Costa handles challenges on mat, in classroom

For a while, she was the classic underachiever.

Smart. Bright. Tough. All the intangibles that could make Jahya Costa a successful student-athlete were already there. Extracting the effort, well, Kahuku wrestling coach Reggie Torres has done his best.

After sitting out with academic issues for a few weeks, Costa is on the wrestling map. The junior upset one of the top competitors in the Oahu Interscholastic Association East yesterday, Maia Phanthadara of Roosevelt, 7-4, to capture the division championship in the 98-pound weight class.

"She’s getting better. She has great hips and she’s tough," Torres said. "She’s got great scrambling ability."

It was a far cry from the past month, when Costa said Torres was "disappointed" about her academic status. So were her parents. Costa went to work as hard in the classroom as she does on the mat.

Then came the week of divisionals. Costa, who was at 102 pounds, learned on Monday that she would wrestle at 98. She put on the sweats, ran 3 miles and jumped rope during the week. Her diet: plain turkey sandwiches on whole wheat for lunch and dinner. Breakfast was an orange a day. No snacking. No soda. Water, bread and little else.

It worked. She weighed in below 98 yesterday and wowed her coaches and herself by defeating Phanthadara. The work was tedious, but Costa feels comfortable at 98. Last year, she was at 103, learning the sport for the first time after quitting soccer.

"I just like contact sports better," she said. "Losing weight is hard. I like to eat a lot, but I feel like I belong at 98 more."

A year ago, she lost a wrestle-off to compete at 98. Then came a concussion before the OIA championships that knocked her out for the season. That added some motivation for this year.

She stepped onto the wrestling mat after being familiar with Torres as a judoka since her freshman year. She used a judo throw to topple Phanthadara in a preseason meet, but also lost to her in a dual meet at Kahuku.

"I feel like I should’ve done better. I wasn’t all there physically and mentally, and I lost in front of all the people who came to watch," Costa said.

She went out of her way to avoid using throws anymore.

"I don’t want to be known only as a judo thrower. It feels a lot better to me, like I beat her fairly," she said. "She was singling (the legs), so I was really careful. I had a near fall. I tried to pin her," Costa said of gaining an early lead. "She kept trying to shoot and I played more defense. The last round, I was up, so I kept playing defense."

With her wrestling efforts producing fruit, Costa is continuing to hit the books.

"I just try to get home as early as I can and not wait around at school after practice. Once I get home, do my homework," she said, noting that English class is her biggest challenge.

Algebra II is actually her favorite, behind weight training class.

On the mat, Costa likes shooting (singling) and is trying to master head locks.

Phanthadara, meanwhile, is just a sophomore who is at about 95 pounds. Roosevelt’s 98-pound wrestler last year, Angela Enos, has moved up to 103.

"It’s a really tough weight class," said Enos, who was the state’s third-place finisher last year.