Wie shoots 76, barely makes cut

Honolulu's Michelle Wie struggled to a 4-over 76 yesterday during the second round of the J Golf Phoenix LPGA International, but still made the cut.

Her two-day total of 5-over 149 landed on the cut line. She trails leader In-Kyung Kim by 13 shots.

Wie began on the back nine with two pars and a costly double bogey at the par-4 12th that set the tone for her day. She had two more bogeys at Nos. 16 and 17 to shoot a 4-over 40 on her front nine. She rallied by birdieing two of the first three holes on her back nine, but bogeys on her 13th and 17th holes offset that comeback as she finished 4 over for her round.

Regardless, Wie still qualified for next week's Kraft Nabisco Championship on the strength of her second-place finish at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay. It is the first major championship on the LPGA Tour.

Penn returns to Octagon on Aug. 8

UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn will defend his title against No. 1 contender Kenny Florian in the main event of UFC 101 on Aug. 8 in Philadelphia.

According to Penn's Web site, http://www.bjpenn.com, Florian has already signed the bout agreement, which Penn received yesterday and will sign, making the fight official.

Penn (13-5-1) will fight in the Octagon for the first time since losing to Georges St-Pierre in January.

“;The Prodigy”; is 3-3 in his last six UFC fights, but all three defeats were at 170 pounds. He hasn't lost a fight in the lightweight division in seven years.

Florian (11-3) earned his top contender status by beating Joe Stevenson, who Penn originally whipped for the title, in November. Florian has won six straight fights since suffering a unanimous-decision loss to Sean Sherk. His only two setbacks in the UFC have come against Sherk and Diego Sanchez.

Bronze for Ibera in Pan Am judo

Honolulu's Taylor Ibera placed third yesterday in the Pan American Judo Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Ibera earned the bronze at 55kg, one of four medals for Team USA.

Honolulu's Mindy Swanson, fighting in the open division, lost both of her matches and didn't advance to the medal round. Swanson will compete in today's team competition.

Wahine faring well at Stanford meet

Hawaii had four athletes attain NCAA regional qualifying marks during yesterday's first day of the Stanford Invitational track meet.

The Rainbow Wahine dominated the high jump with four in the top seven, led by junior Amber Kaufman's second-place finish. Kaufman cleared 5 feet, 11 inches; Olympian Sharon Day won the event with a 6-0.5.

Kaufman and senior Emily Sheppard, who took third (5-10), qualified for regional competition.

Senior Annett Wichman did as well, finishing fourth in the javelin. Her throw of 163-11 was a personal best and UH record.

Sophomore Careen Onosai won the collegiate division in the discus with a regional qualifying mark of 155-7. She also placed fourth in the collegiate division shot put (40-4.75).

The meet concludes today.

Wily heads all-conference team

Brigham Young-Hawaii senior Latoya Wily was named the player of the year in PacWest women's basketball, the second time in three seasons the forward took the top honor.

Wily finished second nationally in rebounding (13.9 rpg) and third in scoring (25.6 ppg). Earlier this week, she was named to the NCAA II All-America first team.

Hawaii Pacific junior guard Tiffany Wilson was named newcomer of the year and Sea Warrior teammate Mana Hopkins the freshman of the year. Wilson joined Wily and Hawaii-Hilo senior forward Sheila Azevedo on the first team.

Hopkins and HPU freshman guard Paris Gravely were the only players from Hawaii schools on the second team.

Honorable mention selections were: junior guard Michelle Fenenbock and sophomore guard Mahina Gago of BYUH, and Chaminade's senior guard Jasmine Dulan and junior guard Samantha Saito. Also, junior guard Hina Kimitete and senior forwards Amanda Adams and Jessica Hanato from Hawaii-Hilo, and HPU freshman guard Taylor Craig.

Red Storm edge Vulcans

Dixie State rallied for three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeated Hawaii-Hilo 9-8 in yesterday's PacWest baseball game at St. George, Utah.

The game at Bruce Hurst Field featured four ties and four lead changes. The Vulcans took their last lead at 8-6 in the top of the eighth, with Gary Jones scoring on a balk and Shane Kessel's one-out double driving in Kalehua Moniz.

Dixie State (16-9, 6-3) got to Hilo reliever Kurtis Sherer in the bottom of the inning for three runs. Brett Adams's two-run single up the middle provided the winning margin.

The Vulcans (12-11, 3-6) banged out 16 hits, including Matt Haasenritter's solo homer that opened the fourth.

Dixie State takes 2 from Chaminade

Ashley McFarland's double drove in Bailie Hicken with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh as Dixie State defeated Chaminade 3-2 in the second game of yesterday's PacWest softball doubleheader in St. George, Utah.

The 18th-ranked Red Storm (27-5, 16-4), won the first game 10-0.

Chaminade (5-23, 4-10) took a 2-0 lead in the second inning only to have Dixie State tie it with two runs in the fourth. Hicken opened the seventh with a single and, two plays later, McFarland ended the game with her RBI double.