Hawaii’s Kaneko makes cut

Phoenix, Ariz. » Sacred Hearts alum Ayaka Kaneko made her first LPGA cut Friday, firing a 69 to move to even-par 144 through the first two days of the LPGA Founders Cup.

Kaneko is tied for 68th entering today’s third round. She qualified for the weekend with no room to spare.

Punahou’s Stephanie Kono shot a 76 on Friday to finish at 3-over 147, missing the cut by three strokes.

Top-ranked Yani Tseng shot a 2-under 70 to take a one-stroke lead over five players.

A day after playing a seven-hole stretch on the back nine in 7 under, Tseng opened with nine pars on the same nine. She had three birdies and a bogey on her final nine to reach 9-under 135 on another perfect 80-degree day at Wildfire Golf Club.

Second-ranked Na Yeon Choi was second along with fellow South Korean players I.K. Kim and Meena Lee and Japan’s Ai Miyazato and Mika Miyazato.

Tseng successfully defended her LPGA Thailand title in February for her 13th LPGA Tour victory. She led the tour last season with seven victories and finished the year with 12 worldwide titles.

Baxter wins overall SUP title in Mexico

Connor Baxter of Maui won two events and the overall men’s title of the third Punta Sayulita Classic, a standup paddleboard and longboard event off Sayulita, Mexico, last weekend.

Baxter won the 5-mile elite race, passing Hawaii’s Zane Schweitzer on the final lap and holding off two-time defending world SUP champion Kai Lenny of Maui. Lenny finished second and Hawaii’s Aaron Napoleon won the masters division.

In the 10K distance event, Baxter and Mexico’s Ryan Helm pulled away at the halfway mark, with Baxter crossing the beach finish line first. Lenny was third.

Lenny also finished second in the SUP surf race.

Hawaii females dominated the women’s events, with part-time resident Candice Appleby edging Vanina Walsh in the surf race. Jen Lee was third and Jenny Kalmbach fourth. Kalmbach won the 10K distance race and was second to Appleby in the elite 5K. Hawaii’s Talia Gangini was third.

In the women’s longboard, Lee was third and Appleby fourth.

UH beats No. 11 Indiana in water polo

Junior Amarens Genee matched her career high with five goals to lead the No. 14 University of Hawaii women’s water polo team to an 11-9 victory over No. 11 Indiana on Friday afternoon at the Aztec Aquaplex in San Diego.

Danielle Lewis and Emily Scott added two each for the Rainbow Wahine. Goalie Serena Reid matched her career high with 12 saves.

Academy of Art sweeps UH-Hilo

Academy of Art’s Haily MacDonald outdueled Hawaii-Hilo’s Jessica Pepin for a 1-0 victory and a sweep of the Vulcans in PacWest softball games at the UH field in Hilo.

In the first game, Academy of Art scored four runs in the top of the seventh to break a 1-all tie for a 5-1 victory, handing the Vulcans their first conference loss.

MacDonald pitched a two-hitter, while Pepin allowed only one earned run on eight hits.

Academy of Art is 9-16 overall and 5-5 in the PacWest. UHH is 12-3, 7-2.