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A tiny Aiea squad ended Punahou’s girls wrestling dynasty, claiming three individual state championships and the team title on Saturday night at the Blaisdell Arena.
"There’s always a hope that it will happen," Aiea coach Ason Abe said. "So many years of coming up short against the bigger schools, you start to kind of lose hope. These girls worked so hard all year."
GIRLS STANDINGS
| 1. Aiea |
121 |
| 2. Punahou |
116.5 |
| 3. Pearl City |
97 |
| 4. Lahainaluna |
94 |
| 5. Mililani |
88 |
| 6. Campbell |
76 |
| 7. Kamehameha |
75 |
| 8. Kamehameha-Hawaii |
67 |
| 9. Kahuku |
60 |
| 10. Farrington |
59 |
11. Roosevelt 55; 12. Kapolei 49; 13. Molokai 43; 14. Baldwin 37; 15. Waialua 32; t16. Moanalua 28; t16. Mid-Pacific 28; 18. Nanakuli 26; 19. Kau 24; 20. Hilo. 21. Leilehua 21; t22. Maui 20; t22. Waiakea 20; 24. McKinley 16; 25. Konawaena 14; 26. Castle 13; 27. King Kekaulike 12.5; 28. Kamehameha-Maui 9; t29. ‘Iolani 7; t29. Kalaheo 7; 31. Waianae 6.5; 32. Kailua 6; 33. Pacific Buddhist 5; 34. Sacred Hearts 4; t35. Keaau 3; t35. Kealakehe 3; t35. Laupahoehoe 3; t35. Waipahu 3; t39. Maryknoll 2; t39. University 2. t41. Honokaa 1; t41. Radford 1.
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Of the Na Alii’s eight wrestlers, four made the final with Candice Segi climbing to the top of the podium for the first time while Samantha Higa and Darcie Manning-O’Brien earned their second state championships. Lindsay Villarmia joined them in championship matches, but fell to Kamehameha’s Bree Rapoza.
Kari Okubo was Na Alii’s other state placer, taking sixth at 130 pounds.
Punahou, which won the past three state titles, was 1-for-3 in title matches, with Mindy Chow earning her third state crown but Tiara Kaye and Zoe Hernandez falling just short. Chow has dominated states for the past three years, but Aiea denied her what matters most.
"I don’t really focus on winning, but it feels good I guess," Chow said. "The team championship is what I focus on, it’s pretty sad. Aiea has a strong program and some good wrestlers, they deserved to win it."
Everyone in the arena seemed to know that the girls’ title came down to one match, Manning-O’Brien vs. Roosevelt’s Brianna Jeffries for the 175-pound title. If Manning-O’Brien avenges a loss to Jeffries in the OIA championship a week ago, Na Alii win the team title. If she falters again, the Buffanblu run their streak to four.
Everyone knew, that is, except Manning-O’Brien. Coaches kept her away from anyone with knowledge of the developing situation.
"If they had told me before I probably would have been even more jumpy." Manning-O’Brien said. "I was jumpy enough. I knew we led after the semifinals, but I just thought Punahou ran us over and it wasn’t close."
Manning-O’Brien quickly turned a close match into a takedown and pin at 3:45. Aiea got assists from nearly every OIA team to beat Punahou, but this assist came from the Pearl City boys.
"I saw Blake Cooper do that earlier," Manning-O’Brien said. "So I kind of had her and thought, why don’t I try what Blake Cooper did. I don’t have to do what I usually do."
It took the entire OIA to end Punahou’s run, with Nanakuli’s Joslynn Kahala-Minczer earning an assist with a 3-1 win over Kaye and Morgan Yamaguchi of Mililani putting another nail in Punahou’s coffin with a 9-5 victory over Hernandez. Kahala-Minczer drew the loudest crowd, stealing the show by shrugging off an injured rib to beat Kaye 3-1.
"I saw them all cheering for me, I knew I had to help them out," Kahala-Minczer said. "Plus she threw me and I hurt my ribs, I don’t like getting thrown and I wasn’t about to let her get away with that."
But for all of the help Aiea got from others, the story began with the wrestlers. Higa never had a doubt.
"I always knew since my freshman year that by the time we got to be seniors we were going to be tough," Higa said. "I knew it from the start. We wanted it more."
Higa, Manning-O’Brien, Segi and Aiea’s other seniors leave their careers as champions, but they leave a legacy behind that will not be forgotten for a while: Do not underestimate the little guys.
"Other schools underestimate us because we have so (few) girls," Segi said. "But when they come to face us we show that we come on top. As long as we support each other, we will do good."
GIRLS
98 pounds
Championship match
Kaelynn Canyete (Kapolei) def. Mikayla Pico (Molokai) 4-3
Match recap: Canyete rebounded after being controlled in the first period, getting the decisive point on a stalling call in the third period. Pico, the top seed, lost in the state final two years in a row.
Quote: "Mikayla is a great wrestler. It feels great to be state champion."
Third place
Thai Ha Sloan (Punahou) def. Rachel Tolentino (Pearl City) 9-1
Fifth place
Jahya Costa (Kahuku) def. Samantha Wong (‘Iolani) pin
103 pounds
Championship match
Candice Segi (Aiea) def. Angela Enos (Roosevelt) pin
Match recap: Segi trailed early, but scored a reverse and quickly turned it into a pin in the second period, avenging a loss to Enos in the OIA championship.
Quote: "I never thought I’d be here. Angela beat me the last four times we wrestled. I left everything on the mat and feel amazing right now."
Third place
Megan Aina (Kamehameha-Hawaii) def. Alanda Nguyen (Farrington) pin
Fifth place
Jenna Rose Mauliola (King Kekaulike) def. Sarah Grace Alagria (Pearl City) 5-4
108 pounds
Championship match
Quinn Nagatani (Mililani) def. Shayna Marie Oliver (Farrington) 3-1
Match recap: Nagatani pinned Oliver for the OIA title last week, but needed all 6 minutes to beat the game Governor for her second state title. Nagatani won last year while attending Pacific Buddhist Academy.
Quote: "This feels amazing. I felt a lot stronger this year because I had some really tough competition to help me get better throughout the season."
Third place
Nicole Taniguchi (Punahou) def. Charee Wong (Waialua) pin
Fifth place
Aarica Barcina (Kahuku) def. Kayla Guillermo (Castle) 7-4
114 pounds
Championship match
Samantha Higa (Aiea) def. Xandria Ford (Pearl City) 7-1
Match recap: Top-seeded and defending champion Higa had Ford shut out until the final seconds, but spent a lot of the match trying to escape the underdog’s grasp.
Quote: "I tried to wrestle smart and work my angles when I took my shots. … I left it all on the mat."
Third place
Janae Lynn Oliver (Farrington) def. Kiana Yamat (Lahainaluna) 4-2
Fifth place
Shana Dilliner (Kamehameha) def. Ashley Bumatay (Maui) pin
120 pounds
Championship match
Bree Rapoza (Kamehameha) def. Lindsay Villarmia (Aiea) 16-4
Match recap: Rapoza, the 2010 champ, won her second state title. Rapoza nearly pinned Villarmia in the waning seconds.
Quote: "I treated this like any other match. I’m only a junior and I’m looking forward to next year. I gave it my all."
Third place
Precious Jaramillo (Lahainaluna) def. Lauren Dias (Mililani) 5-3
Fifth place
Rizpah Torres Umi (Molokai) def. Keila Davids (Campbell) pin
125 pounds
Championship match
Shannon Paaaina (Mid-Pacific) def. Keani Sebala (Campbell) 2-1 OT
Match recap: Paaaina won her first state title by getting a point when Sebala was called for stalling with 15 seconds left in overtime. Paaaina forced overtime with an escape with a minute left in regulation.
Quote: "My grandma passed away a few months ago, so this is for her."
Third place
Tanalei Louis (Waiakea) def. Jina Miyamoto (Lahainaluna) 2-1
Fifth place
Kaimiloa Evans (Pearl City) def. Harmony Pacheco (Kamehameha) 4-0
130 pounds
Championship match
Mindy Chow (Punahou) def. Brianne Jhun (Moa) pin
Match recap: Chow won her third straight state title, pinning Jhun at the end of the second period. Chow had dispatched each of her first two opponents in under a minute.
Quote: "I wanted to have fun on the mat one last time. I don’t plan on wrestling in college, so this was my last match ever."
Third place
Carly Jaramillo (Lahainaluna) def. Chantel Pohina (KS-Hawaii) 11-2
Fifth place
Phairin Hicks (Mililani) def. Kari Okubo (Aiea) 5-4
140 pounds
Championship match
Morgan Yamaguchi (Mililani) def. Zoe Hernandez (Punahou) 9-5
Match recap: Yamaguchi took the lead early and never let it go. Yamaguchi pinned every opponent before the final.
Quote: "I wrestled Zoe before. She is very strong and made me want to practice harder. My sister won states in 2010 and she told me not to let anyone take the match from me."
Third place
Kristine Haga (Campbell) def. Uilani Freitas (Leilehua) 6-4
Fifth place
Kaylan Kanakanui (Hilo) def. Jessi Arnold (Kapolei) 8-7
155 pounds
Championship match
Joslynn Kahala-Minczer (Nanakuli) def. Tiara Kaye (Punahou) 3-1
Match recap: Kahala-Minczer thrilled the OIA crowd with a gutsy performance. She hurt her rib when Kaye slammed her out of bounds, but held on to win.
Quote: "I saw Aiea, Kapolei, Campbell and Kaimuki fans in the stands cheering for me. Whenever I was in bottom position, I saw them telling me to ‘go up.’ "
Third place
Kuuleilani Lankford (Campbell) def. Tekau Taamu (Lahainaluna) 6-4
Fifth place
Jasmine Iuta (KS-Hawaii) def. Janelle Fuamatu (Pearl City) forfeit
175 pounds
Championship match
Darcie Manning-O’Brien (Aiea) def. Brianna Jeffries (Roosevelt) pin
Match recap: Manning-O’Brien won her second straight state title when she took Jeffries down and flipped her on her back for a pin in the second period. Manning-O’Brien pinned four foes in the tournament.
Quote: "I lost in the OIA tournament, so I used that as motivation. I didn’t know I clinched the championship for my team until after the match, when Coach told me. I’m pretty happy."
Third place
Welina Tong (KS-Hawaii) def. Ryann Murakami Samala (Waialua) pin
Fifth place
Nalani Stanley (Kamehameha) def. Dinora Villalobos (Maui) pin
220 pounds
Championship match
Sanoe Spencer (Pearl City) def. Libby Petrie (Kahuku) 5-1
Match recap: Spencer responded to being poked in the eye by working an escape with 41 seconds left and a takedown with 26 seconds left to earn her second state crown.
Quote: "I tried to wrestle smart and not get greedy. I waited for the moves to come to me. The feeling hasn’t kicked in yet."
Third place
Sydney Ibarra (Baldwin) def. Keani Mello Waiwaiole (Ka’u) pin
Fifth place
Kaydie Lynn Tehotu (McKinley) def. Aimee Shiraki (Konawaena) forfeit
285 pounds
Championship match
Akoakoa Paleka Kennedy (Kamehameha-Hawaii) def. Dhavin Spencer-Basa (Molokai) 5-2
Match recap: Most of the points came on escape moves, and by the time Spencer-Basa began to shoot for Paleka-Kennedy’s legs in the final 15 seconds, it was too late. Paleka-Kennedy captured his second state crown.
Quote: "I wanted to stay in good position and not lean on my opponent. I won last year, but it’s harder to repeat. This feels amazing."
Third place
Isaiah Thompson (Campbell) def. Tyman Hayashi (University) 5-2
Fifth place
Jaryn Villegas (Leilehua) def. Matthew Sparks (Punahou) pin
Credits
» Capsules were written by the Star-Advertiser reporters Paul Honda, Ben Nishimoto and Jerry Campany.
» Results were compiled by the Star-Advertiser’s Robert Yamashita.
» Photo head shots by Dennis Oda, Star-Advertiser/
