Punahou’s Tuttle resigns

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Dan Tuttle has stepped down as head coach of the Punahou girls track and field team, the school announced yesterday.

Tuttle coached at Punahou for 25 years and cited a "desire to focus on his family and teaching responsibilities" in resigning from his position in a release sent out by the Punahou athletic department.

Tuttle guided the Buffanblu to 10 consecutive Interscholastic League of Honolulu and state championships from 1981 to 1990 and also served as an assistant cross country coach for many years.

"Dan Tuttle is a great coach and motivator," associate athletic director Jeff Meister said. "He has touched many student-athletes' lives and will continue to do so here at Punahou. Although he may not be up on the track every afternoon, he will continue to be a wonderful resource to all of us."

Punahou is accepting applications for the position. Those interested should submit resumes to the Punahou School athletic department. The deadline is Oct. 4.

Ulbrich could return for Niners on Sunday

SANTA CLARA, Calif. >> San Francisco 49ers linebacker Jeff Ulbrich returned to practice yesterday, and might be able to play Sunday against Washington.

The UH alum hyperextended his right knee during an exhibition game against Oakland last month. In his absence, second-year pro Jamie Winborn has been outstanding, including a 16-tackle performance in the opener against the New York Giants.

Ulbrich was back on the practice field for the Niners' afternoon workouts, but he and coach Steve Mariucci will wait until game time before deciding whether to activate him.

"If I can go at full speed, I'll probably go on Sunday," Ulbrich said.

Starting safety Zack Bronson also felt much better yesterday after spraining his shoulder Sunday against Denver. Bronson, listed as doubtful, said there's still a realistic chance he could play against the Redskins.

Bragado and Wood qualify for main draw

VITORIA, Brazil >> Hawaii's Danalee Bragado and partner Ali Wood earned the fifth main draw berth for the United States yesterday by defeating a team from Sweden for their second qualification tournament win in the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour season finale on Camburi Beach.

Seeded second in the 28-team qualification tournament, Bragado-Wood defeated the 22nd-seeded team of Mari Evensen and Synnove Oyra of Norway, 21-11, 21-14 to advance.

The 32-team main draw of the $150,000 event starts tomorrow.

High school coaches on tap for talk show

Tomorrow's SuperBowlTim

es.com/Super Sports talk show on 1500-AM will feature live interviews with football coaches Delbert Tengan (St. Louis), Siuaki Livai (Kahuku) and Raul Lara (Long Beach Poly).

The show starts at 6 p.m.

Investigators scour Tahiti in Dele mystery

PAPEETE, Tahiti >> FBI agents have joined Tahiti police in investigating the disappearance of Bison Dele, the former NBA player who vanished with two others during a sailboat cruise.

Police said yesterday that investigators were scouring Dele's 55-foot catamaran, taking photographs and gathering fingerprints and other evidence for analysis.

The 33-year-old Dele, formerly known as Brian Williams, his girlfriend, Serena Karlan, and Bertrand Saldo, a French skipper sailing with the group, were last seen July 8 during a layover in the French Pacific territory, investigators said.

The three, along with Dele's older brother, Miles Dabord, sailed from Auckland, New Zealand, on May 2. Their eventual destination was Hawaii. Investigators said Dabord flew out of Tahiti on July 20.

Dele, a member of the Chicago Bulls' 1997 NBA championship team, changed his name in 1998 to honor his American Indian ancestry. Dele also played two season with the Detroit Pistons before retiring.

Dele's boat, the "Hakuna Matata," was discovered last Thursday at the east coast port of Taravao. The FBI later issued an arrest warrant for Dabord.

The catamaran was docked on July 18 by Dabord, French judicial officials have said. Its name had been removed and it was registered under a new name, "Aria Bella."

Since Monday, experts have been scouring the catamaran, taking photographs and gathering fingerprints and other evidence. Investigators have found "nothing spectacular" on the boat, Investigating Judge Jean-Bernard Taliercio was quoted as saying in Tuesday's edition of the daily La Depeche de Tahiti.

"No bodies, but some very interesting things," he said without elaborating. "This operation should take several days." A team of 13 FBI agents was assisting authorities.