Entries Tagged 'Sports' ↓

Greg McMackin has been named the new head coach of the University of Hawai’i football program. The announcement was made this morning, although McMackin was considered far and away the favored candidate to succeed June Jones, who left UH to coach at SMU after a nine-year record-breaking run. “I am honored and very humbled to accept the head coaching position at the University of Hawai’i,” McMackin said in a statement. “June Jones can never be replaced. He has done so many great things for the program, the university and the state of Hawai’i and his legacy will never be forgotten. My destiny is to keep the program headed in that same direction and to maintain the continuity with our current players and recruiting base.”

McMackin previously served as the Warriors’ defensive coordinator, and he helped the team improve from a ranking of 93rd nationally in total defense to 33rd. The Warriors captured the WAC Championship both years, including this past year’s perfect 12-0 regular season, and earned a trip to the Allstate Sugar Bowl, McMackin’s 12th bowl appearance. With McMackin at the helm, the UH defense ranked fifth nationally in tackles for loss, ninth in sacks, and 11th in interceptions while recording five defensive touchdowns.

University of Hawai‘i Warrior football quarterback Colt Brennan announced today that he will remain with the team to play his senior season. Ending weeks of speculation, stoked by two canceled press conferences this week, Brennan said he owes it to a team that gave him “opportunities at a time when others would not.”

Brennan broke several NCAA, WAC, and school records last year, leading the Warriors to an 11-3 season in which he racked up 406-of-559 passing for 5,549 yards and a record 58 touchdowns. He had been singled out by sports commentators as a strong candidate for the NFL draft, and as recently as this past weekend, Brennan told ESPN that he’d probably choose to go pro if forced to decide at that moment.

“The last two days has been a crazy experience,” Brennan said. “There is a great opportunity for me to enter the NFL draft and potentially be a high draft pick… [But] I have been a part of something special the last two years with my teammates, and now, I have come to the conclusion that there’s more I want to do at Hawai‘i.”

Warriors Head Coach June Jones said Brennan’s decision says volumes about his character.

“All the wins and losses, he stayed right there next to his teammates, and that’s what it’s all about — he understands that this game is not about one person, it’s about the guy next to you,” Jones said. “I’m obviously glad he is coming back, not just for our team, but for the university and for the entire state.”

Teen golf phenom Michelle Wie will play in the 2004 Sony Open PGA golf tournament in January, the governor’s office announced today. Wie, 14, was granted a special sponsor’s exemption by Sony Corporation following a request from Gov. Linda Lingle and Friends of Hawai`i Charities, one of the tournament’s partners. Wie had previously tried to qualify for the event in January and June.

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Corporate sponsors are few and far between. The state can’t spare the funds. So with only two weeks to go before their first game, the Pacific Blast — Hawaii’s sole surviving women’s professional football team — is hoping its fans can help save its season. In addition to a family-friendly fundraising event on Sunday, the team hopes to sell 4,000 “booster tickets” before noon on Monday, which would allow them to play this year.

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Corporate sponsors are few and far between. The state can’t spare the funds. So with only two weeks to go before their first game, the Pacific Blast — Hawaii’s sole surviving women’s professional football team — is hoping its fans can help save its season. In addition to a family-friendly fundraising event on Sunday, the team hopes to sell 4,000 “booster tickets” before noon on Monday, which would allow them to play this year.

Continue reading →

Corporate sponsors are few and far between. The state can’t spare the funds. So with only two weeks to go before their first game, the Pacific Blast — Hawaii’s sole surviving women’s professional football team — is hoping its fans can help save its season. In addition to a family-friendly fundraising event on Sunday, the team hopes to sell 4,000 “booster tickets” before noon on Monday, which would allow them to play this year.

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Hawaii’s golf phenom Michelle Wie — dubbed “the next Tiger Woods” by some sports commentators — today qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open. The 13-year-old Punahou Schools student was one of the last players to earn a spot in the tournament, and is now one of the youngest competitors in tournament history. It was her third attempt to qualify. According to an Associated Press report, Wie earned her spot with a birdie at the first hole in a sudden-death playoff at the sectional qualifiers in Florida. The Open kicks off next month in Oregon.

Hawaii’s golf phenom Michelle Wie — dubbed “the next Tiger Woods” by some sports commentators — today qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open. The 13-year-old Punahou Schools student was one of the last players to earn a spot in the tournament, and is now one of the youngest competitors in tournament history. It was her third attempt to qualify. According to an Associated Press report, Wie earned her spot with a birdie at the first hole in a sudden-death playoff at the sectional qualifiers in Florida. The Open kicks off next month in Oregon.

Hawaii’s golf phenom Michelle Wie — dubbed “the next Tiger Woods” by some sports commentators — today qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open. The 13-year-old Punahou Schools student was one of the last players to earn a spot in the tournament, and is now one of the youngest competitors in tournament history. It was her third attempt to qualify. According to an Associated Press report, Wie earned her spot with a birdie at the first hole in a sudden-death playoff at the sectional qualifiers in Florida. The Open kicks off next month in Oregon.

A golfer from Hawai`i has been paired with Annika Sorenstam in the first rounds of this year’s PGA Tour. Dean Wilson, 33, will find himself near the center of attention as play begins Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas. Other eyes, meanwhile, are on the Boise Open, where 13-year-old Hawai`i golfer Michelle Wie is also set to make history.

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