Moore and Payne capture surf titles
Hawaii surfers Carissa Moore and Dusty Payne claimed victories at the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro today in Margaret River, Australia.
The victory was Moore’s first on the ASP World Tour in more than a year. She topped Australia’s Tyler Wright 11.00 to 6.94 in the final heat.
Payne’s win was his first in an ASP Prime event. He outsurfed Australian Josh Kerr 16.36 to 13.20 in the final heat.
Both world tours resume this week at Bells Beach, Australia.
UH sand volleyball team splits matches
The Hawaii women’s sand volleyball team split a pair of matches Saturday, cruising past host Grand Canyon 5-0 before falling to Loyola Marymount 3-2 at Victory Lanes Sports Park in Phoenix.
The teams of Natasha Bell/Jane Croson and Katie Spieler/Ginger Long won both of their matches for the fifth-ranked Rainbow Wahine (3-2). On the No. 1 court, Bell and Croson outlasted Grand Canyon’s Mackenzie Phelps and Shannon Dugan 22-20, 16-21, 15-11.
Against Loyola, UH rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the match. But the Rainbow Wahine’s Karlee Riggs and Ali Longo fell short against Felicia Arriola and Litara Keil on court No. 1, 21-18, 21-17.
Wahine water polo team falls short
Paula Chillida Esforzado scored four goals to lead Hawaii, but the No. 8 Rainbow Wahine water polo team fell short against top-ranked Southern California 15-7 on Saturday at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.
The Trojans (16-0) pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring the Rainbow Wahine (11-7) 7-1 after holding just a 5-4 advantage after two periods.
Vulcans take 2 from Azusa Pacific
The Hawaii Hilo softball team improved to 14-4 in Pacific West Conference play Saturday, winning both ends of a doubleheader against Azusa Pacific in Hilo.
The Vulcans (23-13) defeated the Cougars (14-12, 6-8) 6-0 and 6-5. In the first game, UH Hilo’s Vanessa Salinas pitched a four-hit shutout and homered.
» Chaminade rallied to beat Brigham Young-Hawaii 7-6 to complete a PacWest doubleheader sweep Saturday at Central Oahu Regional Park.
The Silverswords scored three runs in the fifth to improve to 9-14 overall and 5-7 in conference play.
BYUH (5-25, 2-12) lost the opening game 6-2. In the second game, the Seasiders’ Tiffanee Frampton hit two solo home runs.
UH track team starts strong outdoors
The Hawaii women’s track and field team started strong in its first mainland competition Saturday at the USC Invitational at Locker Stadium in Los Angeles.
Samantha Balentine jumped 1.80 meters to win the high jump. The senior’s mark is tops in the Big West and fourth nationally.
Junior Amanda Alvarez placed second in both the long jump (5.73) and triple jump (12.86). Both marks top the Big West, and Alvarez’s triple jump set a UH record.
Other standout UH performers were sophomore Alex Porlier Langlois, who captured second in the shot put (13.69), and senior Camie Kohashi, who took third in the pole vault (3.70).
