Hawai'i-Hilo men's golf will follow up its first conference championship, won last week at Turtle Bay, by playing in NCAA Division II's Northwest/West Super Regional, beginning Monday at Adobe Creek Golf Club in Petaluma, Calif.

The Vulcans won the Pacific West Conference Championship behind junior Zady Ari, who holed out from 80 yards for eagle on the third playoff hole to win medalist honors.

"He wanted to go to regionals so bad he knew he had to really concentrate on his game," said UHH coach Earl Tamiya. "He did very well."

So did Ari's teammates, on a squad made up of sophomores and juniors. The Vulcans closed with a round of 293 to beat Grand Canyon by six shots. All five Vulcans finished in the top 12, with Logan Goulding taking sixth, Isaac Jaffurs rallying from a bad first round to capture seventh, Jesus Valdivia getting eighth and Johnathan Hirata 12th.

All but Hirata are traveling to regionals. Ryan Felix played Mauna Lani South and Waikoloa Kings in 3-under last weekend to earn the fifth slot.

The top team from each region advances to the finals, with 10 more teams getting at-large bids, including three from the highly rated West. Hilo is ranked fifth in that region, behind super regional host Sonoma State, Stanislaus State, Western Washington and Chico State.

"This past weekend at Mauna Lani South we were 1-under as a team," Tamiya said. "At Kings we were 3-under. Hopefully, we're peaking at the right time."

Finals will be May 14 to 17 at the third Division II Spring National Championships Festival in Houston.

KANEKO TIES FOR 48TH

Sacred Hearts senior Ayaka Kaneko made the cut at last week's JLPGA Fujisankei Classic. Kaneko tied for 48th with a three-day total of 7-over-par 223 at the Kawana Hotel Golf Club in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Kaneko was one of two amateurs to make the cut. Six amateurs teed off in the first round.

Kaneko will play in the JLPGA's Crystal Geyser Ladies Golf Tournament this weekend. Moanalua junior Tadd Fujikawa is competing in The Crowns on the Japan men's tour this week.

NOTES

Casey Watabu won last year's Hickam Invitational at Mamala Bay and has since turned pro, but the amateur field for the tournament this weekend is not short on golfers with a realistic shot at winning.

Three-time champion Brandan Kop is playing four days after getting inducted into the Hawai'i Golf Hall of Fame. 'Iolani eighth-grader Lorens Chan and Maryknoll's Alex Chu are in the same foursome tomorrow and Saturday. Punahou senior Alex Ching, the ILH champion, is also in the Championship flight along with 2002 winner Shannan Sibayan.

Last year, Watabu played in the final group on the final day with Chu and Chan. Watabu shot a 68 — the day's only sub-par round — to win by five over Chu and seven over Chan.

Chan turns 14 later this month and would break Tadd Fujikawa's record as the youngest to win at Hickam if he can capture the title.

First tee time is 6:40 a.m. tomorrow and Saturday. The cut will be made after 36 holes and leaders go out around 8:30 a.m. Sunday.