Travis Lee is using a fifth-place finish last year to motivate him toward another national title.
Leaving no doubt
Travis Lee has quick-started his quest for a second NCAA Division I wrestling championship.
The Cornell (N.Y.) senior confirmed his No. 1 national ranking in the 133-pound division when he was chosen Outstanding Wrestler on Saturday at one of the nation's most prestigious college events, the 46-team Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
Lee went 6-0 in the two-day tournament, dominating his first four opponents and winning the title in overtime against second-ranked Chris Fleeger of Purdue -- the same wrestler Lee defeated to win the NCAA 125-pound title in 2003.
Last season Lee -- a 2001 Saint Louis graduate from Liliha -- moved up one weight class to 133 and was unbeaten and ranked No. 1 all season until the NCAA championships, where he was upset and finished fifth.
"I want to win the national championship again, but this time I want to dominate," he told Hawaii Grown.
En route to his Las Vegas triumph, Lee defeated 10th-ranked Derek Moore of UC Davis in the quarterfinal and fourth-ranked Shawn Bunch of Edinboro (Pennsylvania) in the semifinal, which also went to overtime.
The championship match on Saturday was the first time Lee and Fleeger wrestled since their memorable thriller for the 2003 national championship.
Lee was never behind Saturday, but Fleeger scored a late escape to force the match into overtime.
The first score wins in overtime and Lee got that in about 20 seconds when he countered Fleeger's low single-leg attack with a front headlock and won 6-4.
"I felt better than I did in 2003, although it did go to OT," Lee said.
He had withdrawn from the National All-Stars Tournament last month because of a shoulder injury but said it felt fine now.
Next up for Lee is semester final examinations, starting today.
Lee, a biological engineering major, says his toughest final will be the one on bioseparations processes.
He also must complete the final project of an independent studies course by the end of the semester. For that, Lee is working with a company in Ithaca in its microfluidics department.
Islanders put mark
on nation
Utah senior Chris Kemoe'atu (Kahuku '01), Tennessee junior Jesse Mahelona (Kealakehe '01 of Kailua-Kona) and Colorado freshman Jordon Dizon (Waimea '04) were selected to All-America football teams this week.Kemoe'atu, a 6-4, 338-pound guard who has helped muscle unbeaten Utah into the BCS Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day, was named yesterday to SI.com's first-team offense. SI.com is the Web site of Sports Illustrated magazine.
Mahelona, a 6-2, 300-pound tackle, was chosen a first-team defensive lineman by The Sporting News and received honorable mention from SI.com.
Dizon was selected a second-team linebacker on the Freshman All-America teams of both The Sporting News and the Rivals.com Web site.
CNN/SI called Kemoe'atu "the biggest secret behind Utah's high-flying offense," which averaged nearly 50 points a game as it ran the table in the Mountain West Conference.
NFL Draft predictors expect him to be taken in an early round, partly because of the impressive way he protected Utah quarterback Alex Smith, The Sporting News Player of the Year and a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Sportswriters apparently are more impressed with Mahelona than Southeastern Conference coaches are.
In addition to The Sporting News, The Associated Press chose Mahelona first-team All-SEC on its team announced Wednesday.
But SEC coaches relegated him to the second team on their All-SEC team announced Monday.
Tennessee (9-3) lost the SEC championship game to Auburn 38-28 on Saturday and will play Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on New Year's Day.
Two of Mahelona's five tackles in the SEC championship game were for losses, boosting his SEC-leading total to 18.5 tackles for loss this season. He is tied for seventh in NCAA Division I.
Dizon, a smallish 6-1, 210 pounds, set a Colorado season record of 82 tackles by a freshman and was the first true freshman to start a season-opening game at inside linebacker for the Buffs.
After losing to Oklahoma 42-3 in the Big 12 championship game last Saturday, Colorado (7-5) is headed for Houston to play UTEP in the EV1.net Houston Bowl on Dec. 29.
Raiola decides to stay in school
Wisconsin center Donovan Raiola (Kamehameha '01 of Kaimuki) declared this week that he will not leave school for the NFL Draft as his brother Dominic left Nebraska after his junior year.The Raiolas' father, Tony, said he lobbied for Donovan to finish his career at Wisconsin so that (1) he would earn his college degree, and (1a) because Wisconsin will play Hawaii next season at Aloha Stadium and the Raiola clan is looking forward to seeing him play at home.
That will be a special stage for Donovan, who told Hawaii Grown, "(One of the reasons) I play hard is for my family and the people where I'm from, Hawaii -- to let people know we do have some talent out there."
Wisconsin (9-2) will play Georgia in the Outback Bowl at Tampa, Fla., on New Year's Day.
After being Wisconsin's starting punter for three seasons, senior R.J. Morse (Iolani '01 of Waipahu) was beat out this year by a redshirt freshman, Ken BeBauche.
Redshirt freshman James Kamoku (Kealakehe '03) was moved from safety to will (weakside) linebacker late in the season. But the Badgers got a commitment this week from one of the top linebacker prospects in the country, who will probably play that position.
Kamoku's future may be in special teams, where he played mainly this season. "He's got a chance to be one of their better cover guys on special teams," reporter Tom Mulhern of the Wisconsin State Journal said.
Senior Lyle Maiava (Saint Louis '01) has been mainly a scout-team player at Wisconsin. "He doesn't play much, but he usually leads the team in volunteer hours, speaking at schools, hospitals, etc.," Mulhern said. Although Maiava has another year of eligibility, he was not invited to return and was announced with other seniors on Senior Day.
Spencer among best in WAC
Nevada sophomore wide receiver Caleb Spencer (Kamehameha '03 of Kaneohe) was Nevada's second-leading receiver with 67 catches for 761 yards (11.4 yards per catch) and four touchdowns.He ranks fourth in the WAC in receptions per game (5.58) and sixth in yards per game (63.4). Teammate Nichiren Flowers was first and Hawaii's Chad Owens second in both categories.
Spencer received some votes for All-WAC.
Fraser doesn't miss a snap for Arizona
Senior center Keoki Fraser (Kailua '00) finished with 40 career starts, the most for an offensive lineman at Arizona since former NFL center Joe Tofflemire had 43 from 1985 to 1988.
"Fraser was so solid this year that he played every snap in all 11 games -- 698 scrimmage plays plus 32 place-kick snaps," Wildcat spokesman Tom Duddleston Jr. said.
"He's been one of our stand-up guys for three years, always willing to talk to the media," Duddleston said. That was noteworthy on a team that has not had a winning season since 1998; sometimes the questions were hard.
Big men on small-college campuses
Junior wide receiver Micah Cravalho (Ka'ahumanu Hou '01 of Honokaa) this week was named second team All-Heart of America Athletic Conference for Evangel (Missouri).Cravalho caught 16 passes for 157 yards, returned nine punts for an 18.4-yard average, and returned 16 kickoffs for a 26.9-yard average.
Wide receiver Ric Fukushima (Moanalua '02) and cornerback Derek Turbin (Punahou '02 of Kahala) were both chosen by coaches to the All-Southern California (SCIAC) conference second team for Occidental (Calif.).
Fukushima was Oxy's second-leading receiver with 34 catches for 362 yards and three touchdowns before he broke his left collarbone in the first postseason game.
Turbin led the team in unassisted tackles with 44 and was second overall with 52. He led the team in pass interceptions with three.
Sophomore D.J. Tano (Iolani '03) started at center for the second year for Redlands (Calif.)
Luther Beck (Hawaii Baptist Academy/Pac-Five '04) backed up Tano and "was able to play meaningful snaps during his freshman year," said Chris Cusino, assistant recruiting coordinator for Redlands.
Freshman Troy Milhoan (Waiakea) redshirted.
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