Hawaii Beat
[OUT THERE]
Mark Bridenstine ran to the finish line during the Kailua Beach Run held on Sunday. Bridenstine was the first runner to finish the race.
Lee named Iolani boys soccer coach
Chris Lee, a longtime assistant coach with the Iolani boys soccer program, has been named the Raiders' new head coach.Lee played for Iolani in the 1980s and served as an assistant with the Raiders for the last 13 years, working under three head coaches -- Bob Barry, Myles Arakawa and, most recently, Ric Miller.
"It's been a dream of mine to be the head coach at Iolani," Lee said last night. "I was just waiting my time, I was happy being an assistant coach. It's a different role and now I get my opportunity to apply what I've learned working all those years as an assistant coach."
Miller stepped down as head coach in the spring after leading Iolani to the Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship and the state tournament title match last season. He was named the Star-Bulletin's coach of the year in his only year at the helm.
"I think the world of Chris, he was the perfect assistant anyone could ever wish for," Miller said. "The kids love him and I'm really happy and proud that Iolani made the right decision.
"It's his time and he will do very well."
Lee played for Barry at Iolani and graduated in 1988. He played his college soccer at Colorado College.
His history with the Iolani program should make for a smooth transition and he said he plans to keep most of the current Raiders' coaching staff intact.
"We've had a very successful system at Iolani and I will definitely work with that and try to add to that," Lee said.
Kai named preseason WAC player of year
Hawaii forward Natasha Kai, the leading goal-scorer in women's college soccer last season, was named the Preseason Player of the Year yesterday by a vote of the Western Athletic Conference coaches for the second year in a row.Kai, an incoming junior from Kahuku High, scored 30 points in WAC play including 14 goals. The Rainbow Wahine are the two-time defending WAC Player of the Year; in 2002, she became the first conference player to be named both freshman and player of the year.
Also named to the team from UH is incoming senior midfielder Joelle Sugai, who was a second-team All-WAC pick last year. The Aiea High product has started a school-record 60 consecutive matches.
Fujikawa shares fourth at Optimist golf
Tadd Fujikawa finished in a three-way tie for fourth in the boys 12-13 division of the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships yesterday at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.Fujikawa shot a 71-207 at the PGA National Resort & Spa to share fourth with Thailand's Chirat Jirasuwan and Florida's Brinson Paolini. Taiwan's Tommy Chung-hao Mou won the 54-hole event with a 202.
Fujikawa had the highest finish out of Hawaii's golfers. Others who were the best in their division were: Kelli Oride of Lihue, fifth in the girls 10-11; Ryan Kuroiwa, Aiea, tied for 28th, boys 10-11; Makanalani Sakihama, Kapaa, 39th, girls 12-13; and Alex Nakao, Honolulu, tied for 67th, boys 14-15.
Complete scores are in Scoreboard.
Academic honors for UH swimmers
Seven members of the Hawaii men's and women's swimming teams earned Academic All-American recognition by the College of Swimming Coaches Athletic Association yesterday.Named to the All-American team were Cheyne Bloch (4.0 GPA), Kurt Boehm (3.87), Michael Gowdy (3.82), YingJuan Zhen (3.766), QiongJie Huang (3.66), Mia Broden (3.61 and Yan Chen (3.56). To qualify, athletes must have a minimum of a 3.5 GPA and qualify for the NCAA championship.
Real Hawaii wins soccer title
The Real Hawaii Futbol Club Copa '92 girls team won the under-12 premier division Sunday at the U.S. Club Soccer National Championships in Cary, N.C.Mililani Middle School student Mari Miyashiro scored all three goals for Copa '92, which finished the round-robin tournament with a 1-0-2 record. The team qualified for the nationals by winning the regional tournament in Las Vegas.
The coaches are Lisa Nakagawa, Steve Miyashiro and Leland Look.
Kang Invitational volleyball tourney set
The Ann Kang Invitational girls volleyball tournament, featuring 11 Hawaii and nine mainland teams, is scheduled for Aug. 11-14, at Iolani School.The four-day event, in its 22nd year, has been renamed for Kang, the longtime Raiders coach who died last year.
Competing in the tournament from Hawaii are: St. Francis, Moanalua, Seabury Hall, Castle, Hawaii Baptist, Aiea, Kahuku, University, Waiakea, Kalani and host Iolani. Overland and Upland from Colorado are in the field, as are California teams Redondo Union, Harvard Westlake, Corona Del Mar, Mira Costa, La Habra, Edison and Buena.
Play begins at 10 a.m. the first two days, 9:30 a.m. Aug. 13 and 8 a.m. Aug. 14. The title match is tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 14.
Tinley returns for Ironman Revisited
Two-time Ironman champion Scott Tinley will compete as a relay team member for the third Ironman Revisited race on Aug. 15.Tinley will be joined by former Ironman competitors Tom Gallagher and Klaus Barth in the benefit for the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
The race retraces the original Ironman course, which began on Oahu in 1978, a combination of the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, Oahu Perimeter Bike Ride and Honolulu Marathon.
Limited openings are available for individuals and relay teams. For more information, call 858-793-9293. The Web site is www.challengedathletes.org
See line scores and results
in the [ Scoreboard ] section.
