Three defending state champions are heading back to states with newly minted ILH gold medals.
Evan Kusumoto and Scotty Dikilato of Kamehameha and Hanalani’s Xander Erolin closed out the ILH season with individual titles Saturday afternoon at Kekuhaupio Gymnasium.
Kamehameha powered through and won the boys and girls team titles.
“The kids worked pretty hard. We’re fortunate for the support from the faculty and staff, all the families,” Kamehameha coach David Chew said. “Great accomplishment, but we’ve got a lot of work to do. We don’t put the cart before the horse. We just take it one step at a time, prepare the best we can and see what happens.”
At 152 pounds, Erolin met Justyce Mercado of Punahou in the final. Erolin vs. Mercado was intriguing on different levels. Hanalani never had a repeat ILH champion. Mercado was the state champion in the 145-pound weight class a year ago. He carried up to 160 pounds in the summer and competed at 152, Punahou coach Yoshi Honda said.
Erolin turned a 2-1 lead after one period into a 4-1 cushion en route to a 9-4 win.
“I go out there and wrestle my best every time. We’re pretty evenly matched, but today was just my day,” Erolin said. “I keep wrestling the positions that I’m good at. Our coach talks about being a polite wrestler, just take whatever they give you. Don’t force anything and you’ll be good.”
The junior has one varsity teammate, so they train with Kaiser.
“A lot of people are surprised that I attend Hanalani. It’s kind of cool putting my small school on the map,” Erolin said. “We train at University Lab. My sparring partner is Steinar Tanaka. He’s a senior from Kaiser. He’s 160 and he’s helped me throughout this whole season. He’s a good sparring partner in the room and he’s helped me get to where I am today.”
The notoriety that comes with being a returning state champion is real.
“Yeah, way harder. I’d say 152 is probably the most motivated class out of all of them. Me and Justyce, the two state champs and multiple state placers coming back,” Erolin said. “I feel like I have a target on my back.”
His lone defeat was to Keegan Goeas of Castle at the Officials Tournament in preseason.
“He was 138 last year. He got real big. He’s filled out now. He’s a good guy, a good wrestler. I’ll be wrestling him again some day,” Erolin said.
Kusumoto is primed as the possible favorite in the 113 weight class after winning the 106 state title a year ago. Kusumoto outpointed freshman Eli Suan of Saint Louis in the final, 14-2. His only loss this season was to Hunter Berger of Saint Louis. Berger won the 106 title Saturday.
“He had some adversity throughout the year. Some people say it’s harder to return as a champ. He’s on his way,” Chew said. “He puts in the time and effort. He has tremendous support from his family. They wrestle year round. They travel overseas to compete.”
“I wrestle like any other match,” the junior said. “I wanted to wrestle at a higher weight. I’m sharpening up all my tools, preparing my mind for states. Hopefully, secure that second state title.”
In the 285 weight class, Dikilato competes at 238 pounds and looks at least 270.
“Scotty’s a special kid, a gifted athlete,” Chew said. “He’s dedicated to the sport and the craft. He puts in a lot of hard work on and off the mat. I’m just real proud of him. He pays attention to fundamentals, doesn’t put himself into a bad position.”
Dikilato never had a thought about the mat until a friend, Kanoa Gonzales, suggested it when he was an eighth grader. Gonzales won the 210 weight class Saturday, and the two are sparring partners to this day.
“The actual reason why I came out to wrestling in eighth grade year, he told me he loves wrestling and that I should come do wrestling,” Dikilato recalled. “I came out for wrestling and I did good and he’s really the reason I’m here today.”
Gonzales has benefited from all the sparring against the athletic big man. He placed fourth at states last year.
“Scotty is such a nice dude, but on the mat, he’s a menace,” Gonzales said.
Kamehameha girls accounted for six individual titles. Gold medalists were Joy Jeremiah (112), McKensen-Leigh Fuata (132), Huali Hudgens (145), Kahiau Kaahaaina (155), Nalei Meyers (184) and Alena Bartley (225).
‘Iolani had four champions: Tehya Romero (102), Elle Mizue (117), Maya Rose DeAngelo (122) and Sunshine West (168).
Aliya Quilapo (97) won gold for University, Tatiana Paragas (107) won gold for Punahou and Valynn Kwan (138) won gold for Mid-Pacific.
On the boys’ side, ‘Iolani freshman Kai Machida moved up two weight classes to score big points for his team. Machida was in the 152 division two weeks ago, but went at the 170 field while weighing just 154 pounds. He defeated Tauatina Tukolongahau of Kamehameha, 6-2.
“There’s too many wrestlers at 152 and I figured a way to get points for the team is if I go 170,” the gold medalist said.
Kai Sekigawa (138) also won gold for the Raiders.
Champion Kamehameha brought home six boys gold medals: Kusumoto, Hoakeakamanaolana Salter (132), Traven “Baba” Wailehua (160), Kaipono Rees (182), Gonzales (220) and Dikilato.
Three Saint Louis boys took gold medals home: Berger, Kaihi Cobb-Adams (145) and Malakai Holland (195).
Mid-Pacific’s Logan Lau won the 120 weight class. Brendan Sekulich of Punahou captured gold in the 126 division.
Chew and his teams have two weeks before states.
“People can say what they want, and that’s the beauty of wrestling. All the talk and all the predictions, it kind of really doesn’t mean anything because at the end, it’s what you do. As a team, we take the approach as a blue-collar team. We’re all men and women of action. We let actions do that talking, and I think that’s the best way.”
Kamehameha has 36 boys and more than 30 girls at the varsity level. The JV has more than 60 combined.
