HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WRESTLING

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kahuku's girls celebrated their state wrestling championship last night at the Blaisdell Arena. Kahuku finished with 143 points.

Red Raiders return to top of state

By Nick Abramo
nabramo@starbulletin.com

Kahuku is back on top of the Hawaii girls wrestling world.

The Red Raiders won the Chevron/HHSAA Wrestling State Championships last night at the Blaisdell Arena, their first title since capturing it back to back in 2002 and 2003.

Forty-nine squads competed last night, but it eventually boiled down to three teams. Kahuku scored 143 points for the victory, with second place Farrington close behind at 134.5 points. Third place Moanalua finished with 129.

The outcome could have gone any way among the three schools, according to Kahuku coach Reggie Torres, who also guided the Red Raiders to their two previous state titles.

"All three teams were neck and neck," Torres said. "And whoever was going to win, we all would be happy for them."

The Red Raiders got four girls into last night's finals and only one girl won. But the way the three other girls lost extremely close matches in the final was a good representation of how the team never gives up.

There was a twist on the team-first aspect last night, however.

"We always do everything as a team," said Kahuku senior captain Mysia Kamakaala, who earned her first state title in the 130-pound division and had never qualified for states before because of injuries. "But Coach told me, don't worry about the team. This one's for you. That really pumped me up."

Kamakaala's shoulder popped out in the semifinals and finals last night, but she and the coaches were able to pop it back in during both victories.

"We have great coaches," Kamakaala said. "They're the reason for the way we look and for what we do on the mat."

Two of the Red Raiders' three losers in the finals -- Danica Auna (108 pounds) and Amanda Soliai (155) -- lost by one point. The other, Marlene Suckel (175), lost by two in overtime.

"They battled," Torres said. "All of our girls wrestled above and beyond their capabilities."

Torres also mentioned Erin Ah Sue, who placed fifth at 140 pounds.

"She beat girls from Farrington and Moanalua who she didn't beat during the regular season. You turn those victories around and we don't win."

Tani Ader was a big part of Farrington's second-place finish. She pinned Maui's Jasmine Dollopac for the 114-pound title. The Governors also got third-place finishes from Jane Matto (175 pounds) and Ashley Lilo (220) to keep them above Moanalua.

Alicia Fu led the Menehunes' drive to second place, winning the 155-pound class by holding off Kahuku's unseeded Soliai.

Two juniors -- Iolani's Carla Watase and Kamehameha's Randolyn Nohara -- won their third straight state championships last night and have a chance to match Caylene Valdez's mark of four straight for Moanalua.

"This was the toughest year. I just couldn't let her beat me," said Nohara, who scrapped for an 11-8 win in the 220-pound final over Iolani's Olivia Fatongia. "I always go for first and I never want anyone to take it away. I wrestled really hard all the way."

Watase felt the pressure of everyone in the state trying to dethrone her, including Mililani's Brandie Dela Rama in the 103-pound class last night.

"I was really nervous," Watase said. "I'm really happy. The pressure, I had to deal with that. I look up to Caylene, and it's a big deal to me to win four. She used to beat me up at clinics when I was in eighth grade."

Team standings

1. Kahuku, 143; 2. Farrington 134.5; 3. Moanalua, 129; 4. Iolani, 105; 5. Lahainluna, 71; 6. Kapolei, 68; 7. Baldwin, 66; 8. Kamehameha, 61; 9. Mililani, 56; 10. Kaiser 47; 11. Kealakehe 45.5; 12. Punahou, 42; 13. University, 38; 14. Waianae, 36.5; 15. Castle, 32; 16. Molokai, 30; 17. St. Anthony, 27; t18. Kamehameha-Maui, Maui, 26; 20. Pearl City, 25; 21. Kalaheo, 19; 22. Roosevelt, 17; t23. Aiea, Kailua, Lanai, 14; t26. Campbell, Hawaii Baptist, 11; t28. McKinley, Waipahu, 10; 30. Waialua, 9; 31. Hilo, 8; t32. Konawaena, Leilehua, 6; t34. Maryknoll, Waiakea, Honokaa,4; t37. Hana, Kaimuki, Kamehameha-Hawaii, Keaau, Mid-Pacific, Word of Life, 3; 43. King Kekaulike, 2.

State Champions

98 pounds

Candace Sakamoto
Castle

Championship match
Candace Sakamoto (Castle) def. Keiko Akamine (Iolani), pin
Sakamoto took a 2-0 lead with a takedown at 1:10 of the first period and was the aggressor the whole way. Akamine tried everything to turn the tide, but couldn't.
Sakamoto ended it with a pin with 1:38 left in the second period.

Third-place match
Joyce Transfiguracion (Kealakehe) def. Kelcie Suda (St. Anthony's)

Fifth-place match
Taylor Ieera (Farington) def. Pauline Wu (McKinley)

103 pounds

Carla Watase
Iolani

Championship match
Carla Watase (Iolani) def. Brandie Dela Rama (Mililani) 11-5
Watase, a junior, took her third straight state title. She led just 2-0 after the first period, and afterward said the early points were easy because Dela Rama fell.
Watase gained confidence, but led just 4-2 when Dela Rama scored a takedown with 1:36 left in the second. But Watase pulled away.

Third-place match
Rayna Hirata, Kaiser def. Kalae Johnson, Kahuku

Fifth-place match
Ashley Hayase, Lahainaluna def. Renee Mitchell, Kealakehe

108 pounds

Megan Morisada
Iolani

Championship match
Megan Morisada (Iolani) def. Danica Auna (Kahuku) 4-3
In one of the most drama-filled matches of the night, Morisada prevailed, but barely.
After a scoreless first period, Morisada took a 3-1 lead, but Auna took over the momentum and fought relentlessly for the tying takedown. With 35 seconds to go in the second, Morisada went up 4-1 with what turned out to be a winning escape.

Third-place match
Lisa Katsura, (Moanalua) def. Vicki Milanil (Lahainaluna)

Fifth-place match
Paige Inouye (Pearl City) def. Kailin Curran (Campbell)

114 pounds

Tani Ader
Farrington

Championship match
Tani Ader (Farrington) def. Jasmine Dollopac (Maui), pin
Ader came in as the Oahu Interscholastic Association champion and No. 1 seed. She showed why by pinning Dollopac with 1:37 left in the first period.

Third-place match
Clarissa Reidy (Kapolei) def. Shina Tohara (Kealakehe)

Fifth-place match
Marlene Shimamura (Roosevelt) def. Chelsey Eugenio (Kahuku)

120 pounds

Cherae Pascua
Mililani

Championship match
Cherae Pascua (Mililani) def. Sheryl Manglaylay (Lahainaluna) 6-5
Pascua had a commanding 4-1 lead with a minute left in the first period, but had to fight off Manglaylay.
With 25 seconds to go in the match, Pascua's takedown and Manglaylay's escape gave Pascua a 6-3 edge. Then, with 5 seconds left, Manglaylay came close to pinning Pascua, but didn't hold her long enough.

Third-place match
Chaelyn Tan (Kapolei) def. Kuulei Nitta (Moanalua)

Fifth-place match
Risha Nishima (Hawaii Baptist) def. Raena Campos (Kamehameha)

125 pounds

Ashely Poling
Kaiser

Championship match
Ashley Poling (Kaiser) def. Kuuipo Badayos (Waianae) 10-0
The match was never in doubt from start to finish, although the top-seeded Poling led just 2-0 after one period. A near pin of the unseeded Badayos made it 5-0 near the end of the second period. Poling also had a reversal and another near pin in the third to finish it off.

Third-place match
Kylah Saballa-Olaes (Kapolei) def. Danica Kamakana (Moanalua)

Fifth-place match
Natasha Chang (Baldwin) def. Kaleiolani Souza (Aiea)

130 pounds

Mysia Kamakaala
Kahuku

Championship match
Mysia Kamakaala (Kahuku) def. Piikea Kalalau (Baldwin) 6-3
A senior, Kamakaala won her first state crown in her first appearance at the year-ending tournament.
The outcome for Kamakaala was in jeopardy when Kalalau scored a takedown with 1:05 left in the second to get within one, but Kamakaala shook off a shoulder injury for the clinching takedown.

Third-place match
Punahele Luafalemana (Molokai) def. Ariella Ing (Moanalua)

Fifth-place match
Kiana Parilla (Kamehameha) def. Chantee Perez (Waipahu)

140 pounds

Kara Takasaki
Punahou

Championship match
Kara Takasaki (Punahou) def. Kadian Shaw (Lahainaluna) pin
Takasaki cruised to her second straight state championship for the Buffanblu.
She led by a hefty 12-2 margin before pinning Shaw with 28 seconds left in the match.

Third-place match
BN Alfanso (Farrington) def. Stephanie Geltmacher (Kalaheo)

Fifth-place match
Erin Ah Sue (Kahuku) def. Ashley Juhn (Moanalua)

155 pounds

Alicia Fu
Moanalua

Championship match
Alicia Fu (Moanalua) def. Amanda Soliai (Kahuku) 2-1
In one of the most grueling, defensive matches of the night, Fu got the points she needed with a takedown with 25 seconds to go in the first period. The gritty Soliai scored with an escape late in the second period, but neither wrestler could dominate or score the rest of the way.

Third-place match
Kulia McGurn (Kamehameha-Maui) def. Janna Amby (Lanai)

Fifth-place match
Monique Dilliner (Kailua) def. Crystal Kalakau (Farrington)

175 pounds

Desiree Memea
Pac-Five

Championship match
Desiree Memea (University) def. Marlene Suckel (Kahuku) 7-5, OT
In a close match throughout, Memea pulled through in overtime. She scored a takedown by charging Suckel with 34 seconds left in the extra period. Suckel went out of the circle, but officials ruled she went down before going out.
Memea is the older sister of Little League World Series champion catcher Michael Memea.

Third-place match
Jane Matto (Farrington) def. Kailee Andrade (Baldwin)

Fifth-place match
Justina Luafalemana (Molokai) def. Ashley Kanai (Konawaena)

220 pounds

Randolyn Nohara
Kamehameha

Championship match
Randolyn Nohara (Kamehameha) def. Olivia Fatongia (Iolani) 11-8
Nohara had to work for this one, her third straight state championship. Fatongia's escape with 1 minute to go in the second period made it 7-7. After Nohara's takedown late in the match, Fatongia once again scored with an escape to make it 9-8, setting up a possible upset. But Nohara got one more takedown in the final few seconds to clinch it.

Third-place match
Ashley Lilo (Farrington) def. Andrea Reyes (Moanalua)

Fifth-place match
Maiki Mafi (University) def. Pamela Higa (Pearl City)