Kellie Canida isn't one to complain about bumps and bruises.

The Whittier (Calif.) junior outfielder and 2007 Kamehameha graduate is on a tear at the plate for the Poets' softball team this spring, despite battling a nagging bruise on her left (catching) hand.

Canida, an 'Aiea native, is second on the team in batting with a .402 average while starting all 30 of the Poets' 31 games this season. While batting from the leadoff spot, Canida has pounded out 43 hits, including five homers, with 22 RBIs, 29 runs scored and 72 total bases. She is sporting a .434 on-base percentage.

Canida has shown improvement in each season since arriving at the school in Southern California.

She played in 34 games as a freshman, making 33 starts and batting .286.

"My teammates were really supportive after that season even though I didn't do so great," Canida said.

She broke out last year after a move to the top of the order and boasted a .413 batting average in 37 games.

"That was definitely a different role that coach threw me into," Canida said of the leadoff spot. "But her having confidence in me that I could do it, gave me a lot of confidence as well."

She was named Whittier's Offensive Player of the Year and earned Second Team All-Southern California Interscholastic Athletic Conference honors.

"That gave me even more confidence, but I knew that I could still improve upon that year," Canida said.

Canida is back in Hawai'i for spring break this week and yesterday she finally went to a doctor to check her left wrist.

"It's been off and on this whole season," Canida said. "It's nothing too serious, but because of (medical) insurance, it can be hard to even see a doctor in California."

Canida said she hopes to rest her wrist and spend time with family before returning to school Tuesday.

The Poets (18-13, 9-7 SCIAC) return to action with a doubleheader at Redlands on April 16.

MORE SOFTBALL

• East Carolina senior shortstop Kaui Tom (Kamehameha '06 of Kailua) drove in a run in a 2-0 win over Central Florida Friday in the first game of a doubleheader. In the second game, senior third baseman Cristen Aona (Punahou '06 of Kapolei) batted 2 for 4 with an RBI in a 2-0 win. In Saturday's series finale, senior outfielder Charina Sumner (Kamehameha '06 of Kailua) was 2 for 4 with three RBIs in a 6-0 win.

• Mississippi State sophomore outfielder Kaili Smith (Kapolei '08) had an RBI triple in a 4-1 win over Southern last Wednesday. She drove in another run in a 5-4 loss to Kentucky Friday and hit her ninth home run of the season in Saturday's 1-0 win over the Wildcats.

• New Mexico State junior first baseman Hoku Nohara (Kamehameha '07 of Waimānalo) hit a three-run home run in a 9-8 loss to Hawai'i Saturday. Nohara is batting .410 with team-highs of nine home runs, 37 RBIs, 70 total bases and 26 walks.

• Otero (Colo.) freshman second baseman Laura Abellanida (Sacred Hearts '09 of 'Ewa Beach) batted 2 for 3 with a homer and a double in a 10-1 win over Luna JC (N.M.) Thursday.

TRACK & FIELD

• Chelsea Machida (Maui '07 of Kahului) of host Linfield (Ore.) won the women's high jump by clearing 5 feet, 1 3/4 inches at Saturday's Jenn Boyman Invitational. Julia Naumes (Kohala '09 of Kamuela) of Pacific (Ore.) was seventh in the shot put (33-5 3/4) and discus (94-2). Teammate Murphy Busek (Waiākea '07 of Mountain View) was seventh in the men's shot put (40-9 3/4).

• Dartmouth's Joy Piotrowski (Punahou '09 of 'Aiea) was second in the women's triple jump (36-1 1/2) at Saturday's New Hampshire Invitational. She was also 15th in the long jump (15-11) and 25th in the 200-meter dash (29.68).

• Idaho State's Bryce Jenkins (Leilehua '09 of Wahiawā) finished third in the men's 5,000 run at Friday's All Idaho Collegiate with a time of 16:30.19.

• Portland's Pono Hanson (Kamehameha '07 of 'Aiea) finished eighth in the men's 400 hurdles (58.09) at Saturday's Willamette (Ore.) Invitational. Casey Nishimura (Mid-Pacific '06 of Hawai'i Kai) of Pacific (Ore.) was 44th in the 1,500 run in 4:17.42. Willamette's Amanda Tamanaha (St. Andrew's '09 of Honolulu) placed 37th in the women's 5,000 run in 19:03.67, qualifying her for the Northwest Conference Championships.

• Wyoming's Larissa Edwards (Ka'ū '08 of Pahala) was sixth in the women's 100 hurdles in 15.37 and 26th in the 200 in 28.71 at Saturday's Tom Benich Classic. Teammate Kekoa Chavez (Hilo '05) was fourth in the men's 400 hurdles (53.84) and ran on the second-place 4x400 relay team. Matt Nakamoto (Hawai'i Baptist '09 of Honolulu) was 52nd in the 1,500 (4:30.19) for host Northern Colorado.

• Alexa Untermann (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) of Babson (Mass.) finished sixth in the women's high jump (4-9) at Saturday's Coast Guard Invitational. She was ninth in the javelin (91-2) and 10th in the shot put (26-8 1/4;). Teammate Ryan Jones (Punahou '06 of Kailua) was 10th in the men's javelin (125-7) and 23rd in the shot put (27-7 1/2).

• Bailey Massenburg (King Kekaulike '09 of Kula) of Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) finished third in the women's 1,500-meter run in 4:54.68 at Saturday's Mangrum Invitational at Cal State San Marcos. Teammate Mark Miller (St. Anthony '07 of Kahului) was third in the men's javelin (45.64 meters) and seventh in the discus (38.6 meters).

BASEBALL

• Northwestern's Paul Snieder (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) batted 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI in a 8-2 win over Ohio State Saturday. Snieder also pitched a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts for the Wildcats.

• Cal State Northridge junior left fielder Ridge Carpenter (Kalani '07 of Honolulu) batted 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs in a 7-5 loss to UC Irvine Saturday. Carpenter has started all 26 games and is batting .300 with 33 hits, 19 RBIs, 23 runs scored and 15 stolen bases (out of 18 attempts), while mostly batting leadoff.

• Freshman shortstop D.J. Andrade (Damien '09 of Waipahu) batted 5 for 10 with two RBIs as Southern Utah split a four-game series with Utah Valley last weekend. Senior first baseman Bucky Aona (Punahou '06 of Makakilo) went 4 for 17 with three RBIs, and sophomore right-hander Kelsey Outram ('Iolani '08 of Mililani) made three appearances and earned one save for the Thunderbirds.

• Pacific (Ore.) freshman outfielder Nick Tasaka (Mid-Pacific '09 of Hawai'i Kai) batted 3 for 4 with a homer and a double with two runs scored in a 13-9 win over Willamette (Ore.) Saturday. Sophomore designated hitter Mike Nagamine (Mid-Pacific '08 of 'Aiea) drove in a pair of runs with a stolen base and senior shortstop Brandon Kon (Castle '06 of Kāne'ohe) was 2 for 5 with a run scored for the Boxers.

• Willamette senior right-hander Scott Martin (Punahou '06 of Honolulu) allowed two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and one walk in four innings in a 12-5 win over Pacific (Ore.) Saturday. Martin recorded his first save of the season.

• Shoreline (Wash.) sophomore outfielder Bryson Nakamura (Pearl City '08) batted 8 for 14 with three doubles during last weekend's four-game series against Edmonds (Wash.). Nakamura is hitting .473 as the leadoff batter. Sophomore shortstop Darren Baccay (Leilehua '08) is batting .434 and sophomore outfielder Kama Moises (Word of Life '08) has a .384 batting average.

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL

• Stanford sophomore outside hitter Brad Lawson ('Iolani '08 of Honolulu) hit .423 with 14 kills, six digs and two aces in a sweep of UC Santa Barbara Saturday. Senior setter Kawika Shoji ('Iolani '06 of Honolulu) recorded 43 assists with seven digs and three kills. Junior outside hitter Spencer McLachlin (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) put away nine kills with six digs and sophomore libero Erik Shoji (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) had a match-high 15 digs for the Cardinal.

• USC junior setter Riley McKibbin (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) notched 63 assists with 15 digs in a five-set win over UC Irvine Thursday. Freshman outside hitter Maddison McKibbin (Punahou '09 of Honolulu) had 10 digs and six assists and junior outside hitter Tri Bourne (Academy of the Pacific '07 of Honolulu) added nine kills and five digs for the Trojans.

• BYU sophomore Futi Tavana (Kaua'i '06 of Kalaheo) had 12 blocks in Thursday's four-set win over Long Beach State. He also recorded eight blocks in Friday's four-set win and hit .636 with eight kills.

• Noah Casaquit (Moanalua '00 of Honolulu) of Hope International (Calif.) was named NAIA Libero of the Week after averaging 3.12 digs per set for the week. The Royals also qualified for the NAIA National Invitational Tournament, which will start April 22 at St. Ambrose University (Iowa).

• Sophomore libero Nick Castello (ASSETS '07) of Irvine Valley had 18 digs in a four-set win over Golden West Wednesday. He also had 28 digs in a five-set win over Orange Coast Friday, which lifted Irvine Valley to first place in the Pacific Coast Conference.

TENNIS

• Haverford (Pa.) freshman Kevin Caulfield (Punahou '09 of Honolulu) was named Men's Player of the Week by the Centennial Conference on March 16 after going unbeaten on the team's spring trip to Orlando. Caulfield went 2-0 in both singles and doubles.

• Cal State Northridge junior Brooke Doane (Kamehameha '07 of 'Ewa Beach) helped the Matadors beat UC Riverside, 7-0, Thursday. Doane won 6-3 and 6-0 at No. 1 singles and teamed with Anna Yang to win 8-4 in the top doubles' match.

• DePauw (Ind.) junior Janelle Arita (Punahou '07 of Mililani) won 6-4 and 7-5 to help the Tigers beat Wisconsin-Whitewater, 7-2, Friday in at the Midwest Invitational in Madison, Wis. On Saturday, Arita won 6-7(4), 6-4 and 6-1 in a 5-4 loss to Gustavus Adolphus to finish fourth in the team tournament.

WOMEN'S WATER POLO

• UC San Diego junior attacker Hanalei Crowell (Kamehameha '06 of Kailua) scored two goals in a 6-3 win over Cal State San Bernardino Saturday. She also had a goal in an 11-7 win over Brown later that day.

• Pacific (Calif.) junior utility Dara Tawarahara ('Iolani '07 of Honolulu) scored twice in a 7-5 win over UC Davis Saturday. She had three goals in a 16-8 win over Fresno Pacific.

• Occidental (Calif.) freshman center Nanea Fujiyama (Kamehameha '09 of Honolulu) scored a game-high three goals with three assists in a 13-4 win over Whittier last Wednesday. Junior attacker Karie Nickle (Kamehameha '07 of Honolulu) scored twice and assisted on three other goals for the Tigers. She also had five steals and a block.

Advertiser Staff Writer Stanley Lee contributed to this report.