Sports Update

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Saturday, May 10, 1997

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Koolau Trek racing
to finish line

Helter skelter might be the best description for the final 24 hours before the Great Trans Koolau Trek.

The Star-Bulletin has learned that due to delays in the completion of H-3, the 10-mile race course was still not certified with USA Track and Field, as of Friday night.

Despite brochures and press releases implying that the course was certified with the sport's governing body as long ago as last year, local USATF representative Tom Ferguson said last night it is not.

He was still awaiting paper work on the actual measurement. He said he was confident the certification, a simple process, could be completed by tonight.

The race begins at 7 a.m. Sunday.

Certification is a basic requirement to legitimize a road race course. Age-group or other records will not be recognized by USATF unless the course is certified.

(In the case of the H-3 course, however, records may be impossible to certify because the drop in elevation - about 3 meters per kilometer - is three times the standard set by USATF.)

'Bows hammer
San Diego State

After Friday night's 7-3 victory over San Diego State, Hawaii has now won 11 of its last 17 games and is 16-11 since opening 1997 at 5-22.

The key components for this turnaround continued to make their presence felt. Pitcher Daven Hermosura tossed his fourth complete-game victory in his last five starts, while fellow senior Robert Medeiros moved ever closer to an elusive .400 hitting season.

Hermosura closes out his career with a 6-4 record and earned run average of 5.78. He wasn't at his best, but timely hitting by Medeiros and freshman Sean Murphy, and a spectacular catch in center by Darren Blakely, allowed him to survive an off-night.

"I didn't have my best stuff," Hermosura said. "I kept missing up in the strike zone, but my defense really came through for me.

"It's great to close out my career here with a victory. I wanted to go the distance. Robert and Sean supplied the power, and I just tried to hang in there long enough to get the victory."

Hawaii raised its Western Athletic Conference record to 13-15 and overall mark to 21-33. San Diego State fell to 16-12 in West Division play and 37-19-1 for the season.

Wahine edge closer
to softball playoffs

With one eye on the NCAA Tournament and the other on 1998, the University of Hawaii softball team has its postseason fate in its collective hands Saturday when facing No. 4 Fresno State in the regular season-ending doubleheader.

The Wahine split with the Bulldogs, 4-2 and 0-6, Friday at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, earning a measure of respect and a modicum of hope for an at-large bid.

"It's so important for us to win two," said sophomore second baseman Regina Kaaihili, who drove in two critical runs in Friday's first game. "This determines our season. We win two and apparently there is no question that we're in (the NCAA Tournament). If we split, it won't be up to us to decide if we go or not."

The NCAA Tournament pairings will be announced Sunday afternoon. Hawaii (37-23, 18-12) is hoping to make its third appearance in four years while Fresno State (47-12, 21-9) is going to its 16th straight tourney.