ISLE FILE
Hawaii linked to Olympic volleyball
Advertiser Staff
USA Volleyball submitted 19-player preliminary rosters for its women's and men's Olympic teams yesterday and both rosters resemble Team Hawai'i.
Six University of Hawai'i alums and Punahou School graduate Lindsey Berg are among the 38 being considered for the final two 12-player Olympic Games rosters. Final teams will be announced in mid-July.
Two of the three setters on the women's roster are from Honolulu: Berg and two-time Olympic starter Robyn Ah Mow-Santos, a McKinley graduate. The women's preliminary roster also includes two-time Olympian Heather Bown, a former UH All-American, and Kim Willoughby, national player of the year in 2003 when she was a Rainbow Wahine senior.
The men's preliminary roster also has three former 'Bows: Two-time Olympian Clay Stanley, a Kaiser graduate, and Californians Delano Thomas and Alfie Reft.
The U.S. women's team is coached by "Jenny" Lang Ping, who is returning home to Beijing. As a player, she led China to the 1984 gold medal over Team USA in the championship match. As head coach of the 1996 Chinese team, Lang Ping guided China to a silver medal. Team USA's last medal was a bronze in 1992 in Barcelona, with three-time UH All-American Teee Williams starting.
The U.S. men's team, coached by Hugh McCutcheon from New Zealand, has not medaled since getting bronze in 1992. It won the gold medal in 1984 and '88.
Indoor volleyball will be played at Capital Indoor Stadium and Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium, alternating days between the women and men from Aug. 9 to 23.
GOLF
SAWADA, MERKLE WIN JUNIOR EVENT ON MAUI
Mililani's Jared Sawada needed sudden death and state high school champion Kristina Merkle staged a final-round rally yesterday to capture the titles of the Callaway Golf PGA Junior Series. The series' fifth stop was played at Kahili Golf Course on Maui.
Sawada led by three entering the final round, but saw his advantage dwindle as he shot a 78. Kane'ohe's Alika Bell, who closed with 72, pulled even on the back side and both birdied the final hole of regulation to force overtime at 220. Sawada parred the first extra hole to earn an exemption into the Junior PGA Championship, Aug. 13 to 16, at TPC Riverbend in Cincinnati.
"This feels really awesome, I haven't won a tournament in a while," Sawada said. "This gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the summer."
Merkle trailed by five shots entering the final round and fired 3-under-par 69 for a three-day total of 215. Merkle eagled the par-5 third with a 15-foot putt, which briefly sat on the lip before dropping.
"That eagle was huge for me," Merkle said. "My chipping and putting was great all day but that gave me momentum."
Wailuku's Cassy Isagawa finished one shot behind Merkle after a final-round 75. Isagawa shot a tournament-best 6-under 66 in the second round.
The next leg of the Callaway Golf PGA Junior series will be at Aspen Valley Golf Club in Flagstaff, Ariz., next week.
