ISLE FILE
Kane'ohe's Beckel loses in taekwondo at Games
Advertiser Staff
Stephanie Beckel of Kane'ohe lost in the second round of the women's taekwondo under 59-kilogram division at the World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday.
Beckel, who attends the University of Miami, lost to Sujeong Lim of South Korea. Both had first-round byes. Lim went on to win the gold medal, defeating Thailand's Chonnapas Premweaw.
Beckel, who had previously attended the University of Hawai'i, was this year's National Collegiate Taekwondo Association's female athlete of the year and won gold in the featherweight division at the U.S. Senior Nationals.
Also, the U.S. men's volleyball team remained undefeated in pool play with a 25-20, 19-25, 25-23, 26-24 win over Japan. Former UH player Alfred Reft is the starting libero for the U.S. team (3-0), which plays Poland (3-0) today.
The U.S. softball team lost its opener, 6-5, to South Korea. Kalaheo High School graduate Jessika Ngirblekuu is a member of the U.S. squad, which is composed of junior college players.
Ngirblekuu, who recently finished her eligibility at Palm Beach Community College (Fla.), started in left field against Australia. The game was scoreless when it was suspended in the top of the eighth inning.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
TOP SEEDS STILL IN IT
Top seeds Mike Lambert and Stein Metzger remained in contention despite losing yesterday in the AVP Crocs Tour Manhattan Beach Open in Manhattan Beach, Calif.
The Punahou School alums lost to eighth seeds Dax Holdren and Sean Scott in the third round before beating Brent Doble and Matt Olson, and Adam Jewell and Jose Loiola to advance to today's quarterfinals in the contenders' bracket.
Lambert and Metzger will play sixth seeds Anthony Medel and Fred Souza, who earlier handed defending champions and third seeds Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers their first loss.
In the women's division, top seeds Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh beat second seeds Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs, 15-21, 14-7 (retired), 15-12, to win their third straight — and fourth overall — title at Manhattan Beach.
BASEBALL
WEST O'AHU FALLS
The Washington Narrows scored four runs in the top of the fifth and went on to beat West O'ahu, 5-3, yesterday in the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur Baseball Federation World Series (18-under) at San Diego.
Ronel Trias had a triple and RBI for the West O'ahu, which finished third. Washington went on to win the tournament.
