Chang heads preseason PacWest team

Brigham Young-Hawaii junior guard Tsung-Hsein "Jet" Chang was named the preseason player of the year in Pacific West Conference men’s basketball and his Seasiders were picked to win the conference, the league announced yesterday.

BYU-Hawaii, last year’s co-champion and NCAA II West Region finalist for the third straight year, received five first-place votes from the league’s coaches. Grand Canyon, Dixie State and Chaminade all received at least one first-place vote.

Joining Chang on the team from the Hawaii conference schools were Seasiders guard Marques Whippy, Chaminade senior guard Steven Bennett and Hawaii-Hilo senior forward Justin Smith.

HPU lands 2 on preseason team

Hawaii Pacific senior forward Jazzmin Awa-Williams and junior forward Mana Hopkins-Vandenakker were the lone representatives from Hawaii schools on the Pacific West preseason all-conference women’s basketball team announced yesterday.

Defending PacWest champion HPU received five first-place votes in the preseason coaches poll, but finished second in the poll to Grand Canyon in points, 72-71.

Princeton leads UH invitational

Princeton extended its lead to 12 shots yesterday in the second round of the University of Hawaii’s Turtle Bay Resort College Invitational golf tournament. Hawaii remains sixth in the seven-team field going into today’s final round at the Fazio Course.

The Tigers are at 15-over 591 after a team score of 301 yesterday at the Palmer Course. The Rainbow Wahine shot 312 and are at 622. UC Irvine and Portland State are tied for second.

Princeton’s Kelly Shon (75–144) leads the individual standings by one over Irvine’s Michelle Park, who also shot 75 yesterday. UH sophomore Ka’ili Britos followed a 72 with a 76 and remains in fifth. Freshman Madeleine Ystrom (76–152) is next among the Wahine.

Bown helps U.S. to victory

Former University of Hawaii All-American Heather Bown had six kills and two blocks to help the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball team close pool play unbeaten at the FIVB World Championship yesterday in Matsumoto, Japan.

Team USA, ranked second in the world, held off sixth-ranked Cuba 30-28, 25-23, 22-25, 25-23 to move to 5-0 in Pool C. The Americans will face the Czech Republic, fourth in Pool B, on Saturday.

Silverswords shut out

Grand Canyon scored three times in the first half to defeat the Chaminade women’s soccer team 3-0 in a PacWest match yesterday in Phoenix.

Chaminade (2-13, 2-11) was outshot 9-1 in the match.

GOLF

Ching is month’s best

Punahou graduate Alex Ching is the West Coast Conference player of the month. The University of San Diego junior helped the 22nd-ranked Toreros to two wins and another top-five finish in October, averaging a team-best 70.37 strokes. Ching won the Wolf Pack Classic, placed sixth at The Prestige at PGA West and tied for third at the Kauai Collegiate.

Souza in 22nd

Honolulu’s Stan Souza dropped into a tie for 22nd after a second-round 78 in the Champions Tour Q-School first stage at the Bayonet Course in Seaside, Calif. At 153, Souza is nine shots out of first. Holualoa’s Mark Morrison is at 158 after shooting 78.

Kim getting ready

Hilo’s Kimberly Kim, warming up for the LPGA’s Final Q-School next month, is tied for 11th after two rounds of the LPGA Futures Tour Qualifying Tournament in Florida. Kim shot consecutive rounds of 71 and is four shots off the lead. Others with Hawaii ties are: Xyra Suyetsugu (76–145), Britney Choy (78–147), Shayna Miyajima (72–148), Mari Chun (78–151), Kelly Nakashima (75–154) and Lisa LaFollette (78–156).

There are 308 golfers from 38 countries in the 72-hole tournament, being played on three courses. Exempt and nonexempt status for the 2011 Futures Tour will be determined following the LPGA final qualifying tournament.

Ann Miller, Star-Advertiser