Star-Bulletin Staff
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. >> Samson Guillermo solidified his spot on top of the Olympic trials yesterday, beating Rafael Valenzuela in a tiebreaker in the 119-pound weight class at the U.S. Challenge at the Olympic Training Center. Tiebreaker puts
Guillermo into
Pan Am GamesGuillermo beat Valenzuela 22-7 to win the U.S. Amateur Championship last week, but had a tougher time with him yesterday. Guillermo, of Waianae, rocked Valenzuela with a right hook for a standing eight count in the second round but Valenzuela charged back to tie it at 11 after four rounds. Guillermo won the tiebreaker because he scored on more punches in the final round, landing 47 while only being tagged 37 times.
Guillermo won the first round 2-1 and the second 3-2 but lost the third and fourth 4-3.
The win gave him the opportunity to make the Olympic team, but also assured him a spot in the Pan-American Games to be held in August in the Dominican Republic.
Guillermo will go back to Northern Michigan, where he is on a boxing scholarship provided by the USOC, to train.
Hawaii sweeps Fresno for first time in softball
FRESNO, Calif. >> Melissa Coogan and Paula Blanning pitched complete games as the Hawaii softball team swept Fresno State for the first time in the program's history yesterday.Coogan limited the Bulldogs to four hits for a 1-0 win in the first game before the Wahine broke out the bats for a 7-1 win in the second. Blanning allowed only one run in her first career start.
The offense came through for Coogan in eighth inning of the first game when Tracie Uchima tried to score from second on a long flyout by Stacie Porter, who would break Hawaii's career home run record in the second game. Uchima arrived at the plate with the ball and collided with Fresno State catcher Pam West. The umpire called Uchima out until the officials got together and reversed the call.
Porter was 2-for-4 in the second game with a pair of RBIs on the 29th home run of her career. The shot pushed Dana Degan into second in the Hawaii record books.
Hawaii improved to 21-12 and 2-0 in the WAC while Fresno State dropped to 18-17 and 0-2.
Seasiders still winning on road trip
PENSACOLA< Fla. >> the top-ranked Brigham Young-Hawaii women's tennis team (27-0) had little problem with 11th ranked North Florida yesterday as it swept with a 9-0 victory.The second-ranked men's tennis team (21-1) defeated sixth-ranked North Florida 6-3 .
Rolovich loses in NFL Europe debut
RHEIN >> Former Hawaii quarterback Nick Rolovich completed six of his 13 passes for 53 yards as the Rhein Fire opened NFL Europe play with a 17-15 loss to the Amsterdam Admirals.
Sea Warriors split in Easton tournament
MODESTO, Calif. >> Hawaii Pacific split a pair of games at the Easton Softball Tournament of Champions at Modesto, Calif., yesterday.HPU beat Chico State 5-1 but lost to Cal State Bakersfield 2-1. UH-Hilo lost its only game of the day, 4-1 to the Roadrunners. Chaminade lost both its games, 3-0 to Dominguez Hills and 6-1 to Cal State Stanislaus.