Upsets rule at Honolulu Challenger

No. 8 seed Jesse Witten beat No. 2 seed Robert Kendrick 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals of the Honolulu Challenger at Central Oahu Regional Park yesterday.

Witten, who is ranked No. 224 in the world, beat Kendrick for only the second time in nine tries.

In the other quarterfinals, No. 6 seed Ryan Harrison beat No. 3 seed Ryan Sweeting 7-6 (8), 6-4 and unseeded Alex Kuznetsov took out No. 5 Bobby Reynolds 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (4). Defending champion Michael Russell, the top seed, reached the semifinals with a 6-4, 7-6 (3) win over Vasek Pospisil.

Witten faces Kuznetsov and Russell takes on Harrison today, with the final scheduled for tomorrow.

UH-Hilo hires Reyes for volleyball post

Tino Reyes took off the interim tag yesterday, being named UH-Hilo‘s volleyball coach.

Reyes, who played basketball for the Vulcans in 1976-77, led the women’s volleyball team to a share of the PacWest title as interim coach last year and has been the head coach at Oregon State and Chaminade. He coached for 17 years at UH-Manoa and has been on the staffs at Southern Illinois and Weber State.

TRACK AND FIELD

Eaton tops Clay at Millrose Games

NEW YORK » Ashton Eaton, who set the heptathlon world record at last year’s NCAA Indoor championships, won the Millrose Games’ multi-challenge event that pitted the three top American decathletes against one another in the 60-meter dash, high jump and shot put. Eaton beat 2008 Olympic gold medalist and Castle High graduate Bryan Clay and 2009 world champion Trey Hardee.

"There was a lot of nervousness for this young man because of the competition, but there was also a lot of fight from this young man," Eaton said. "When it came down to the high jump, when I needed to clear a bar to win, that’s what I did."