No ESPY for UH softball team

The Hawaii softball team fell short in its bid to pull off one more upset.

The Rainbow Wahine’s victory over Alabama in an NCAA Super Regional was nominated for an ESPY for "Best Upset."

After online voting was tallied, the award went to Northern Iowa’s win over top-seeded Kansas in the NCAA basketball tournament. The other nominees were Y.E. Yang’s win over Tiger Woods in the PGA Championship and Frankie Edgar’s decision over Hilo’s BJ Penn in UFC 112.

UH head coach Bob Coolen and players Jenna Rodriguez, who hit the decisive home run, and Kelly Majam attended yesterday’s ceremony at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

Hawaii Pacific signs 2 for basketball

Two guards have signed letters of intent to play basketball for Hawaii Pacific, Sea Warriors coach Darren Vorderbruegge announced yesterday.

Joining the Sea Warriors for the upcoming season are Marcus Lewis, a 6-foot-2 junior transfer from Lincoln Land (Ill.) Community College, and Michael Pierce, a 6-2 true freshman from the Mater Dei (Calif.) High School team that won the CIF sectional division title.

Allnutt, Hagi win in Cholo’s event

University of Hawaii swimmer Steve Allnutt and Kapolei’s Nicole Hagi made it 2-for-2 in the Surf n Sea North Shore Series, winning their respective divisions in Saturday’s 17th Cholo’s Waimea Bay Swim, the second race of the series.

Allnutt was the overall winner among the more than 700 entrants, finishing the 1.2-mile triangular course in 24 minutes, 17 seconds. Jayson Hagi was 26 seconds behind for second, and Brad Horry, a 16-year-old from Australia, placed third (24:52).

Nicole Hagi, a senior at Siena College, led the women’s race from start to finish with a time of 27:33. Nicole McAndrews, a Princeton senior, was second, in 27:56, with 14-year-old Kiana Yamashiro finishing third in 28:54.

The series continues with the 1.6-mile JACO Chun’s Reef to Waimea Bay swim on July 24. Noa Sakamoto, a former winner at the USA Swimming Open Water National Championships, and Eric Nilsson, an elite distance swimmer, are expected to participate.

For more information, call Chris Moore at 554-8959. The Web site is www.hawaiiswim.com.

SUP channel win for Baxter

Maui’s Connor Baxter bested an elite field of 27 other stand-up paddlers to win last Sunday’s Mormaii Molokai Pailolo Express Race, a 27-mile course across the Pailolo Channel from Honolua, Maui, to Kaunakakai, Molokai.

The 16-year-old Baxter was timed in 3 hours, 29 minutes and 2 seconds, edging out Molokai’s Ekolu Kalama (3:30.08) and Kalama’s cousin Dave Kalama from Maui (3:32.25.).

The top female finisher was Brazilian Andrea Moller, now living on Maui. She was timed in 3:53.20, eighth overall.

Yamashita, Tom earn scholarships

Thomas Yamashita and Aaron Tom earned the 2010 Aloha Section PGA Foundation scholarships. Established in 2007, the goal of the foundation’s scholarship program is "to encourage and promote the attainment of higher educational goals for high school seniors and current college students who have actively participated in the game of golf and have excelled in their academic achievements."

Yamashita, a Kamehameha graduate, and Tom, a Maryknoll graduate, each receive a $2,000 scholarship for their college tuition. Yamashita is headed to University of Hawaii, and Tom to Notre Dame De Namur in Belmont, Calif.

Former recipients have the option to re-apply for additional scholarships. Hayley Young received a 2009 ASPGA Foundation scholarship and was awarded a $1,000 follow-up award this year. Young plays for Boise State.

Applications for next year will be available Jan. 1. For more information, contact the Aloha Section at 592-2230.

Hawaii’s finest at Barbers tourney

TJ Kua is not defending his title, but a couple of state high school champions and many more of Hawaii’s finest amateurs are at this week’s Barbers Point Invitational.

Kua, a UH junior, won last year’s title, beating Ryan Perez by one shot with a birdie on the final hole.

UH sophomore Henry Park, who was fifth last year, is playing again along with state high school champion Rudy Cabalar Jr. and 2007 state high school champion Sean Maekawa.

The Championship Flight also includes Brandan Kop, Alika Bell, Matthew Ma, Christian Akau, Todd Rego and Chase Bingham. There are also A, B and Senior flights.

Play begins at 7 a.m. today, tomorrow and Saturday.