Following a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division II National Championship, the Hawaii Pacific men’s tennis team earned an expected No. 2 spot in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings announced Friday.
Four HPU men’s tennis players were named All-Americans for their impressive performances in a 24-1 season. Thibaud Berland was named an All-American in both singles and doubles for the second consecutive year. Yann Renault, Berland’s doubles partner, earned his first All-America honor to close out his senior year.
Juniors Marko Lenz and Jaume Martinez-Vich were recognized as All-Americans in singles. Lenz celebrated an undefeated season with 21 wins, while Martinez-Vich posted a 13-3 record.
Rough start for UH’s Porlier-Langlois
University of Hawaii junior Alex Porlier-Langlois came up empty in her first attempt to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Porlier-Langlois fouled on all three of her throws in the discus on Friday at the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Austin, Texas.
Porlier-Langlois will return to Mike A. Myers Stadium on Saturday to compete in the shot put. Porlier-Langlois, the Big West champion in the event, is the 22nd seed. The top 12 advance to the NCAA championships in Eugene, Ore.
UH sophomore Rachel Toliver will also attempt to qualify in the triple jump on Saturday. Toliver is seeded 17th out of 48 entrants.
Texas A&M’s Devin Jenkins finished second in his heat of the 200 meters with a time of 20.95 seconds to advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals. The Kapolei graduate also finished 19th in the 100 with a time of 10.33. Washington State’s Kristine Felix tied for 37th in the pole vault. The Baldwin graduate cleared 12 feet, 7.25 inches and failed in three attempts to clear 13-1.
Kip Akana to coach St. Francis football
St. Francis announced the hiring of Kip Akana to lead the varsity football program for the 2015 season. Akana succeeds Mike Ulufale, who resigned last week.
Akana was the head coach for the Saints’ intermediate squad since 2012 and had led the team to an overall 13-7 record, with an undefeated season in 2013. He was also named Coach of the Year in ILH baseball, after leading the Saints to an 8-7 record and third-place finish.
Sataraka stays hot in UCLA loss
UCLA junior and Punahou graduate Mysha Sataraka went 2-for-4 and drove in a run in the Bruins’ 10-4 loss to Michigan on Friday in the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Sataraka, the Bruins’ third baseman, lined a single into left field with the bases loaded to drive in UCLA’s first run in the bottom of the first. She also singled in the third inning, but Michigan scored six unanswered runs in the final three innings to improve to 2-0 in the WCWS.
UCLA fell into the losers bracket and plays Tennessee or Auburn in an elimination game on Saturday.
Sataraka is hitting .556 with 10 RBIs through seven games in the NCAA tournament.
