[ SHORT PUTTS ]
The Hawaii State Juniors Golf Association awarded $5,000 in travel stipends to six girls at its Tournament of Champions banquet at the Renaissance Wailea Hotel on Dec. 7. 6 receive $5,000 checks
from HSJG
Star-Bulletin staff
Receiving checks were Whitney Ueno, 14, of Hilo; Michelle Wie, 13, of Honolulu; Kira Ann Murashige, 16, of Hilo; Amanda Wilson, from Hilo; Stephanie Kono, 12, of Honolulu, and Lisa Kajihara, of Makawao on Maui.
The HSJGA supports junior girls who participated in the USGA Women's Amateur Public Links Championship in June in Oregon and the USGA Junior Girls Championship at New Jersey in July.
ConAgra Skins Game tickets now available
Tickets for next year's ConAgra Foods Champions Skins Game and the ConAgra Foods LPGA Skins Game at Maui's Wailea Golf Course are now available.Prices are $10 for the pro-ams of both events (Jan. 24) and $25 for both the Champions Skins Game (Jan. 25) and LPGA Skins Game (Jan. 26). Children 12-and-under are free and must be accompanied by an adult.
The tickets are available online at SkinsGamesSeries.com, through mail order, the Wailea Golf Club and at Maui's Kaahumanu Center.
The Champions Skins Game will feature Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin and Lee Trevino.
For more information, contact the Wailea Golf Club at (808) 875-7450.
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Willoughby bringing
her team home
By Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comLINCOLN, Neb. >> She wore Mardi Gras beads around her neck and had just one complaint after the match.
Junior Kim Willoughby griped about not getting a bottle of water after a 25-kill performance that helped send Hawaii to New Orleans for the final four next week. Second-ranked Hawaii defeated fourth-ranked Nebraska 30-25, 25-30, 30-27, 30-21 yesterday to send Willoughby back to her home state.
Willoughby and Lily Kahumoku would probably have made the trip anyway for the All-America banquet, but Willoughby is much happier to have her team with her.
"It is the best feeling because I treat everyone on this team like family," said the Napoleonville, La., native. "Finally, they'll get to meet my family. Most importantly, you get to meet the woman that taught me to think and act and made me be the way I am now. The best thing about bringing my whole team back is that I like to share everything with my team."
Willoughby's mother, Lula Mae, was paralyzed several years ago and is the All-American's inspiration in life. The 6-foot outside hitter said that before big matches she is usually nervous to the point of illness. That was how she felt after Hawaii ousted North Carolina on Friday, but Hawaii coaches calmed her down and told her not to worry until the day of the match. Willoughby said that when she woke up yesterday, she only felt positive energy and confidence.
"I had so much confidence it was unbelievable," she said. "I've never felt this way before."
Biggest win ever?: There have been many wins in coach Dave Shoji's life, but yesterday's victory has to rank up there with the best of them. Shoji won his 800th match two weeks ago at Utah, but it can't begin to compare to yesterday's victory.
"It was big for us and big for me," Shoji said after shaking hands with UH President Evan Dobelle. "A lot of people doubted us, especially after we lost to Stanford. I got the feeling that people thought, 'They just win because they're in a weak league.' This just solidified that we're a good team, a really good team."
A team that defeated another good team with just one loss this season. Since losing to USC in early September, the Huskers were never challenged by their Big 12 schedule and had been extended only three times all season. Nebraska had won 30 straight games before Hawaii broke that streak after Game 1 of yesterday's final.
Shoji didn't say where the victory ranks among the many he's experienced, but he did indicate where its place might be.
"It could be the third-best win after next week," Shoji said. "It was huge for us. I'm just so happy for our players, my staff, the administration that came here to support us and the state. I'm not taking any credit."
Third time is the charm: Hawaii seniors Jennifer Carey and Margaret Vakasausau were 0-2 against Nebraska before Hawaii won yesterday. Their first win avenged a final four loss two years ago to knock the Huskers out of the tournament.
"It feels awesome," senior Jennifer Carey said. "It's the ultimate payback for the times they've knocked us out. To come in here and have great performances out of every player and our staff is amazing."
Doing it together: Hawaii's role players came up huge yesterday. Defensive wizards Hedder Ilustre and Melissa Villaroman played a big part in frustrating Nebraska's hitters. Villaroman had a whopping 19 digs, while Ilustre used her trademark dive for 18 digs.
"They're an awesome defensive team," Laura Pilakowski said. "If you keep hitting the same shot then they're going to keep digging you. You need to mix it up and we didn't do that enough."
Junior Nohea Tano and freshman Susie Boogaard shared the right-side hitting spot and contributed at all the right times. Tano got the Wahine rolling early in Game 1.
UH Athletics
