Aina on way back up with win at Punahou

Kamehameha-Hawaii senior Megan Aina will have plenty of time to enhance faces. For now, the priority for the aspiring cosmotologist is grinding them into a wrestling mat.

Aina’s roller-coaster high school wrestling career is back on the way up after winning the 103-pound class at the Paani Girls Wrestling Challenge at Punahou on Tuesday.

Aina, who won a state championship two years ago as a sophomore and slipped to fifth last year, beat Marissa Hamakawa of Pearl City, Candice Segi of Aiea and top seed Mikayla Pico of Molokai to stand on the top step at the awards ceremony. It was Aina’s second tournament title in a row after taking the Officials Tournament last week at Leilehua.

"I might come back to help, but I think this year is it for wrestling," Aina said. "It means I have to win it this year no matter what. They hurt me bad last year, it makes me want to lift weights and train hard whenever I think about it."

Aina avenged defeats suffered to Pico and Segi in last year’s state tournament. She thinks she is the same wrestler she was last year and the year before, but she has more support surrounding her this time around. Her coach certainly sees a difference.

"She lost a great workout partner after winning states as a sophomore, the intensity just wasn’t there," Kamehameha-Hawaii coach Marlon Miller said. "She is not waiting for someone else to bring it, she brings it now."

Aina may have more adversity coming her way this year, as she caught several opponents in her signature "double chicken wing" on Tuesday, only to have referees force her to break the hold because they deemed it "potentially dangerous." She may have to come up with a new trick if officials insist upon being cautious.

"That’s the only thing I know how to do," Aina said. "I don’t mean to hurt them, it is just the position. I need to practice something else."

Pac-Five’s Chloe Nagasawa took the 114-pound class after Pearl City’s Xandria Ford took out top seed Samantha Higa of Aiea, and Nagasawa beat Ford in the final. Nagasawa was fifth in last week’s tournament, but felt a lot more comfortable this time around. The takedown specialist plans on dropping down to 108 pounds in January to challenge fellow Paani champ Quinn Nagatani of Mililani.

Other winners included Sanoe Spencer of Pearl City (220 pounds), Darcie Manning O’Brien of Aiea (175), Mililani’s Morgan Yamaguchi (140), Precious Jaramillo of Lahainaluna (125) and Kamehameha’s Bree Rapoza (120).

Punahou had three winners on its home mats with Tiara Kaye winning at 155 pounds, Thai Ha Sloan at 98, and Mindy Chow continuing her dominance in the 130-pound class. Joslynn Nakai was given the tournament’s Fighting Spirit award, earning $1,000 for Nanakuli’s wrestling program in the process.