WAC track championships
to be an individual testA contingent of seven Hawaii athletes leaves tomorrow for the Western Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in Nampa, Idaho. The meet begins Thursday and concludes Saturday.
Victoria Chang (3000 meters, distance medley), Jennifer Crumley (3000, distance medley, 4x400), Michelle Le (60, long jump, 4x400), Lana Phillips (60 high hurdles, 4x400, distance medley), Olivia Smoody (high jump), Jordana Whittington (4x400, distance medley) and Nicole Wright (60, 60 high hurdles, long jump) will compete in UH's only indoor meet of the season.
The Wahine, who are in their first season of indoor competition, won't meet NCAA team requirements because this is their only meet of the year. In January, UH canceled its entry to another meet (the University of Washington Invitational on Feb. 15).
"We expect both the indoor and outdoor track programs to be fully funded by the 2004-05 academic year, UH assistant athletic director Marilyn Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano said last month.
If any UH athletes qualify during the WAC Championships, they may participate at the NCAA Championships individually.
UH coach Carmyn James said canceling out of the UW meet was disappointing, but the program is moving ahead.
"Last year we didn't have this experience at all, and the girls are going to get competitive experience against girls in the WAC. Indoor is preparations for outdoor season," she said. "For those who never competed indoors before, it would have been great to have experience going into the WAC championships, but it boiled down to funding."
Islanders add Pahia to coaching staff
Hawaiian Islanders coach Cal Lee has added Frank Pahia to the arenafootball2 team's coaching staff.Pahia will coach offensive and defensive line, Islanders director of player personnel Tom Yoshida said yesterday.
Pahia, a longtime assistant on Lee's staff at Saint Louis High School, joins Darren Hernandez (linebackers, fullbacks) and Doug Semones (defensive backs) on the coaching staff. The Islanders are still looking for an offensive coordinator, Yoshida said.
The Islanders open their second season March 30 at Blaisdell Arena against the Green Bay Blizzard.
Sea Warriors swamp Warriors in tennis
Hawaii's Justin Menolascino beat Hawaii Pacific's Mikael Maatta 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 in a matchup of each school's top tennis players, but the Sea Warriors won every other match to beat the Warriors 8-1 at the Manoa tennis courts yesterday.Only Gabor Jaross was extended to three sets for HPU.
Coogan named WAC Pitcher of the Week
Hawaii pitcher Melissa Coogan was named the Western Athletic Conference's player of the week yesterday, going 4-0 with a 0.72 earned run average.The Rainbow Wahine will host UH-Hilo in an exhibition Saturday.
Sea Warriors sinking: The Hawaii Pacific softball team lost to Montana State-Billings 4-2 yesterday, dropping its first conference game of the year.
Malia Sullivan got the loss for the Sea Warriors (7-2, 2-1 Pacific West). Megan McCrea earned the win for the Yellowjackets (1-4, 1-2).