ISLE FILE
Marlin weighs in at 689 pounds
Advertiser Staff
Tokyo angler Haruo Kaneko caught a 689-pound Pacific blue marlin after a 3 1/2-hour battle yesterday to vault the Hilton Grand Vacations Fishing Club into first place after two days of the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament at Kailua, Kona.
Kaneko's catch ranks as the third-largest Pacific blue marlin caught on 80-pound test line in the tournament's 47 years. A 916-pound marlin was caught in 1973, and a 745-pounder in 1976.
"This fish took a long time to catch," said Kaneko, whose team leads the five-day tournament with 889 points. "In Japan we have marlin, too, but here in Kona, they have big marlin."
Five fish were caught yesterday with four tagged and subsequently released.
Florida's Team Lantana caught two Pacific blue marlin — one estimated at 150 pounds by Tim Hart and the other 120 by Mark Prendergast— to take over second place with 300 points.
The Kona Game Fishing Club tagged a Pacific blue marlin with an estimated weight of 110 pounds, and Alli Brothers angler Ed Forbes tagged a Pacific blue marlin estimated at 250 pounds.
GOLF
KIM, KANEKO, CHUN QUALIFY FOR MATCH PLAY
Defending champion Kimberly Kim flirted with elimination before advancing at the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship yesterday at the Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind.
Kim, a 15-year-old former Big Island resident now living in Arizona, finished with a two-round total of 2-over 146 to tie for 22nd and advance out of stroke play. Kim was 5-over through 27 holes before going 3-under on the final nine holes.
The top 64 golfers advanced to today's match play with the cutoff made at 7-over 151. Kim, who became the tournament's youngest champion at 14 last year, will face Sacred Hearts senior Ayaka Kaneko. Kaneko, who shot a 71 in the morning to complete a weather-delayed first round, went 5-over 77 in the second round to finish at 148 and tied for 37th.
Stanford junior Mari Chun, a Kamehameha alum, shot a 4-over 76 in the second round to finish at 3-over 147 and tied for 30th. Chun will face Michelle Shin of Florida to start match play.
Punahou junior Anna Jang, this year's state golf champion, finished at 18-over 162 and tied for 133rd. Jang was 2-over through eight holes when play was suspended due to thunderstorms on Monday. Hawai'i Prep senior Tamara Surtees finished 153rd at 25-over 169.
Stacy Lewis of Texas and Kristina Wong of California each shot 5-under 139 to share medalist honors.
VOLLEYBALL
LAWSON, SHOJI NAMED TO U.S. YOUTH TEAM
Honolulu's Brad Lawson ('Iolani) and Erik Shoji (Punahou) were named to the final 12-player roster for the 2007 U.S. Boys' Youth National Team, which will compete at the FIVB Boys' Youth World Championship, Aug. 15 to 26 in Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico.
University of Hawai'i associate men's coach Tino Reyes is the youth team's head coach.
The players are training in Chula Vista, Calif., at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
Lawson and Shoji are among eight players who return from the 2006 NORCECA silver-medal winning team. Shoji was the second-best digger at last year's tournament. Lawson was the U.S. team's best receiver.
