ASSOCIATED PRESS
Travis Lee of Liliha is one win away from reaching the top of Cornell's career wins list.

Lee left alone

Travis Lee is one victory away
from winning more matches
than anyone in Cornell history

By Dennis Anderson
Special to the Star-Bulletin

By this time Saturday night, Travis Lee of Liliha should have the most wrestling victories in the long, long history of Cornell University, the ivy-covered Ivy League icon in New York.

Lee, a 2001 Saint Louis School graduate and three-time All-American for Cornell, tied the record of 134 career victories last Saturday. Lee is already the only wrestler in school history to be named an All-American three times, and won a national championship in 2003 at 125 pounds. He currently competes at 133 pounds.

Lee is ranked No. 2 nationally and has lost one match this year.

The Cornell record of 134 was set in 1993 by Mark Fergeson. The Big Red program began in 1907.

Cornell wrestles Bloomsburg at home Saturday, guaranteeing a large and appreciative crowd for Lee's record-breaking effort.

SOFTBALL

University of Hawaii had a close-up view of some of BYU's locally generated power at the Las Vegas Desert Classic Tournament on Saturday.

Juniors Ashlyn Russell (Baldwin '02) and 'Neta Le'i (Iolani '02 of Mililani) hit home runs in BYU's 10-3 victory over the Wahine and Le'i added two more in a 12-2 ripping of Oklahoma State later Saturday.

They each have four in the young season.

BYU is 6-0, its best start ever, and has hit 21 home runs.

"We turned a lot of heads this weekend," coach Gordon Eakin said, "We're not going to be able to sneak up on anybody now.

"With our success, we just want to remain humble."

INDOOR TRACK

Washington junior Lauran Dignam (Iolani '02 of Aina Haina) ran an indoor personal best of 56.73 seconds to finish third in the 400-meter dash at the Husky Classic in Seattle on Saturday.

She had an even faster split of the 4x400 relay of 55.7.

Dignam says the atmosphere of track and field in Washington's year-old Dempsey Arena is "total excitement."

CROSS COUNTRY

Duke freshman Tia Ferguson (Seabury Hall '04 of Kula) placed 28th out of 52 runners in the Junior Women's Division of the U.S. Cross Country championships Saturday in Vancouver, Wash.

TENNIS

Rice senior Tracie Chong (Iolani '01 of Hawaii Kai) and partner Dominique Karas won their fifth straight and 10th in 12 matches on Saturday.

Chong is 6-1 at No. 3 singles and Rice is ranked 38th by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Missouri Valley freshman Adam Tuifagu (Kamehameha '04 of Hilo) was last week's Player of the Week in the Mid-America Men's Volleyball Conference.

Tuifagu got 19 kills in four games in the only match MoVal played that week.

He ranks third among 16 NAIA teams with 4.19 kills per game and eighth in hitting percentage at 42.4 (113 kills, 16 errors, 229 attempts).

After a season-opening defeat, Missouri Valley has won 11 in a row with a roster that includes seven players from Hawaii. Four more are on the JV.

The other varsity players are senior libero Wade Miura (Waianae), sophomore defensive specialist Justin Himori (Mililani '03), junior outside hitter David Hoke (Kamehameha '02 of Kailua), sophomore outside/middle Kapena Wong (Pearl City '03), sophomore setter Christopher Kaneko (Pearl City '03) and junior defensive specialist Chandon Chesebro (Hilo '02).

Graceland (Iowa) freshman setter Ainoa Miyashiro (Kamehameha '04 of Waikiki) is fourth in the NAIA in assists with 11.4 per game.

BASEBALL

San Diego sophomore Keoni Ruth (Kamehameha '03 of Aiea) is not only making the transition from second base to third base, but he leads his team in hitting at .407 with 22 hits in 12 games. The Toreros are 7-5-1 after losing to USC in the ninth inning Tuesday.

Ruth is fielding .930 in his new position (4 errors in 57 chances).

For more news on student athletes from Hawaii at mainland colleges, visit www.hhsaa.org or www.sportshigh.com