the mainland and will miss the event. Others in the field of 28 are 2000 champion Rachel Kyono, 1972 champ Bev Kim and this year's HSWGA match play winner Bobbi Kokx.

Castillo leads stroke play: Hapuna Golf Course pro Ron Castillo Jr. took a two-stroke lead going into today's second round of the 54-hole Aloha Section PGA AT&T Stroke Play Championship at the Mauna Kea Golf Course.

Kitt Felte of Hualalai was second in the championship division with Gary Brown of Discovery Bay third at 73. Larry Stubblefield had a four-stroke lead in the senior division after carding a 72. Ron Kiaaina, Dennis Rose and Steven Hookano shared second at 76.

Softball team takes title

PICO RIVERA, Calif. >> Dara Pagaduan doubled in Miya Quinn in the top of the 14th inning to break a scoreless tie and Mililani-Waipio went on to defeat Milpitas, Calif., 2-0 for the championship of the 13-under American Girl 3A Bobby Sox Tournament of Champions.

St. Louis ranked 15th in Student Sports poll

St. Louis open the high school football season ranked 15th in the Student Sports Fab 50 preseason national football rankings released yesterday.

The Crusaders, the 16-time defending Interscholastic League of Honolulu champions, are the only Hawaii team ranked in the Fab 50.

De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) tops the national rankings. The Spartans will put their record 125-game winning streak on the line against St. Louis in the HHSAA Football Classic on Sept. 21.

De La Salle is also ranked first in the west in Student Sports's regional rankings. Poly (Long Beach) is second and St. Louis is third.

Poly plays two-time defending state champion Kahuku in the first game of the HHSAA Football Classic doubleheader. Kahuku is rated 16th in the west region.

Babe Ruth team 2-0 in regional tourney

FALLON, Nev. >> Behind 5 1/3 innings of shutout relief by Steven Dannaway, Hawaii topped Tri-Valley of California, 15-7, Sunday at the Babe Ruth 14-under regional baseball tournament.

Hawaii trailed 6-2 with two outs in the bottom of the second when Dannaway came in and shut down Tri-Valley the rest of the way. The reliever stroke out six, walked one and gave up four hits to pick up the victory.

Colby Ho and Michah Murashige both drove in three runs as Hawaii improved to 2-0 in the tournament that runs through Friday. Hawaii will play Reno, Nev., today in a winners bracket game.

Mililani finishes third: At Chino Hills, Calif., host Chino Hills eliminated Mililani, 13-5, at the West Zone Mustang Tournament Sunday.

Zac Quines had a three-run home run in the third that pulled Mililani to within 5-3 but Chino Hills scored eight runs in the last two innings to pull away.