Wednesday, February 24, 1999
Two-time defending state champion Kamehameha and three-time defending Oahu Interscholastic Association winner McKinley are among the favorites in this week's Data House/Hawaii High School Athletic Association state wrest-ling tournament, Friday and Saturday, at the Blaisdell Arena. Two state tourneys
this weekendThe Warriors and the Tigers each have three No. 1 seeds in the boys' competition. There are 14 weight classes for boys, 10 for girls.
Four of last year's boys' champions are in the field, including Joey Bareng (112 pounds) of Moanalua and Gerald Welch (171) of St. Louis. The two will defend their weight-class titles while two others have moved up: Radford's Sean Collins (from 125 to 135) and Waiakea's Poai Suganuma (from 160 to 189).
Five girls' champions return to defend their titles: top-seeded Clarissa Chun of Roosevelt (98); top seed Shelley Ann Tomita of Moanalua (moving up to 108); top-seeded Valerie Busch of Waiakea (130); No. 2 seed Renee Nakata of Moanalua (moving up to 130) and No. 1 seeded Donnell Bradley of Radford (220).
The qualifying rounds begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday followed by preliminaries and quarterfinals. Semifinal rounds start at 11 a.m. Saturday with the girls' finals scheduled for 5 p.m. and the boys' finals at 7 p.m.
Admission is $5.50 for students, $6.50 for adults.
TIGERS TOUGH: At the OIA wrestling championship Saturday, McKinley capped an undefeated OIA season with a third straight team title, fourth in five years. The Tigers had four individual winners out of seven who made it to the finals, scoring 232.5 points to 172.5 by runner-up Kahuku.
Repeating as league champions were: Richard Fujiyama of McKinley (103), Aiea's Rylan Lizares (171) and Radford's Sean Collins (up from 125 to 135).
The McKinley girls' varsity earned its second OIA title despite not having any individual champions. The Tigers won the inaugural girls' state championship last season.
WARRIORS REIGN: Last Saturday, Kamehameha won four individual titles en route to the ILH varsity boys' wrestling team championship. The Warriors scored 184.5 points to 159.5 by runner-up St. Louis.
Successful for Kamehameha were Justin Hussey (125), Kamaka Jingao (145), Jordan Orian (189) and David Kapalolu (275). The Warriors were upset by St. Louis in two other matches -- at 160, where John Rosa was pinned by Edward Lopez, and at 171, where defending state champion Gerald Welch defeated Richard Robles for the first time in four meetings with a fall.
Iolani also won four individual titles to finish third with 157.5. Ken Kakesako scored perhaps the biggest upset with a one-point win over 1998 state runner-up Corey Nakasone of Pac-Five, who was undefeated in regular-season dual meets.
STATE SWIMMING: Can anyone beat Punahou? It happened last year, but can it happen again?
The other 66 schools in the state will try beginning Friday at the Local Motion/HHSAA swimming and diving championships. The 24-event meet will be held at the University of Hawaii's Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.
The Buffanblu have won 38 of 41 girls' titles and 37 of 41 boys' titles. Only twice has Punahou not won either team championship -- in 1996, when Iolani swept both titles and last year when Hawaii Prep earned the boys' championship and Iolani the girls'.
Three swimmers are top-seeded in two events, the maximum individual allowance: Nick Borreca of Punahou (boys' 200 and 500 freestyle); Michaela Keller of Kalaheo (girls' 100 butterfly and 500 freestyle) and Iolani's Kim Ono (girls' 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke).
The diving preliminaries begin at 9 a.m. with the swimming trials starting at 3:30 p.m. The diving semifinals and finals begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, followed by the swimming finals at 1 p.m.
Admission is $5 for students, $6 for adults. There is a $3 parking fee at the University of Hawaii.
A complete list of qualifiers and seeding is available on the Hawaii High School Athletic Association's website: http://www.hhsaa.org.