[ HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS ]
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The Interscholastic League of Honolulu wrestling tournament went just like the regular season, with a few teams coming close to St. Louis but the Crusaders surviving at the end. St. Louis repeats atop ILH
Star-Bulletin staff
The Crusaders won the boys title by 14 points over Punahou yesterday at Kamehameha Schools, mostly because of their success in the final round, which they entered with a slim five-point edge over the Buffanblu. Iolani was in the hunt as well, sending six wrestlers to the championship round and scoring 159 points.
"That's what our whole season has been like, guys doing it for the team and not panicking." St. Louis coach Todd Los Banos said.
Kamehameha Schools won the girls title 102-95.5 over Punahou. The Warriors took the junior varsity title as well.
The St. Louis boys team will send 13 wrestlers -- out of 14 weight classes -- to the state tournament March 1-2 at the Blaisdell Center, and needed each and every one of them to hold off Punahou.
Kamehameha won the girls title in the earlier rounds, winning despite Punahou's four ILH champions to their one.
OIA
The Moanalua girls repeated as Oahu Interscholastic Association wrestling champions last night, getting the best team effort from a stacked field at leilehua last night.The Menehunes won because of their three state champions, Caylene Valdez at 108 pounds, Shani Alvarado at 140 and Stephany Lee at 155. It was enough to give them the team title 135-122.5 over Kahuku.
It was share the wealth, as seven different schools won individual championships, with Moanalua leading with three and Mckinley second with two. Kahuku, Mililani, Pearl City, Nanakuli and Leilehua all walked away with a champion.
"It is always a surprise for us," Moanalua coach Joel Kawachi said. "We've got three OIA champs and did pretty well."
Alvarado and Lee both pinned their opponents in the championship in the first period, but Valdez did not have such an easy time. Shanel Vivas of Kahuku pushed her for three periods before losing 11-8.
McKinley won the boys team title 154-145 over Moanalua, thanks to its four indivudual champions at the lower weights: Lawrence Thain at 109, Emile Suehiro at 125, Desmond Thain at 130 and Rene Suehiro at 135.
McKinley last won in 1999, and would have won four in a row had Moanalua not beaten them the previous year.
Two-time defending champion Kahuku dropped to seventh, leaving the draw even more spread out than the girls, with 10 schools getting individual champions in 14 weight classes. The Red Raiders did not have any of them.
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