One is a defending state champion.
The other was on the verge and finished as a runner-up. Isabelle Asuncion and Jasmine Adiniwin were big parts of Moanalua’s first girls wrestling state championship team in 2021, but their hunger has not subsided.
Training year-round while churning out elite academic performances — Asuncion has a 3.7 grade-point average and Adiniwin has a 3.9 — requires a champion’s mindset. No discipline, no success.
This year, the two are co-captains and take leadership seriously. For Asuncion, it begins each day with pen and paper.
“I write in a notebook now. I write daily affirmations and remind myself every day that each day is a good day,” Asuncion said.
She went 14-0 last season, defeating Aliya Takano of Kamehameha in the 117-pound state final. Asuncion and Takano are wrestling partners at their club, Grapplers HI.
“She’s strong and that’s really my good friend. That’s what makes it hard. You can’t be friends when you compete for something,” Asuncion recalled. “She’s very technical. It was mentally tough for me.”
Adiniwin endured a taxing semifinal battle, beating Teizannaho Paleiafei by fall (7:00), then lost to Catherine Asami of Lahainaluna by fall (2:30) in the 184 weight class of the state championships final. It was a draining night for Adiniwin.
“Last year, I cried for three hours before the final match. My semifinal match went into overtime, the very first time, so it was just a shock. I had a lot of nervousness of going to the finals. I guess I barely tried my hardest,” Asuncion said.
Adiniwin and Asami met recently at the Officials Tournament. Adiniwin won, unveiling all kinds of possibilities on the table as the regular season unfolds soon.
“This time, the way she wrestles, I’ve never wrestled anybody like that. She is upper-body dominant, a lot of hand fighting. I was working on that,” Adiniwin said. “She chose bottom and that let me work my top and I ended up pinning her. I couldn’t really tell. She took it like a champ. I love wrestling her.”
Through repetition and preparation, the emotions that overwhelmed Adiniwin last season are now history.
“I think the way to evolve is knowing yourself, where you can learn more. There’s always more to learn. It all starts with you,” she said.
She was 13-4 last season and was undefeated this season until the Pa‘ani Tournament. That’s where Adiniwin and Asuncion moved up a weight class just for stronger competition. Adiniwin went up against the biggest and strongest in the 220 weight class.
“I wanted to challenge myself and see what I could do up there,” Adiniwin said. “After my first match, I had to adjust. It showed me what I need to work on with my movement and my mentality.”
In Pa‘ani’s 122-pound division, Asuncion lost to Lahainaluna’s Kivah Caballero in overtime, 7-5.
“They called stalling on me two times. I felt like that was interesting, honestly. That was in the last 10 seconds,” she said.
Asuncion isn’t exactly bitter about it. Maybe a tinge sour. She is set on wrestling in the 117 weight class this season.
“That’s what I walk around at,” she said.
There was one obvious positive off the mat during Pa‘ani week. Asuncion got to indulge.
“I have a really bad thing for Dave’s green tea ice cream. I’ll pass by the shop and wave. ‘See you later.’ I had two scoops last week. I gained a little bit to 119, but I was at Pa‘ani wrestling at 122,” she said.
Cutting weight is a simple thing for Asuncion.
“I never use layers (of clothes) to lose weight. I remain calm and tell myself I need to keep moving. There’s someone else trying to train as much as I am,” she said.
During the brief offseason in the summer, Asuncion got up to 129.
“I was kind of competing with my brother (Elijah) at a hotpot place in town. ‘I can eat more than you.’ I’m bigger and taller than him. I won,” she said.
Her father’s gardening and cooking skills play a big part.
“There’s a lot of bittermelon growing at our house. They grew pretty big. I’m not the biggest fan of it, but he cooks a lot of it,” she said.
Adiniwin chows down on a lot of salads, but misses her acai bowls during season.
“I only get that in the offseason. Oreos are dangerous for me. I usually allow myself to eat that the day of a competition, after I wrestle,” she said.
Attention to detail has been vital. Wrestling in club season, Adiniwin went to the Walnut Invitational in California and won her weight class and was named most outstanding wrestler in weight classes 155 and higher.
“I was actually really surprised. I went into the tournament thinking, just get it done, not expecting to place. That was my first time wrestling out of state,” she said. “After junior year, I could see myself doing this for college. After the Cali tournament, I was more sure of it.”
Asuncion placed second in the same tournament at 117.
“There’s one wrestler, Anaya Falcon, I think she’s from California. It was a tough match. Her aggressiveness got me to flip the switch,” she said.
Asuncion learned the ropes from older brother Elijah.
“He taught me how to double (leg takedown). He said, ‘Isabelle, you need to learn how to take down the other person. You can’t just stand there touching them. You have to attack, be in control of the match,’ “ Asuncion recalled.
Like Asuncion, Adiniwin learned well from her older siblings.
“My brothers Richard and Andrew, they made all the mistakes so I don’t have to. My oldest brother started wrestling when I was in elementary school, so he was showing us moves in the living room,” Adiniwin said.
The grind never ends. Asuncion will get up early for 5 a.m. to run three times a week. She has added a ball-and-chain move to her arsenal. Adiniwin is good at the snap-down move.
“I love me a snap-down, go-behind. I learned it from (Moanalua) coach Sean (Sakaida). I never really used it until now. Something just clicked in my head. My opponent is doing this, so I can use this on here,” she said.
None of their dedication on and off the mat surprises Sakaida.
“Jasmine has put in the work constantly. Whenever there is a chance to train or get better, she’s been there. She understands that she’s not always going to get away with a fast, easy pin and will have to work through her progressions to get her win,” Sakaida said. “She is an awesome leader. All the girls call her Mama Jas. She cares for all of them and also lights a fire under them if they’re not pushing. Everyone loves her and respects her so much that none of them want to let her down. She’s the glue of the team.”
Sakaida has watched Asuncion put herself through drills while her older brother represented Na Menehune.
“She would always be around. From a young age she would be working out with the high schoolers, and though she wouldn’t have to do everything they are doing, she would do it because that’s just how she is,” Sakaida said.
“Her go-to move is her double leg, which she times really well, but we are trying to add to it and have her use her length a little more. Belle is so versatile on top that she could run bars, transition to a leg ride, then hit a tilt after. She’s always had that drive and the will to win,” he said. “Belle leads more by example than vocally. Everyone respects her and loves her, so when she’s out there working, it’s contagious because the others want to be just like her.”
ISABELLE ASUNCION, JASMINE ADINIWIN
Moanalua senior wrestlers
>> Asuncion and pumping iron: “I weight train three to four days depending on the schedule, holidays, practice. I feel like it’s good to keep your strength. Wrestling, having the strength to lift a person, to move. I know cardio’s a good thing, but weight training is important.”
Top 3 movies/shows
Adiniwin:
>> 1. “Mamma Mia!” “It’s an old movie (2008), a musical.”
>> 2. “Never Have I Ever.” It’s a Netflix basic teen drama.
>> 3. “Wednesday.” “It’s good. I finished it in a day.”
Top 3 food/snacks/drinks
>> 1. Ice cream. “I love any kind of ice cream. My favorite is Baskin-Robbins Oreo Cold Brew.”
>> 2. Vanilla sweet cream cold brew, Starbucks
>> 3. Poke bowl and gyoza, Genki Sushi
Top 3 homemade foods
>> 1. Grandma (Pabla Sualua)’s chocolate chip cookies. “She makes it better than anybody else. Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. She’s going to make me wait until after the season.”
>> 2. Mom (Huana)’s beef stew. “She taught me how. It’s my go-to whenever people ask me to bring food to a party.”
>> 3. Mom’s sushi
Top 3 music artists (and your favorite song by each)
>> 1. Morgan Wallen — “Chasin’ You”
>> 2. Josh Tatofi — “Still the One”
>> 3. Luke Combs — “Dive”
>> Favorite class: Weight training, sophomore year to now. “The environment is very positive and really helped me figure out my own body and my limits. Sometimes we max. I love benching. It makes me feel beefy.”
>> Favorite teacher: Mr. (Justin) Kohara. “He was my honors biology teacher last year. I’ve known him since my freshman year because he lets all the wrestlers hang out in his class. We call him Uncle Justin.”
>> Funniest teammate: Blaze Sumiye. “Literally anything, he can make a joke out of anything and break up the room. He’s a firecracker.”
>> Smartest teammate: Eden Baguio. “She just has that natural ability to pick up anything in school or anything outside of it. It comes natural to her.”
>> GPA: 3.9. “It’s never-ending. We have some kids on the team who let their homework get in the way, but if you really want to get it done, you’ll find a way.”
>> Time machine: “I would go to the future. I want to see myself after I graduate college.”
>> Hidden talent: “I can do the worm. I don’t look like I could, but I can.”
Asuncion:
Top 3 movies/shows
>> 1. “Ponyo” “It’s about a fish girl trying to get home.”
>> 2. “Kitchen Nighmares.” “It’s the show with Gordon Ramsey. I find it very funny the way that he tells people how they don’t understand his way of cooking.”
>> 3. “Chowder.” It’s a cartoon series about a young guy who wants to become a chef one day.”
I always like to watch my dad (Glenn) cook. I like to help him out. I find it very interesting. He doesn’t use any measurements, but the food turns out OK. During wrestling season, it kind of helps me to understand nutrients. He teaches me a few things food and what’s good for my body.”
Top 3 food/snacks/drinks
>> 1. Plain sparkling water
>> 2. Acai bowl. “It’s in Haleiwa, Banzai Bowls.
>> 3. Mango smoothie, Thangs in Kalihi.
Top 3 homemade foods
>> 1. Dad’s meat jun
>> 2. Dad’s pumpkin soup
>> 3. Mom (Gemma)’s butter mochi
Top 3 music artists (and your favorite song by each)
>> 1. Elton John — “I’m Still Standing”
>> 2. Dua Lipa — “Levitating”
>> 3. Bon Jovi — “Livin’ on a Prayer”
“I do like some oldies. I go to club for wrestling. When we lift, all the music is old school. I used to think rap or hip hop would create a pattern for me when I lift, but I didn’t like it as much as old-school music, which you can understand what they’re saying and dance to it.
>> Favorite class: Ceramics
“I’ve always taken ceramics. I love it. I love art. I love to create and be imaginative. I”m currently working a little pot and the bottom or cup part has pants for a plant.”
>> Favorite teacher: Mr. (Mark) Miyamoto. “This was at eighth grade at Washington Middle School. We always watched motivational people with inspirational people. There was a ballerina and we repeatedly watched her and he made us talk about something we could do that would benefit us through life.”
>> Favorite athlete/team: “Tamyra Mensah-Stock. She’s a Team USA wrestler. I like to watch her wrestle. When my dad puts on wrestling, we watch her. I saw a documentary about her life. I like how she knows when it’s time to wrestle and compete. Aside from that, she has her own family.”
>> Funniest teammate: Yutol Wang. “He can be very sarcastic. He likes to tease people in a funny way. I find it funny how he screams when somebody says something back to him. His scream is very high pitched and you just know it’s him wherever you go.”
>> Smartest teammate: Eden Baguio. “She always helps me with my homework. Considering, you wouldn’t suspect her to be the smartest, but she takes a lot of AP classes, and she’s there, she knows what she’s talking about.’
>> GPA: 3.7
