STAR-BULLETIN / JANUARY 2002
Saint Louis' Jonathan Spiker will be going for his fourth state wrestling title this weekend at Blaisdell Arena.
This is a big weekend for Saint Louis' Jonathan Spiker and Moanalua's Caylene Valdez. Spiker, Valdez on verge of
almost unheard of 4-peatBy Nick Abramo
Both have a chance to make Hawaii high school history by winning their fourth straight Data House State Wrestling Championship individual titles tomorrow and Saturday at Blaisdell Arena.
The meet starts at 11 a.m. both days, with the girls finals Saturday at 5 p.m. followed by the boys finals at 7.
Only Iolani's Patrick Higa (1983-'86) has won four straight titles.
Spiker and his Crusaders teammates are trying for their third straight team championship.
When asked what boys weight class he thought would be the most competitive, Iolani coach Yoshi Honda said, "I know which class won't be -- Spiker's (152 pounds).
"He's a class individual ... such a competitor ... so into it. And that's an amazing feat he's going for, very rare and I'd like to congratulate his whole family. It's a whole team effort that got him into this position. I know how hard it is to win three, so I can only imagine what it takes to get four."
Honda won state titles while wrestling for Radford from 1981 to '83.
Many coaches around the state see Iolani as the favorite to win the boys team title.
"We're ready to get on the mat, that's for sure," Honda said. "We've had a successful year and we'll wrestle hard. The ILH has good representation. Kamehameha has the opportunity to score a lot of points as well (along with Iolani and Saint Louis). McKinley, Kahuku and Waiakea also have very good teams."
Owen Yonehara (135-pound class), Brent Kakesako (130) and Jared Wakayama (125) are among the Raiders' leaders.
Wakayama won the 119-pound class a year ago and Kakesako was the 125-pound champ.
"Kakesako's class, now that's a good weight class," Honda said. "They've got Ben Wilmore from Saint Louis, Emile Suehiro from McKinley, Jon Fisher (Hilo) and Joe Duley (Pahoa)."
Suehiro is part of the Tigers' big four, along with his brother Rene (140) and another set of brothers -- Desmond (135) and Lawrence Thain (119).
Rene Suehiro won the 135-pound class a year ago, while the Crusaders' Wilmore was tops at 112.
Kahuku coach Reggie Torres doesn't think his OIA champion Red Raider boys team is ready to take a serious run at the state title.
"If we place in the top five, we'll walk away happy," he said. "We don't have the same quality wrestlers that Iolani has. McKinley has four quality guys and Saint Louis and Kamehameha have a lot of quality guys, too. And at the states, it's all about quality wrestlers. If you can't win, you can't score. Realistically, we're a year away."
Valdez and her Moanalua teammates are trying to unseat Torres' OIA and defending state champion Kahuku squad for the girls crown.
"Besides having a lot of talent, Caylene has a lot of internal desire," Menehunes coach Joel Kawachi said. "She just doesn't like to lose. When she needs it, she digs and finds it."
Valdez moved up to the 114-pound class this year from 108, and she has some tough competition, including defending 114-pound state champ Debbie Sakai from Mililani, Interscholastic League of Honolulu champ Jaynee Kim of Punahou, Tamitha Hafuna of Farrington and Rosylynn Maiava of Kahuku.
"It's one of the most difficult weight classes in the state," Kawachi said.
The 130-pound class is also expected to be hotly contested. Kamehameha's Jazmine Cockett, Kealakehe's Jasmin Norman, Kahuku's Ashlee Estioko and Punahou's Lauren Primiano are all legitimate contenders.
The Menehunes won three straight state titles from 1999 to 2001, and they placed second to the Red Raiders in the OIA championship meet two weeks ago.
"We surprised a lot of people at the OIAs (to finish second)," Kawachi said. "But Kahuku was still that good. On paper, nobody is close to them in the state.
"But what I tell the girls is to wrestle with all your heart. That's all you can do. If we come out champions, we come out champions. We have 10 girls in the tournament and we need all 10 of them to help us out."
The Kahuku girls are led by Estioko, Amanda Aquino (98), Nicole Fonda (103) Elizabeth Torres (108), Leilani Relator (121) and Kehau Kamauoha (140).
Relator is going up against defending 121-pound champ Danyelle Hedin of Kailua. Relator beat Hedin in this season's OIA final.
"We've got a great chance at states," Torres said about his Red Raider girls. "Moanalua is creeping up and Kamehameha is getting better. It's going to be a dog race. Moanalua is bringing 10 girls, Kamehameha is bringing nine and we're bringing eight. And we need to put most of them in the final to have a chance to win."
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