Wong out until after break
Wong out until after break
Kolten Wong has missed 14 games and counting on his second stint this season on the disabled list, and the Cardinals announced their second baseman won’t return to St. Louis until mid-July after the All-Star break.
“I thought it would be sooner,” general manager John Mozeliak told Tribune News Service.
Wong, sidelined by a right triceps strain, expressed hope last week of returning to the majors in the week leading up to the break, but he also stressed the key was to heal properly to gear up for the second half of the season.
The All-Star Game is July 11 in Miami, and the Cardinals’ first game after the break is July 14 in Pittsburgh.
Volleyball clinic at UHH
A volleyball clinic for boys and girls ages 12-18 will be held on Sundays in July featuring UH-Hilo volleyball coach Gene Krieger and Poli Olevao-Kahapea, head coach and founder of A Mother’s Prayer Volleyball Club and UH-Hilo alumnae.
The fee is $40 per day, with check-in at 12:30 p.m. and clinics running 1-4 p.m. at July 9, 16, 23 and 30 at UH-Hilo gym. Coaches will cover different aspects of volleyball during each session.
Make check out to AMPF and send to 105 Pilipaa St., Hilo HI, 96720.
For more information, call Coach Poli at 769-9462 or email amothersprayerfoundation18@gmail.com.
Marlin tournament series
The Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series gets back in gear this weekend with leg three of its eight-stop circuit.
The 30th Firecracker Open expects about 60 teams to ply the calm waters along the Kona Coast for marlin and ahi, in hopes of landing a piece of the purse that totaled $342,000 in 2016.
In terms of sports properties with cash purse, the HMTS is second in Hawaii to the PGA, according to tournament organizer Jody Bright.
In the Firecracker Open last year, Henry O’Connel, Captain Bryan Toney and Doug Pattengil landed the single largest check in Hawaii fishing history with a 696-pound blue that pulled in $219,522.
Malibu angler Steve Spina is back in Kona to defend his crown as champion angler and will be fishing all the Kona tournaments to try and hold on to his crown. Spina fishes on “Rod Bender” with Captain Kerwin Masunaga and Brent Masunaga — the team winning the top series boat position last year.
After a lay day on July 3, the HMTS events commence a marathon of fishing, with the July 4-6 with the Kona Throw Down and the Skins Marlin Derby on July 7-9.
After a five-day break the HMTS returns July 14-16 with the Lure Maker’s Challenge — a unique event that begs the question: which lure maker makes the hottest tournament bait?
For the past two seasons the answer has been the same — Black Bart Lures. Team El Jobean has won the Lure Maker’s Challenge division in back-to-back years.
After a sizable week break, the season continues with the 31st Big Island Marlin Tournament.
The HMTS wraps up in late September with the appropriately named “It’s a Wrap” tourney, where Spina and the Masunagas will square off with challengers to see who will be name HMT Series champs for 2017.
Last year, 229 teams and caught 240 marlin in the HMTS, of which 93.5 percent were tagged and released.
All the tournaments of the HMTS are open to the public and anyone can enter. For more information visit konatournaments.com, call 557-0908 or email jody@konatournaments.com.