Hau'ula's Michael Mariteragi won two medals, including a prestigious sportsmanship honor, at the inaugural U.S. Junior Olympic Skills Competition, Aug. 10 to 13, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center at Colorado Springs, Colo.

In addition to Mariteragi, three La'ie athletes received honors: Alohi Gilman (silver, boys basketball, age 8-9), Joshua Christensen (gold, boys basketball, age 12-13) and Rachel Christensen (gold, girls tennis, age 10-11).

The 13-year-old Mariteragi earned silver in track and field, and was selected as one of two winners of the first U.S. Junior Olympic Skills Competition Earn Your Stripes Award, which recognizes participants that best embody the characteristics of sportsmanship.

Mariteragi became well-known among the 72 competitors, as he carried his ukulele with him throughout the four-day event. Mariteragi played music for the young athletes and their parents, and also strummed tunes as he ran along the Olympic Path with the world's No. 1 triathlete, Hunter Kemper, during the Parade of Athletes on the first day of competition.

The U.S. Junior Olympic Skills Competition is a free, grass-roots Olympic sports program. Finalists went through local and regional qualifying events in four Olympic sports: basketball, soccer, track and field and tennis.

SPEARFISHING

THREE WILL REPRESENT HAWAI'I IN PORTUGAL

Three Hawai'i freedive spearfishermen will represent Team USA in the XXV World Championship of Underwater Fishing 2006, Sept. 14 to 17, in Sines, Portugal.

Oahu's Wayde Hayashi, Maui's Lance Otsubo, Kona's Andy Tamasese and California's Gerald Lim will represent Team USA.

The World Championships are held every two years, and feature elite divers from almost every continent. Teams qualify in their region for the two-day World Championships, which has 20 to 25 teams.

"These are Hawai'i's best spearfishermen competing in the 'Olympics' of spearfishing," said Sterling Kaya, Team USA sponsor, and owner of Hawaii Skin Diver Magazine.

Kaya said Team USA will be underdogs against the European competitors.

"Spearfishing is huge in Europe, so our guys will be competing against government-sponsored, professional athletes from countries such as Spain, France, Italy and Portugal. This is the strongest U.S. Team I've seen in years."

Hayashi, Otsubo and Lim have combined to win four U.S. National Spearfishing Championships from 1997 to 2004. After qualifying in the U.S., the team was required to qualify in the Championship of the Americas in Peru earlier this year.

RUNNING

MAUI PART OF 50-STATE, 50-DAY MARATHON QUEST

Ultramarathon runner Dean Karnazes is scheduled to run the course of the Maui Marathon on Oct. 4 as part of his quest to run 50 sanctioned marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days.

The actual Maui Marathon is Sept. 17, but Karnazes' run will be a certified run, according to a spokesman for Karnazes.

Karnazes' quest, called The North Face Endurance 50, is slated to begin Sept. 17 with the Lewis & Clark Marathon & Half Marathon at St. Charles, Mo. It finishes with the ING New York City Marathon, Nov. 5.