Hawaii Beat

Seasiders, Sea Warriors are All-Americans

Six Brigham Young-Hawaii and three Hawaii Pacific tennis players were named to the ITA 2014 NCAA Division II All-America teams.

BYUH’s Nannan (Dallas) Zhang and Min (Karen) Liu were honored in both women’s singles and doubles play. Zhang finished the year ranked No. 4 in D-II singles with an 11-0 record. Liu posted a 14-1 record in singles and finished the year ranked eighth nationally. She teamed with Zhang to post a 16-0 record in doubles and finished the year ranked No. 1.

Doubles partners Marietta Tuionetoa and Marika Kobayashi earned honors for a 16-2 record and ended the season ranked 10th nationally.

Overall, the women’s team was 26-1 and ended the season ranked fourth nationally with a trip to the national tournament.

On the men’s side, Martin Chojnacki and Yevhen Zakharov were tabbed All-Americans after going 18-2, including a win over Hawaii Pacific’s Petr Michnev and Thibaud Berland, when the Sea Warriors duo was ranked No. 1.

The Seasiders men ended the year ranked No. 20 in D-II.

The Sea Warriors’ Michnev was named an All-American in both singles and doubles, making him a seven-time All-American during his HPU career. Michnev finished the season ranked No. 2 nationally with a 15-2 record and was named PacWest Player of the Year for the second straight year and the West Region ITA senior player of the year. Michnev teamed with Berland to go 21-2 for a No. 2 ranking nationally.

Berland also was honored in singles and doubles in his first season at HPU. The Frenchman went 17-3 in singles and was named national ITA rookie of the year and PacWest Newcomer of the Year.

The Sea Warriors’ Jaume Martinez-Vich was named an All-American in singles for the second consecutive season after posting a 15-4 record. He ended the year ranked 16th nationally.

3 Hawaii surfers advance in Fiji Pro

Fred Patacchia, Sebastian Zietz and John John Florence all won their first-round heats Tuesday to advance to the third round of the Fiji Pro surf contest in Tavarua, Fiji.

Patacchia posted a 16.03 score to down Glenn Hall (12.83) and Australia’s Mick Fanning (12.67) to win his heat in 3- to 4-foot waves at Cloudbreak in the ASP Word Tour contest.

Zietz’s 12.03 was enough to hold off Aussie Josh Kerr (11.93) and Brazil’s Alejo Muniz (10.67).

Florence (12.17) outpaced South Africa’s Travis Logie (11.77) and Florida’s CJ Hobgood (10.54) in the final heat of the day.