Grand Canyon edges Hilo in PacWest golf
Grand Canyon won the Pacific West Conference men’s golf championship Tuesday, overcoming Hawaii Hilo with a team total of 2-under-par 286 in the final round.
The Vulcans led after the first round, but shot 300 Tuesday at Wigwam Golf Course in Litchfield Park, Ariz. Their two-day total of 593 was five back. UHH sophomore Dalen Yamauchi closed with a 75 to tie Grand Canyon’s Jimmy Kozikowski for first, at even-par 144. Kozikowski won on the first playoff hole with a two-putt par.
The host Antelopes had three players in the top three, winning their fifth title in seven years. Jamie Hall (74—147) took fifth for Hilo and teammate Corey Kozuma (74—148) was sixth. Kyeton Littel (77—154) and Chris Shimomura (80—157) were in the top 30.
Kozuma was named PacWest co-player of the year earlier in the day with Kozikowski, while Hilo’s Earl Tamiya was named PacWest coach of the year a second straight season. Yamauchi and Hall joined Kozuma on first team and Littel was third team.
Brigham Young-Hawaii (320—621) finished fifth, with Dillon Dudley (79—153) and Scott Pickering (76—154) earning top-20 finishes. Hawaii Pacific (321—629) came in eighth, led by Christian Yagi (78—157). Chaminade’s Jarin Harada (76—142) finished 12th, but the Silverswords (322—640) were last in the 12-team field.
Harada earned second-team all-conference honors, as did Dudley and Mililani’s Pomi Milton, a freshman at Dominican. Pickering made the third team.
Britos finishes ninth in Big West golf
University of Hawaii senior Ka‘ili Britos moved up to ninth place on Tuesday’s final day of the Big West Conference women’s golf championships. The Kamehameha graduate closed with an even-par 73 at San Luis Obispo Country Club. Her three-day total of 228 was 10 back of medalist Demi Runas of UC Davis.
Britos finished her career with three top-10 finishes in conference championships. She was second in the Western Athletic Conference as a sophomore and tied for eighth last year.
The Rainbow Wahine shot 319 to finish last out of eight teams at 957. Davis, ranked 16th nationally, won the Big West for the fourth consecutive year at 288—881, 29 strokes better than runner-up Long Beach State. The Aggies claimed the tournament’s top four individual finishes.
UH junior Liana Otake overcame an injury that forced her to withdraw from Monday’s second round and shot 79 in the final round. Senior Megan Inouye completed her UH career with an 84 for a 242 total and a tie for 28th. Junior Charlee Kapiioho (86—247) and freshman Nichole Cruz (83—247) tied for 32nd.
The UH men begin play in their first Big West Championship on Sunday, in Beaumont, Calif.
Wahine’s Balentine earns Big West honor
Senior Samantha Balentine became the fourth University of Hawaii athlete in five weeks to be named the Big West Conference women’s field athlete of the week.
A week after setting a personal record in the high jump, clearing 6-0.5 feet at the Sacramento Mondo Mid-Major Challenge, Balentine finished first at the Beach Invitational with a jump of 5-10.5. Balentine also cleared 5-10.75 at the Mt. SAC Relays, which placed her third.
The Lodi, Calif., native still ranks No. 6 in the NCAA with the mark she achieved at the Mid-Major Challenge.
Balentine follows in the footsteps of teammates Joanna Franke-Kuhn and Amanda Alvarez, who won the Big West weekly honor recently. Alvarez captured back-to-back weekly awards earlier this month.
The Rainbow Wahine host their final Sunrise Meet of the season Saturday at Clarence T.C. Ching Field. The Big West championships begin next week.
UH softball team up to No. 14 in NFCA poll
The University of Hawaii softball team moved up one spot to No. 14 in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 and held steady at No. 20 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25.
The Rainbow Wahine (37-8, 14-1 Big West) also entered the week 20th in the NCAA’s RPI ranking after going 4-0 last week to close their seven-game road trip.
UH, the Big West leader, opens a three-game series against second-place Long Beach State with a single game at 6 p.m. Friday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. The Wahine and 49ers also play a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. Saturday.
HPU’s Maddison earns PacWest honor
Hawaii Pacific freshman Alysia Maddison was named the Pacific West Conference pitcher of the week Tuesday.
Maddison guided the Sea Warriors to a 5-1 record last week, both at the plate and in the circle. In six starts, she hit .550 (11-for-20) with 10 runs, 15 RBIs, two doubles and four home runs. She also went 2-0 with a save in four appearances.
