Senior Chow guides Punahou to title
Junior Mindy Chow of Punahou was in control in her 132-pound title match against Rustee Johansen of Kamehameha-Hawaii. Chow won 15-0.
• Photo gallery: 2011 HHSAA State Wrestling Championship
By Matt Oney’s admission, this was not the easiest of seasons for Punahou wrestling.
On the other hand, the coach had a "mother hen" in Chrissy Chow to help lead the way, and that is what she did once again last night.
Chow captured her third state crown and Punahou’s girls made it a three-peat last night, taking the Chevron/Hawaii High School Athletic Association State Championship at Blaisdell Arena.
The Buffanblu girls amassed 149.5 points, well ahead of Lahainaluna (117.5), Pearl City (116), Kahuku (108.5) and Aiea (64).
Punahou reaped the rewards of their year-round training, as well.
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Chow (127) edged tough Tanalei Louis of Konawaena in overtime, 8-3. Her younger sister, Mindy, took the 132 championship with a technical fall (15-0) over Rustee Johansen of Kamehameha-Hawaii.
Mindy says she’ll miss the camaraderie and leadership of her older sister. The two shared a national wrestling title last July in a mainland tourney.
"I’m really excited, but I’m sure that tomorrow, I’ll be sad because it’s over," Chrissy said. "I feel like all my teammates are all my kids. I feel really protective of them more so than ever before."
Aside from Punahou’s ongoing dynasty, it was a night of firsts and upsets.
Quinn Nagatani became Pacific Buddhist Academy’s first state wrestling champion by upsetting No. 1 seed Nicole Taniguchi of Punahou, 6-3, for the 110 title. Nagatani led 5-3, but was wrapped up by Taniguchi in the final minute before holding on for the win.
Just a match earlier, PBA teammate Chloe Nagasawa also wrestled for a title at 105 but lost to Kamehameha-Maui’s Nikki Davis 7-0.
Fourth-seeded Samantha Higa, one of the six-member Aiea Na Alii girls team, overcame elbow and knee injuries to win the 116 crown. Higa, who placed fifth last year, downed No. 2 Kristy Rabaino of Kahuku 4-0, breaking a scoreless duel with three points near the end of the second period.
Higa reached the final after knocking off top-seeded Bree Rapoza (Kamehameha) in the semifinal 6-5.
Her teammate, third-seeded Darcie Manning-O’Brien, celebrated her birthday by winning the 177 crown. She pinned unseeded Janelle Fuamatu of Pearl City.
Campbell’s Rachel-Jean Factora, unseeded, provided another surprise by winning the 142 class. She pinned No. 2 Charmagne Monis of Pearl City.
Unseeded Brayanne Moe rose to the 222 title, defeating No. 1 Gina Bella Mataafa of Lahainaluna 4-1 in the final.
For Punahou, which had less than a handful of wrestlers on the girls team during Chrissy Chow’s freshman year, it is now a dynasty without any doubt.
"Coach (Oney) has a lot of discipline. It really sends a message and helps us to understand," Chow said.
Punahou’s coaches have already started looking ahead, both at development and energy among their wrestlers.
"Chrissy’s much more of a leader than outside people will understand," Oney said. "She’s a mother hen."
The future is bright for the team, which has 21 on the roster now, including many who came up through Punahou’s elementary-age (Pumas) program.
SCORING
1. Punahou 149.5
2. Lahainaluna 117.5
3. Pearl City 116
4. Kahuku 108.5
5. Aiea 96
6. Campbell 64
7. Mililani 63
8. Roosevelt 62.5
9. Molokai 57
10. Kamehameha-Hawaii 50; 11. Kamehameha 46; t12. McKinley 44; t12. Pacific Buddhist Academy 44; 14. Farrington 40; 15. Waianae 37; 16. Konawaena 35; 17. Radford 29; 18. Kailua 28; t19. Iolani 24; t19. Kamehameha-Maui 24; 21. Castle 20; 22. Maui 19; 23. Nanakuli 18; 24. Waiakea 14; 25. Baldwin 13; t26. Kapolei 12; t26. Moanalua 12; 28. Mid-Pacific 11; 29. King Kekaulike 8; 30. Sacred Hearts 7; t31. Hawaii Prep 5; t31. Hilo 5; t31. Kalaheo 5; t34. Kau 3; t34. Kealakehe 3; t.34 Waialua 3; 37. Lanai 1; t38. Kaiser 0; t38. Kalani 0; t38. La Pietra 0; t38. St. Francis 0; t38. University 0.
100 pounds
ALLENE SOMERA
Kailua
Top seed defeated No. 3 Mikayla Pico of Molokai 11-9 in the championship; beat No. 4 Thai Ha Sloan of Punahou by fall 5:21 in the semifinal.
Third Place
Angela Enos, Roosevelt def. Candice Segi, Aiea, by pin
Fifth Place
Megan Aina, Kamehameha-Hawaii def. Thai Ha Sloan Punahou, by pin
105 pounds
NIKKI DAVIS
Kamehameha-Maui
No. 2 seed defeated No. 1 Chloe Nagasawa of Pacific Buddhist 7-0 in the championship; beat No. 3 Lauren Dias of Mililani, 7-3, in the semifinal.
Third Place
Aarica Barcina, Kahuku def. Lauren Dias, Mililani 3-2
Fifth Place
Joey Nanhta, Pearl City def. Miya Fukushima-Piligrin, Maui, by pin
110 pounds
QUINN NAGATANI
Pacific Buddhist
Unseeded Nagatani defeated No. 1 Nicole Taniguchi of Punahou
6-3 in the championship; beat No. 2 seed Shayna-Marie Oliver of Farrington, 6-1, in the semifinal.
Third Place
Kazia Lecker, Lahainaluna def. Shayna-Marie Oliver, Farrington 6-5
Fifth Place
Brittany Balanay, McKinley def. Selena Ryder, Mililani 8-5
116 pounds
SAMANTHA HIGA
Aiea
No. 4 seed defeated No. 2 Kristy Rabaino of Kahuku 4-0 in the championship; beat No. 1 seed Bree Rapoza of Kamehameha, 6-5, in the semifinal.
Third Place
Bree Rapoza, Kamehameha def. Ayame Higa, McKinley by pin
Fifth Place
Precious Jaramillo, Lahainaluna def. Janae-Lynn Oliver, Farrington 14-8
122 pounds
MARISA FUKUNAGA
Roosevelt
No. 1 seed defeated No. 2 Kaela Shiigi of ‘Iolani 6-4 in the championship; beat Kiana Yamata of Lahainaluna by fall, 5:54 in the semifinal.
Third Place
Kaimiloa Evans, Pearl City def. Kiana Yamat, Lahainaluna by pin
Fifth Place
Danielle Torres, Waianae def. Rizpah Torres-Umi, Molokai 5-4
127 pounds
CHRISSY CHOW
Punahou
No. 1 seed defeated No. 3 Tanalei Louis of Konawaena 8-3 in overtime in the championship; beat Keani Sebala of Campbell by fall at 4:27 in the semifinal.
Third Place
Jina Miyamoto, Lahainaluna def. Keani Sebala, Campbell 5-2
Fifth Place
Morgan Yamaguchi, Mililani def. Shannon Paaaina, Mid-Pacific by pin
132 pounds
MINDY CHOW
Punahou
No. 1 seed defeated No. 3 Rustee Johansen of Kamehameha-Hawaii 15-0 (technical fall) in the championship; beat No. 4 Elizabeth Chong of Aiea 10-2 in the semifinal.
Third Place
Elizabeth Chong, Aiea def. Charisse Manley, Molokai 4-3
Fifth Place
Veronica Coston, Lahainaluna def. Ashley Alama, King Kekaulike by pin
142 pounds
RACHEL-JEAN FACTORA
Campbell
Unseeded Factora beat No. 2 Charmagne Monis of Pearl City by fall in the third period of the championship; beat No. 1 Makana Hussey of Lahainaluna 5-1 in the semifinal.
Third Place
Makana Hussey, Lahainaluna def. Zoe Hernandez, Punahou by pin
Fifth Place
Dakota Truitt, Mililani def. Abigail Rodriguez, McKinley by pin
157 pounds
ANELA SANTIAGO
Kahuku
No. 1 seed defeated No. 2 Tiara Kaye of Punahou by fall in the second period of the championship; beat Erin Scheidt of Kamehameha by default in the semifinal.
Third Place
Joslynn Kahala-Minczer, Nanakuli def. Erin Scheidt, Kamehameha 7-2
Fifth Place
Kuuleilani Lankford, Campbell def. Kahea-Makani Hussey, Waianae 4-3
177 pounds
DARCIE MANNING-O’BRIEN
Aiea
No. 3 seed defeated unseeded Janelle Fuamatu of Pearl City by fall at 2:12; beat No. 2 Tracy Poch of Waiakea 8-6 in the semifinal.
Third Place
Kaimana Lundquiest, Punahou def. Joreece Peapealo, Kahuku by pin
Fifth Place
Tracy Poch, Waiakea def. Brianna Jeffries, Roosevelt by pin
222 pounds
BRAYANNE MOE
Radford
Defeated No. 1 Gina Bella Mataafa of Lahainaluna 4-1 in the championship; beat No. 2 Sanoe Spencer of Pearl City 3-1 in the semifinal.
Third Place
Sanoe Spencer, Pearl City def. Libby Petrie, Kahuku by pin
Fifth Place
Patrice Yamane, Castle def. Courtnie Taua, Baldwin by pin
