Honolulu Quarterback Club
will honor dozens Monday
at 56th Banquet of Champions

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The Honolulu Quarterback Club will honor nearly five dozen Hawaii sports champions at its 56th annual Banquet of Champions this Monday at the Pacific Beach Hotel.

The banquet, which begins at 6:30 p.m., recognizes outstanding achievement in sports during 2002. In addition to the individual award winners, the Quarterback Club will honor national championship squads from Hawaii. They are the University of Hawaii men's volleyball team, Brigham Young University-Hawaii women's volleyball team, BYUH men's and women's tennis teams, and Team Oahu women's world champion paddling team.

Les Keiter serves as master of ceremonies. Tickets to the banquet may be purchased from the Quarterback Club for $35 by calling 732-8805 or 261-5143.

Wahine softball splits at Desert Classic

The University of Hawaii softball team split a pair of games yesterday at the Nevada-Las Vegas Softball Desert Classic at Craig Park.

In the opener, UH's Melissa Coogan (2-1) picked up the win as she spaced six hits over seven innings to secure a 2-1 victory over No. 23 Oregon. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the Rainbow Wahine.

UH got all it needed in the top of the first inning, scoring both runs on a Tracie Uchima double. It was the first loss of the season for Oregon starting pitcher Monica Hoffman (8-1).

In the final game of the day, Utah edged Hawaii 4-3, scoring a pair of runs in the first and fifth innings off UH starter Shannon Tabion (1-3). She yielded five hits and two earned runs. She walked four and struck out three.

UH plays No. 1 UCLA today at 9:30 a.m. Hawaii time and Central Michigan in the nightcap at 5 p.m.

HPU postpones pair of softball games

Hawaii Pacific University softball co-head coach Howard Okita postponed this weekend's Pacific West Conference season openers against Brigham Young University-Hawaii today and the University of Hawaii-Hilo tomorrow because of rain.

The new date and time for the game with BYU-Hawaii will be rescheduled at a later time. UH-Hilo's game will be rescheduled for March 19 at 11 a.m. at the windward Hawaii Loa softball field in Kaneohe.

The Lady Sea Warriors take on Simon Frasier University on Monday at noon at the windward Hawaii Loa softball field if weather permits.

Alinghi opens with win

AUCKLAND, New Zealand >> Team New Zealand's 10-race winning streak in the America's Cup was doomed before the Kiwis even got close to the first buoy.

The two-time defending champions were forced to withdraw after their boat broke down twice less than 20 minutes into the opening race of the series today, handing the victory to the challenger, Alinghi of Switzerland.

Water poured into the cockpit of the 80-foot sloop from the rough seas, apparently contributing to the back end of the carbon fiber boom shattering and the jib blowing out and flapping wildly against the mast. Just like that, the Kiwis' winning streak, dating to 1995, came to a shocking end.

"We had a lot of gremlins on the boat today," skipper Dean Barker said.

Alinghi sailed alone on the last five legs of the six-leg, 18.5-nautical mile course to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-nine America's Cup.

Overshadowed by the chaos was Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts setting a record with his 10th straight America's Cup match win. His first nine came as Team New Zealand's skipper before he jumped ship to Alinghi, angering many New Zealanders.