Campbell wrestling coach Mark Buelow was comfortable putting a weighty responsibility on the shoulders of a freshman.

Before Neil Putnam hit the mat in the opening match of Friday’s OIA dual meet championship against Pearl City, Buelow made clear the importance of his performance.

"We told him his job was to set the pace for the team," Buelow said.

"He’s a mature freshman, he’s ready for that."

Putnam’s one-point escape in the third overtime period gave him a 2-1 win over Pearl City’s Paul Joe in the 189-pound class and the Sabers went on to capture the OIA boys dual meet title with a 36-24 win over the host Chargers.

"(Conditioning) does have to kick in," Putnam said of going into triple overtime, "we work really hard in practice and that really helped."

A newcomer to the program, Putnam has also been adjusting to living in Hawaii in his freshman year at Campbell.

His family moved here from Virginia, where he’d lived since the fourth grade, and he credited the Sabers for helping him acclimate to his new surroundings.

"The guys on the team are awesome," said Putnam, who won the 189 title in the OIA Western Division championships last week. "They’re my best friends here. I’m one of the guys and it’s great. The wrestling team really helped me adjust, being new here in Hawaii."

After Putnam’s win, Pearl City responded with a pin by Kordell Va‘a in the 215 match.

But Campbell’s Toese Tia got a pin in the 285 match and the Sabers opened a commanding lead with wins in the next two matches as well.

"That sparked us up again, got the kids excited," Buelow said. "That was a big match. The last time they wrestled it was a one-point match, so I didn’t expect a pin. Those bonus points really helped."

Pearl City closed the gap later in the meet as Justyn Dela Cruz claimed a 4-3 victory in the 145-pound match with a two-point reversal in the final seconds.

But Campbell had built a wide enough margin to secure the dual meet title, with the OIA and state championship meets still to come.

"Kids that may not win the OIA next weekend played a crucial part in our success today," Buelow said. "Kids are willing to bump up weight classes, do whatever it takes for the team.

"This is the crucial time where they have to focus on their academics, their health. Just balance everything."

Emphasis on the team also spurred Pearl City to the girls dual meet championship. The Chargers captured the title with a 42-30 victory over Kahuku.

Xandria Ford (113) and Ariana Fernandez (175) had pins for Pearl City.

"It brings together our unity and just gets all these wrestlers clicking," Pearl City assistant coach Torey Seminara said of the dual meet title.

"This is for them to do as a team. That’s why it was very important for us."