Wahine tabbed fifth, sixth in Big West

The Hawaii women’s basketball team has some work to do to build its way back up to respectability around the Big West.

UH, coming off an eighth-place season (12-18 overall, 5-11 BWC), was picked to finish fifth by the coaches and sixth by the media among nine teams in the league’s preseason polls announced Wednesday.

Defending regular-season champ UC Davis and defending Big West tournament champ Cal State Northridge split the first-place prediction in the polls.

The preseason all-conference team was made up of UC Davis’ Morgan Bertsch, Cal State Fullerton’s Daeja Smith, CSUN’s Serafina Maulupe, UC Irvine’s Jordan Sanders, Long Beach State’s Shanaijah Davison and two-time Big West player of the year Channon Fluker.

Polynesian Football HOF announces class

The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame unveiled the four new members of its Class of 2019 on Wednesday, picked from a list of 12 finalists.

This year’s class is made up of Joe Salave’a, Dan Saleaumua, Lofa Tatupu and Marques Tuiasosopo.

The inductees will be honored during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame enshrinement weekend and during the Polynesian Bowl on Jan. 18 and 19.

Hajkova named MPSF Athlete of the Week

Karolina Hajkova of the University of Hawaii swim team has been named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Female Athlete of the Week, as announced Wednesday.

The sophomore logged five first-place finishes this past weekend at the CSU Bakersfield Invitational, helping lead the Rainbow Wahine to an overall No. 1 finish. She took home victories in the 50-yard backstroke and the 200-yard backstroke, while competing in the 200 medley relay as the back leg, 400 medley relay also as the back leg and the 400 free relay as the lead-off.

It is the first such award for Hajkova in her career.