Noons scores knockout UFC victory
Kailua-Kona’s K.J. Noons scored a 30-second knockout victory over Sam Stout in a welterweight bout on the UFC’s Ultimate Fighter Nations card Wednesday at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City.
Noons improved to 13-7 overall and 2-1 in the UFC. Stout had never been knocked out in his previous 18 UFC fights.
The two traded kicks before Noons landed his first big punch. An overhand right sent Stout to the ground and Noons quickly pounced, forcing the referee to stop the fight. As Noons celebrated, Stout was still struggling with the referee, unaware that the fight was over.
Earlier on the card, Kalani alumnus Dustin Kimura lost a unanimous decision to George Roop by scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-26 from the three cageside judges.
Kimura dropped to 11-2 overall and 2-2 in the UFC.
His best round was the second, when he scored two takedowns and briefly took Roop’s back.
Ah Mow-Santos named national assistant
Robyn Ah Mow-Santos, a three-time Olympian and assistant for the Hawaii women’s volleyball team the past three seasons, was named assistant coach for the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team on Wednesday
The U.S. WJNT will compete at the NORCECA Women’s U-20 Continental Championship, July 6-14 in Guatemala.
Ah Mow-Santos will be on staff with head coach Tom Hogan, an assistant at the University of Denver, and assistant coach Erin Virtue, an assistant at Michigan.
Ah Mow-Santos, regarded as one of the top international setters while playing for the U.S. national team (1999-2008), helped the Americans to a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. She was a two-time first-team All-American for the Rainbow Wahine, with a 66-4 record in her final two seasons and an NCAA runner-up finish in 1996.
Ah Mow-Santos played professionally in Italy, Portugal and Switzerland, and was the Swiss League’s most valuable player while playing for Volero Zurich. She has been inducted into the UH Sports Circle of Honor and the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame.
Rainbow Wahine finish last in BWC golf
Hawaii finished last out of eight teams at the Big West Women’s Golf Championships, which ended Tuesday at San Luis Obispo Country Club in California. Freshman Izzy Leung led the Rainbow Wahine for the ninth time in as many tournaments, taking 22nd at 83 237.
The Wahine, who played four freshmen and a sophomore, shot rounds of 321-315-317 to finish 58 strokes behind first-place and 37th-ranked UC Davis, which won its fifth consecutive Big West title.
Cal State Fullerton’s Martina Edberg won a playoff on the first hole to capture medalist honors over Cal State Northridge’s Clariss Guce. Both finished at 2-under-par 217.
Hawaii’s Kelli-Anne Katsuda (79 239) was two shots behind Leung, followed by teammates Brianna Becker (78 240), Raquel Ek (82 243) and sophomore Nichole Cruz (78 245).
The UH men play in the BWC championships April 27-29 at the Country Club at Soboba Springs in San Jacinto, Calif.
Hawaii Hilo ranked No. 10 in region
Hawaii Hilo is No. 10 in the NCAA Division II West region softball rankings. The Vulcans (19-7 overall, 12-11) are in fourth place in the Pacific West Conference standings.
