After finishing short of the state team title for the past three years, the Kamehameha girls wrestling team hopes the taste of a team victory leads to even more.
The Warriors won the ILH Duals championship on Friday at ‘Iolani, swamping Punahou 57-19, setting the stage for another run to ILH and state titles.
“It’s just one step in the right direction,” Kamehameha coach Dave Chew said. “Taking care of it in all phases. This is the beginning of the postseason.”
The Warriors started the final with their top wrestler in Jax Realin and she delivered a pin at 130 pounds. Then all she could do was take a seat and hope for the best.
Olivia Hirayama followed with a pin of her own and Naia Nakasone delivered a 15-6 major decision over Kulia Heffernan for a 14-0 lead. And then adversity struck.
Kamahemaha’s Shelbi Bagood squandered a 13-3 lead in the second period to lose to Malia McCoy on a takedown in overtime and Punahou’s Kaya-Alani Smith made it two in a row for the underdogs with a pin of Journey Latuselu. When Punahou’s Jariya Baum took a 3-0 lead on Kamehameha junior Kamaleialoha Sanchez, it looked like an upset might be in order. Sanchez needed injury time to recover from a shoulder injury that has lingered since a torn rotator cuff last year, but came back to win 5-3.
“I just wanted to bring the energy back after two hard matches for us,” Sanchez said. “I didn’t wrestle the best, but I knew I just had to get it back for my team and get the energy back knowing this dual isn’t for me, it is for the team.”
Kamehameha benefitted from the energy Sanchez provided, winning five of its next seven matches. Hiilei Tuikolongahau, Bianca Paragas, Anela Hokoana and Hepua Salter all won by pin and Auriana Wakinekona won by technical fall.
Punahou’s victories came from Victoria Ernesto and Tataiana Paragas, who beat Sarai O’Day 13-3 but didn’t get the pin that earns six points in a dual tournament.
Punahou reached the final with a 57-17 win over the hosts, but it was 21-17 in actual matches. Kona Kockelman, Eighla Fujitani and Cassidy-Cheyne Lung earned pins for the Buffanblu, with Jayda Noguchi earning three points for a back-and-forth 16-12 victory over Rimi Keahi. ‘Iolani’s points came off pins by Tessa Taflinger and Jacqueline Furuta and a technical fall by Maya Rose DeAngelo. Kamehameha pretty much had a bye to the final with a 78-3 win over Pac-Five, getting pins from six of the seven girls who competed. Pac-Five’s only point came from Maya Wong, who was assessed a stalling penalty to tie the match with six seconds left against Kawailani Molina but worked an escape and a takedown in the short span to win 7-3.
The ILH boys will have their dual championship at ‘Iolani today. After that, teams go into ILH championships and states. Kamehameha won two team titles at states before COVID-19 but none since.
“I think our team has a bunch of girls in different experiences from freshman to senior, and I think we balance each other out,” Sanchez, a junior, said. “The newer girls really look up to the older girls, and the older girls are really good at being mentors and it has been really fun to see our team thrive and I can’t wait for us to do good at states and ILH.”
