Three Pacific West Conference men's golf teams began play in the NCAA Division West Regional at The Classic Club in Palm Desert, Calif.

After yesterday's first round, Dixie State is in fifth place, four strokes behind leader Western Washington, which shot a 3-over-par 291 (best four of five scores). Grand Canyon is 13 strokes behind and tied for 11th while Hawai'i-Hilo is tied for 14th at 17 strokes behind.

Dixie State's Kyle Chappell and Cameron Crawford are part of a seven-way tie for eighth on the leaderboard. Both shot even-par 72 in the first round. Cal State Stanislaus' Trevor Blair and Gordon Webb, of Western New Mexico, are tied for the lead at 3-under 69.

Ryan Felix shot the best score for the Vulcans and was tied for 27th with a 75.

PacWest champion Grand Canyon is the third seed in the 20-team tournament, while Dixie State is seventh and Hawai'i-Hilo ninth.

Cal State Chico earned the top seed, while Cal State Stanislaus is second. Cal State Monterey Bay is the No. 4 seed, Western Washington fifth and defending national champion Sonoma State is sixth.

The 54-hole regional ends tomorrow. The top five teams in the regional advance to the NCAA Championships, May 18 to 21 in Noblesville, Ind.

AWARDS

SMITH, SEBEN NAMED UHH TOP ATHLETES

The University of Hawai'i at Hilo honored Justin Smith and Fabiane Seben as its 2009-10 Athletes of the Year at the annual Vulcan Steak Fry.

Smith, a junior forward on the men's basketball team, led the team this season with 17.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound Los Angeles native was a second team All-PacWest selection this year.

Seben, a senior middle hitter on the women's volleyball team, recorded 3.14 kills and 0.99 blocks per set while leading the Vulcans to a 25-2 record and their second conference championship in three seasons and first postseason appearance in over a decade. She was selected as PacWest Player of the Year in 2009.

Men's soccer's Timothy Glick, cross country's Brian Yannutz and women's volleyball's Emily Tooker were named Academic Athletes of the Year and men's tennis' Aaron Tada and women's volleyball's Morgan Bonney earned the Pure Vulcan Awards.

Women's volleyball head coach Bruce Atkinson was selected Coach of the Year and his team was recognized as Team of the Year. The Community Engagement Award went to the softball team.

BASEBALL

PACWEST SEASON WRAPS UP THIS WEEK

The final two games of a planned five-game series between Academy of Art and Hawai'i Pacific was canceled due to inclement weather and will not be made up.

The Sea Warriors (37-10, 27-4) won the first three games against the Urban Knights (7-36, 2-25 PacWest) at Hans L'Orange Park in Waipahu, but heavy rains Sunday made field conditions unplayable.

The PacWest regular season concludes with Academy of Art visiting UH-Hilo for doubleheaders today and tomorrow. HPU has already clinched the league title.