It’s all about the set-up.

Kamehameha girls wrestling coach Bill Venenciano had long preached the importance of getting into proper position to execute an efficient attack on the mat.

A year after finishing second in the state, the Warriors were collectively poised to take the next step on Saturday. They finished off their ascent with five individual titles while capturing the school’s first girls team crown.

"It’s a defining moment," Venenciano said after the Chevron/HHSAA State Wrestling Championships at Blaisdell Arena.

Growing from 17 wrestlers when Venenciano took over the girls program four years ago to 31 this season, Kamehameha was the only team to place entrants in all 14 weight classes. Six reached the semifinals and five of those won their early matches on Saturday to vault the Warriors ahead of Lahainaluna in the team standings. All five ended the night atop the awards podium.

Kamehameha senior Harmony Pacheco and sophomore Teshya Alo repeated as state champions, while freshman Donavyn Futa and seniors Shana Dilliner and Erin Scheidt captured their first titles. The Warriors finished with 178 points, 14 ahead of Lahainaluna.

Kamehameha’s title haul broke the state girls’ meet record set last year, when the Warriors had four champions but finished behind Pearl City in the standings.

"We’ve worked so hard coming back from last year, when we lost to Pearl City by six points," Pacheco said. "Those six points were stuck in the back of our minds as a team every practice, every time we did stairs, a run, anything.

"We knew we had a strong team coming this year, especially the underclassmen. They pulled together so well. It’s life-changing. Especially as a senior it’s so great to leave on a good note to make sure these girls know it’s possible to continue this legacy."

Venenciano refered to his "IPAD" philosophy — "Individual Package. Attitude. Development" — in tailoring a strategy for each wrestler based on her strengths, then honing those techniques throughout the season.

"We at first didn’t get it," Pacheco said with a laugh. "The ‘IPAD’ was simply his outline for us, what was our top moves and knowing our game plan going in."

The plan certainly paid off Saturday night.

Futa got the Warriors started in the finals by pinning Pearl City’s Alexis Ford 4:27 in the 113-pound final. Dilliner followed with a 3-1 victory over Pearl City’s Joen Tominaga in the 117 match.

The 121 final featured a matchup of reigning state champions in Pacheco, last year’s winner at 125, and Mililani’s Angela Lee. Pacheco pulled away with two late takedowns in a 10-2 win.

Alo continued her domination of the 130-pound class, needing just 53 seconds to end her match with Baldwin’s Shayna Boteilho to earn her second title. Scheidt then completed the night by holding on for a 1-0 win over ‘Iolani’s Alexandra Fautanu.

Lahainaluna’s night was highlighted by Brenna Dudoit Vasquez’s title in the 135-pound class, Carly Jaramillo’s victory at 140 and Lalelei Mataafa’s win at 220. Jaramillo earned her second state title with a pin with two seconds left in her match against Punahou’s Zoe Hernandez.

Mid-Pacific’s Shannon Paaaina also joined the ranks of two-time champions, pairing her 2012 victory in the 125-pound class with Saturday’s 8-0 win over Molokai’s Rizpah Torres Umi.

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