Kono 17th at NCAA championship

Honolulu’s Stephanie Kono rallied in the second round of the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship, shooting a 1-under-par 71 yesterday to move into 17th at the halfway point, eight strokes behind LSU’s Austin Ernst.

The UCLA junior opened with a 75 Wednesday in Bryan, Texas, as the Bruins moved out to the first-round team lead at 289. They held on yesterday, shooting 295. UCLA’s two-day team total is 584. It leads Purdue by three shots, LSU by four and host Texas A&M by five.

The championship ends tomorrow.

Iwata, Ricketts named all-region

Hawaii’s Jessica Iwata and Stephanie Ricketts were named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-West Region second team yesterday.

Iwata, a sophomore shortstop, led the Rainbow Wahine with a .355 batting average, 15 home runs and 44 runs batted in.

Ricketts, a junior pitcher, earned all-region honors for the third straight season after posting a 1.58 earned-run average with 250 strikeouts.

New Mexico State senior Hoku Nohara, a Kamehameha graduate, was named to the All-West Region first team.

Vulcans place three on D-II teams

Hawaii-Hilo’s Christina Pedroza and Bryanna Hardy were named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-West Region first team. Shortstop Nicole Alconcel made the second team.

All-region honor for HPU’s Amaral

Hawaii Pacific designated hitter Blake Amaral was named to the Daktronics Division II All-West Region baseball team yesterday.

Amaral hit .388 this season to finish second in the Pacific West Conference. Hawaii-Hilo senior Kekoa Lee made the second team as a utility player.

Bonk named Pacific’s top senior

Pacific University (Ore.) golfer Max Bonk was named the school’s top male athlete in the Class of 2011 on Wednesday.

Bonk, a graduate of Hawaii Prep, received the honor by a vote of the school’s coaches and athletic staff. He won seven of 14 tournaments this season and finished second in three others. He qualified for the NCAA Division III championships three times in his career.