Honolulu Star-Bulletin from Honolulu, Hawaii • 17

1 V' 1 1 NO SLUMP INSIDE Mililani's softball team passes an early test by beating Pearl City. B2 0 A Coach Dennis Erickson decides to stick with the 49ers. B5 Rainbow Wahine sophomore Brittany Grice has improved thanks to help from former coach Vince Goo and new coach JimBolla.B2 sportsstarbulletin.com 524782 tJi UJaID editor: Paul Arnett parnettstarbulletin.com 5294786 Thursday, December 16, 1004 Section The UH basketball coach has a stent inserted and plans to return to practice tomorrow those he experienced before having a clogged artery cleared back In 1998, he promptly scheduled an appointment with his doctor. He went in for an examination Monday and after undergoing tests, Wallace had a successful angioplasty performed yesterday morning at Kaiser Perma-nente Medical Center. By Jason Kaneshiro jkaneshirostarbulletin.com Riley Wallace's knowledge of what plays to signal during a basketball game is a key to his EDDIE AIKAU DIG WAVE INVITATIONAL feeling when I had the last stent In.

You can mistake it for indigestion If you don't really have a feel for it-Wallace will likely be released from the hospital today and, with his doctor's approval, plans to be back at practice with the Rainbow Warriors tomorrow. "They've Improved all the The previous time it was held was in January 2002, when six-time former world champion Kelly Slater of Florida was the winner. "This is our early Christmas present from Santa Claus," said Glen Moncata, the Quiksilver Hawaii representative. Bruce Irons caught some of the biggest waves of the day, and his top four rides from two separate one-hour non-elimination heats scored 370 points (out of 400 maximum), 32 better than 2001 Eddie winner Ross Clarke-Jones (338) of Australia, who finished in second place. Sports procedures, so it doesn't take as long as before.

You can get up and all that stuff," he said. "I was up in an hour." Wallace has missed two days of practice this week. With the players busy studying for final exams, the Rainbows had the Please see Rainbows, B3 "I would be lying if I said there wasn't any disappointment (finishing said the 38-year-old Clarke-Jones. "But Bruce caught some of the best waves I saw today, and really deserved it." Participating in his fourth Eddie, the first coming in 1999, Clarke-Jones added: "This was the best one yet. Wave-wise, spirit-wise it's just a nice feeling all the way around." Irons' best ride came during his first heat, on a wave that approached 50 feet when it began Please see Aikau, B5 I Wallace, 63, had a stent (small wire mesh tube) Inserted in his right coronary artery to improve blood flow, the same procedure performed on his left coronaryarterylnl998.

"I had a feeling things weren't right, so I went in for a checkup," Wallace said yesterday from his room at Kaiser. "I had the same A celebration of the life of former Waimea Bay lifeguard and surfer Eddie Aikau, who was never found after he paddled off for help when the Hokulea capsized in rough seas in 1978, this is an invite-only event that runs only when quality surf at the bay measures at least 20 feet under the local scale (30- to 40-foot faces). The waiting period for the event began just two weeks ago, and would have run until the end of February. Typically, when the Eddie has taken place in the past, it has done so after Christmas. ASSOCIATED PRESS success as a college coach.

His familiarity with the signals his body was sending him this week has also proved vital. When the Hawaii basketball coach felt symptoms similar to Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational at Waimea Bay for only the seventh time in 20 years. Kauai's Bruce Irons, younger brother of current three-time world champion Andy Irons, got to enjoy the rare gift most of all, as he won "the Eddie" in his first time participating in the event "Today doesn't seem real," said 25-year-old Bruce, who earned $55,000 with the victory. "I caught the biggest waves of my life. To win the Eddie Aikau I can't believe it." The first Eddie experience "was everything I expected and nounced today.

Elliott, who transferred from Utah to the tiny Division III school in Oregon after losing his job to Heisman finalist Alex Smith, was joined on the first-team by Fort Valley State's Derrick Wimbush. The senior running back ran for 1,840 yards and was a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the top player in Division n. Colorado School of Mines quarterback Chad Friehauf won the Harlon Hill last week after throwing 4,646 yards and 39 touchdowns to lead the Miners to their first playoff win and a Please see Elliott, B4 TONY BLAZEJACK SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN Bruce Irons of Kauai recorded the only perfect score yesterday at the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational at Wainiea Bay. The wave approached 50 feet when it began to crest Bruce Irons receives an early Christmas present more," he added. "The vibe there's so much energy, it's such a heavy feeling.

I'll go to my grave happy that I won the Eddie Aikau." Several thousand spectators lined the beach and both cliff sides of the bay to watch the surfers paddle into quality waves that were averaging 30 to 50 feet in face value in the morning. Good conditions lasted throughout the day, and though the swell had already peaked by late afternoon, sets still aver- aged 25 to 40 feet for the final heats. The younger brother of champion Andy Irons captures 'the Eddie' on first try By Brandon Lee Special to the Star-Bulletin Christmas came early for 24 of the world's best big-wave surfers yesterday. The very large present for all of them to share was a huge winter swell that generated surf big enough to run the prestigious Quiksilver in Memory of Linfield College QB tops AP Little All-America team Owens, Kemoe'atu get more recognition Postseason honors continue to roll in for Hawaii's Chad Owens and Utah's Chris Kemoe'atu. Owens, a senior slotback out of Roosevelt High School, was named third-team All-America this week by College Football News.

The magazine and Web site, which has picked All-America teams since 1998, selected Owens as punt returner. Kemoe'atu, a Kahuku product, was named to the CFN first team at offensive line, and last week was named first-team All-America by the Football Writers Association of America. Boise State's Daryn Colledge was also named a first-team Ail-American by CFN at offensive line. Roddy White of UH's Hawaii Bowl opponent Alabama-Birmingham was a second-team receiver. Brett Elliott passed for 4,313 yards and an NCAA single-season record 59 touchdowns By Ralph D.

Russo Associated Press Brett Elliott's record-breaking season made him an All-American. The Linfield College quarterback with an NCAA single-season record 59 touchdown passes leads The Associated Press Little All-America team for the best players in Division II, III and NAIA that was an Star-Bulletin staff Quarterback Brett Elliott guided undefeated Linfield College (1 2-0) to a spot in Saturday's Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl..