Punahou School alum and UCLA golfer Stephanie Kono shot a 2-under-par 70 yesterday and is tied for sixth at the Women's Amateur Public Links at Red Tail Golf Club in Devens, Mass.

Kono had the best score of the nine Hawai'i golfers: Honolulu's Kristina Merkle (35-37—72) is tied for 13th; Pearl City's Mari Chun (36-39—75) is tied for 43rd; former Hilo resident Kimberly Kim (41-36—77) and Lihu'e's Miki Ueoka (38-39—77) are tied for 61st; Honolulu's Cyd Okino (37-41—78) is tied for 72nd; Honolulu's Reiko Fujii (40-44—84) is tied for 130th; Wailuku's Sannon Abarra (40-45—85) is tied for 139th; and Wailuku's Kalea Heu (44-43—87) is tied for 143rd.

The second round of stroke play is today, after which the field of 156 players will be trimmed to the top 64 for match play competition tomorrow through Saturday.

GOLF

OKAZAKI LEADS OCC WOMEN

Lisa Okazaki, a Mid-Pacific Institute graduate who will be a junior on the Portland golf team in the fall, holds a five-point lead after yesterday's first round of the Oahu Country Club Women's Invitational.

Okazaki collected 30 points in the championship flight to lead Lily Yao by five and Sanae Vierra by six going into this morning's final round.

In championship flight, a bogey was worth one point, par two, birdie three and eagle four.

UH TRACK & FIELD

ACADEMIC HONORS FOR WICHMANN

Annett Wichmann has graduated from the University of Hawai'i, but her honors keep coming in. The Rainbows' multi-event athlete was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America women's track & field/cross country first team. It is the third consecutive year she has been named to either the first, second or third team.

Wichmann was a second-team pick in 2008 and third-team selection in 2007. Earlier this season, the Jena, Germany, native was named to the Academic All-District VIII first team for the third consecutive year. Wichmann also was named to the Western Athletic Conference's all-academic team for the fourth straight year.

With three Academic All-America awards, Wichmann broke a school record shared with former men's volleyball standout Costas Theocharidis, an All-American in 2002 and '03.

BASEBALL

YOUNGER YATES SIGNS WITH TAMPA BAY

When the Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft ended June 11, Kaua'i's Kirby Yates thought he was headed to Division II Mesa State.

Instead, the defending American League champion Tampa Bay Rays signed the 2005 Kaua'i High graduate as an undrafted free agent last week out of Yavapai JC in Prescott, Ariz.

"Being 22, this could be the last opportunity I get (to turn pro)," Yates said of signing. "I just wanted to play baseball already."

He has been assigned to Princeton (W.Va.) of the advanced rookie Appalachian League, which begins play today.

Yates' older brother is Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Tyler Yates, a Kaua'i High and Hawai'i-Hilo alumnus. The younger Yates was drafted in the 26th round by the Boston Red Sox out of Kaua'i High, but opted to attend Yavapai. He missed two seasons because of an injury that required Tommy John elbow surgery. He went 7-2 with a 4.61 earned run average, striking out 61 and walking 17 in 52 2/3 innings last season.

UH DIVING

FRIESEN IN WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES

University of Hawai'i diver Emma Friesen will represent Canada at the FISU World University Games to be held July 1 to 12 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Friesen, a member of the Canada senior national team, will be a senior next season at UH.

Last season, Friesen finished third at the NCAA Championships on the 1-meter. She also set a Western Athletic Conference record on the 1-meter, won the 3-meter and was named WAC Diver of the Year.

In 2008, Friesen was named NCAA co-diver of the year after capturing the gold on the 1-meter springboard at the NCAA Championships.

MEMORIAL SERVICES

FORMER MARYKNOLL STAR SAGAPOLUTELE

Services will be held Friday for former NFL defensive lineman and Maryknoll standout Pio Sagapolutele. Viewing will start at 10 a.m. with mass at noon at Sacred Hearts Church at 1701 Wilder Ave.

Burial will be held at Hawaiian Memorial Cemetery in Kane'ohe. A memorial reception will be held at Central Union Church from 4 to 6 p.m.

Sagapolutele, 39, died June 7 in Arizona, two days after suffering a brain aneurysm. He helped Pac-Five to the 1985 Prep Bowl title, Maryknoll to the state basketball title game in 1986 and started for the New England Patriots in the 1997 Super Bowl.

A memorial fund has been set up for donations, which is a college trust account for Sagapolutele's four children: Pio Jr. (13), Malia (9), Sky (6) and Noah (3). Donations can be sent to Pio's Family Memorial Trust Account, TheoDavies Federal Credit Union, 1284 Kalani St., Suite D106, Honolulu HI 96817.

TENNIS

MIXED TEAMS EARN SPOTS IN NATIONALS

Pot Luck, Stay Broke, Hui Holumua and Rubber Duckies won their divisions at last weekend's USTA Mixed Doubles League Section Championships, at Patsy T. Mink CORP Tennis Complex. They will represent the Hawai'i Pacific Section at the national championships later this year.

Stay Broke (8.0) and Rubber Duckies (6.0) travel to Tucson, Ariz., in November for their finals. Hui Holumua (7.0) and Pot Luck (9.0) play in Las Vegas in November.