Asiata among top 100 recruits

Paulay Asiata, a Saint Louis School tackle, was picked as one of the Associated Press’ top 25 football recruits for the 2011 class from the West.

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Asiata was one of six offensive lineman chosen from the West.

Top-25 lists are also being compiled for the East, Central and South regions as part of the AP’s top 100 recruits.

The lists were compiled from reporting done by AP writers over the past several weeks.

Asiata’s Crusaders are ranked third in today’s Star-Advertiser Football Top 10. They’re off to a 2-1 start after a 49-27 loss to Kahuku last Friday.

Rainbow Wahine at No. 4 in poll

After opening the season 3-0 with a tournament title, Hawaii was ranked No. 4 in the first regular-season AVCA Coaches Top 25 poll yesterday.

Ranked fifth in the preseason poll, the Rainbow Wahine defeated San Diego, Kansas State and UCLA.

Defending NCAA champion Penn State (3-0) held its preseason No. 1 ranking, receiving 51 first-place votes. Texas (3-0) moved up a spot from the preseason poll to No. 2, with five first-place votes, and Stanford (3-0) moved to No. 4 with the remaining first-place votes.

Making the biggest move from the preseason rankings was Florida (2-0). The Gators upset preseason No. 2 Nebraska to drop the Huskers to seventh and position themselves at No. 6.

The Rainbow Wahine host Michigan State, New Mexico and No. 10 USC in this week’s Hawaiian Airlines Classic.

Mearns, Makino top PacWest team

Brigham Young-Hawaii senior forward Emily Mearns was named the preseason player of the year and Hawaii Pacific junior Carianne Makino the preseason goalie of the year on the All-PacWest preseason women’s soccer team yesterday.

Mearns is a three-time All-PacWest first-team selection and 2006 freshman of the year for the Seasiders, who were picked to finish second in the coaches’ preseason poll.

Makino, a Kaiser High graduate, is the reigning goalkeeper of the year and 2009 first-team pick for the Sea Warriors. HPU shared third with Grand Canyon in the preseason poll.

Dixie State, with six first-place votes, was the top choice to win the conference. Notre Dame de Namur was fifth, followed by Dominican, Hawaii-Hilo, Academy of Art and Chaminade.

Also named to the preseason team from Hawaii schools were HPU sophomore forward Meghan Fuller (Pearl City) and her sister Amber Fuller (Kamehameha), a sophomore midfielder; BYUH senior midfielder Natasha Aiono; and UHH senior defender Vanessa Butin (Moanalua).

2 from HPU on PacWest men’s team

Hawaii Pacific’s Chance Bukoski and Kainoa Kahui, and Drew Geis from Hawaii-Hilo were the only players from Hawaii schools named to the All-PacWest preseason men’s soccer team.

Bukoski (Kapaa), a two-time PacWest first-team pick, is a junior forward and Kahui (Kamehameha) is a sophomore defender. Geis (Kapolei), a three-time all-conference selection, is a senior midfielder.

Grand Canyon was picked to win the conference, followed by HPU, Notre Dame de Namur, Hawaii-Hilo, Dixie State, Brigham Young-Hawaii, Dominican, Academy of Art and Chaminade.

Tennis awards to Kukino, Weisel

Sarah Kukino of Lihue and Julia Weisel of Paia, Maui, were named the recipients of this year’s Muriel Osborne Hawaii Tennis Award.

Kukino, a senior at Kauai High, is ranked No. 1 in Girls 18 in the USTA Hawaii Pacific Section. The 14-year-old Weisel is No. 1 in the USTA HPS Girls 16 rankings and won the 16s singles title at the summer section championship.

The award is based on playing results and sportsmanship. It is named for Osborne, the winningest female in Hawaii tennis history.

Patacchia wins heat in Tahiti

Hawaii’s Fred Patacchia won his first-round heat yesterday at the Billabong Pro Tahiti in 3- to 5-foot waves at Teahupoo.

Pattachia scored an 11.93 to beat Matt Wilkerson (11.46) and Tanner Gudauskas (8.43) and advance to the third round.

Four other Hawaii surfers — Andy Irons, Kekoa Bacalso, Roy Powers and Dusty Payne — did not win their three-man heats and will surf in the second round of the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour event.