Grace-Reyes leads Moanalua to team title

After two state wrestling titles and one state judo crown, Chaeden Grace-Reyes still gets pumped up for competition.

In fact, just one week after capturing that second wrestling championship, he was back at it in full force at the Mililani Invitational judo tournament. The humble senior took the final of the 198-pound division on Saturday with a win by ippon seoinage (shoulder throw) over Punahou’s Cody Martinson. That helped Moanalua take a 45-30 victory over the Buffanblu for the boys team title.

Pearl City, sparked by Sherese Ader, won the girls team title with a 59-30 win over Kapolei in the final. Ader and Grace-Reyes were named most outstanding players for the girls and boys, respectively.

Grace-Reyes won in his usual fashion, with unshakable composure, pure execution and zero extracurricular activity. While some wrestlers statewide took the week off after a strenuous state championship tournament week, Grace-Reyes was business as usual with his new teammates, one year removed from competing for Farrington, where his father, Darren Reyes, is a coach.

His move from 178-pound state judo champion last spring to 198-pound threat has been smooth, apparently. Martinson had been solid until meeting up with Grace-Reyes.

"I was just trying to go for my favorite move, the te guruma lift. I was patient and it paid off," said Grace-Reyes, who has trained with Hawaii Tenri Judo Club since he was 6.

Coach Brandon Maki is in his seventh season as head coach at Moanalua, and he always enjoys coaching students of the sport.

"He has a multiple array of weapons, not just offense or defense. He has te guruma, tai otoshi (body drop), kata guruma (shoulder wheel). He’s been doing this since he was young. We just tell him to be focused and don’t take anyone lightly," he said. "The sport demands discipline and being humble, training hard to be your best. I just enjoy our students executing what we teach him. He already knows what he’s going to do ahead of time. We talk to him and try to sharpen him up. We don’t really try to change him too much because he’s already confident. He hasn’t lost a match in a while. He’s hard on himself. He creates openings, but he takes his time and executes well."

Grace-Reyes credits judo for a good amount of his wrestling success.

"Judo is very brutal. Judo helps me out with my hips a lot. That’s why I’m able to do some things in wrestling — it makes it easier. Hip leverage, or even when they try to take you down, you have more control," he said.

Grace-Reyes’ favorite moves are te guruma, fireman’s carry and tai otoshi. He has been working on a new style of a fireman’s carry learned from Olympic silver medalist Justin Flores, who was in the islands last week for a clinic.

"I know it’s going to take me a long time to master it. Repetition is key," Grace-Reyes said. "The way he grips it, you just turn the person over. My way, it’s all on the arm. His is more about leverage and momentum."

Grace-Reyes is considering at least two colleges: Notre Dame College (Ohio) and St. Cloud College (Minn.).