Author’s note: Be on the lookout for an upcoming post with photos and videos of all 28 Texaco Wrestling Championships finals matches and a list of all state placers.
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The night belonged to three wrestlers who can now call themselves two-time state champions.
The night also belonged to the Moanalua boys and girls teams at the Texaco/HHSAA Wrestling State Championships at Blaisdell Arena on Saturday night. Na Mehehune ran away with the team titles during rip-roaring 28 finals matches.
Erin Hikiji, Haley Narahara and Blaze Sumiye Get It Done Again
Mililani’s Erin Hikiji, Kamehameha’s Haley Narahara and Moanalua’s Blaze Sumiye are the ones who climbed to the top of the mountain a second time.
Hikiji upended Kapolei’s Angelina Godoy-Holt by fall in 2:31 in the 97-pound final.
“I’m really grafetful that I got the opportunity to wrestle this year,” said Hikiji,who finished the season 12-0 and has also been No. 1 throughout the winter in the Bedrock Sports pound-for-pound rankings with the final list still to come out. “Some people didn’t get that chance in their senior year. It’s definitely the highlight of my senior year.”
Mililani’s Erin Hikiji was all concentration all season and it ended up in a second state championship. (All photos by Elijah Abramo).
In 2020 as a sophomore, Hikiji won her first state title at 97 pounds, and like everyone else in Hawaii, missed her whole junior wrestling season due to COVID-19.
Narahara (No. 2 p4p, 10-0) topped Pearl City’s Taydem Uyemura by fall in 1:20 for the 122 title to add to the 112 crown she won two years ago.
“I’m super thankful for my coaches,” said Narahara before she began rattling off about 10 of her coaches who have been instrumental in her high school and club career, including Warriors head coach Dave Chew.
Kamehameha’s Haley Narahara picked up her second state crown — by fall over Pearl City’s Taydem Uyemura.
Sumiye (No. 5 p4p, 15-1) succeeded in adding to his high school resume by beating Kamehameha’s Ayden Coronil by fall in 3:24 at 160 pounds. Sumiye, who captured the 145 division at states in 2020, dropped one match this year — to the eventual 170-pound state champ while wrestling up a class.
“It’s honestly so surreal to me,” Sumiye said. “I didn’t think I was going to have a season this year because of COVID. Everything came back and I just knew that I had to be ready when the opportunity presented itself.”
Moanalua’s Blaze Sumiye did a backflip after winning his second state title.
Coach Lucas Misaki was smiling with pride after his Moanalua boys and fellow coach Sean Sakaida’s Na Menehune girls won the team titles.
“Our team is very special,” Misaki said. “We have 71 kids and from 1 to 71, everybody works together. They cheer for each other. They work as hard as they can for their individual goals, but they’re also happy for everyone that does go out and compete.”
The Moanalua boys scored 222.5 points, well ahead of second place Kamehameha (167) in second place and Saint Louis (140.5) in third.
On the girls side, Na Menehune tallied 232 points, followed by Kamehameha (184.5) in second and Lahainaluna (148.5) in third.
Aside from Sumiye, Moanalua’s Isabelle Asuncion (117, No. 6 p4p, 16-0), Karter Nitahara (182, No. 3 p4p, 16-0), freshmen Joseph Lathwood (120, 19-0) and Tyger Taam (132, 17-0), and Jadyn Crisostomo (168) also won individual championships.
“I dreamed about this since I was a little kid and I used to watch everybody at states,” said Nitahara, who recorded the fastest pin in the finals — in 0:42 against Lahainalun’s Keawe Kane-Keahi. “I wanted to be a state champ. Now that it finally happened, it’s unreal.”
Asuncion’s 4-1 win over Kamehameha’s Aliya Takano in a matchup featuring two 2020 state placers was a biggie.
“I just feel like I’m glad I got wrestle,” Asuncion said. “I’m glad I got to compete and I got to see everyone now because the year before, we didn’t get to see people. I’m glad the sport is still here. We won the banner, we did the work, we did the talking, we did whatever we needed to do. We’re comfortable. We’re a family.”
Kamehameha-Maui’s Mikah Labuanan Avenges League Title Loss
Baldwin’s Tobey Ravida failed in his bid for a second state title, losing 7-4 to MIL rival Mikah Labuanan of Kamehameha-Maui at 126. But Ravida finished his career as a three-time state placer.
“My emotion is super high,” said Labuanan, a freshman who was leading with eight seconds left in the league championship last week against Ravida before Ravida won it with a reversal. “All the hard work paid off, the long nights, the early mornings. It means so much to me. One of my goals since I was very young is to be a four-time champ. My dad (Michael Labuanan) trains with mobility, movement and being explosive. We worked the whole week on being explosive and that just really helped me.”
Kapolei’s Brycen Pagurayan And Kinau McBrayer Score Huge Upsets
Down went No. 1 p4p Pookela DeSantos of Leilehua.
After losing by fall in the 170-pound OIA Championships last week, Kapolei’s Brycen Pagurayan trained extra hard and downed DeSantos this time in dominant fashion, 7-2.
“Unbelievable,” Pagurayan said. “Im still trying to wrap my head around it. Every single practice this week, I was focused in, Morning practices, too, 6 a.m. and practice after school. I put my heart out. Before every practice, my dad makes me condition for a half an hour and condition again after practice. My conditioing right now, I would say, is top shape.”
Pagurayan’s Hurricanes teammate Kinau McBrayer played his underdog role all the way to the state championship in the loaded 138-pound class.
In Saturday’s final, McBrayer edged Kade Okura of Kalani, the previously undefeated No. 6 p4p wrestler in a 3-2 match that went to the ultimate tiebreaker.
It was a reversal of the match between the two in the OIA semis, where Okura prevailed 5-4 and McBrayer was penalized a point for stalling.
“My goal is to keep moving forward,” McBrayer said. “I don’t back up and don’t want a stall call. Right after practice every day, we do three-minute live goes — non-stop wrestling, keep flowing. I did expect to be an underdog and it gave me motivation to just go out there and give it my all.”
Pagurayan added that sometimes those 30 minutes turn into 90 minutes of live wrestling in Kapolei’s wrestling room.
There were some other top storylines Saturday night, including:
>> PAC-5’s Xander Erolin finished his season at 16-0 in a tight back-and-forth, action-packed match against Campbell’s Holden Soares.
Near the end, it appeared Soares had it wrapped up, but Erolin fought back to bring it into overtime and eventually won an 8-7 ultimate tiebreaker.
“Its undescribable when you win (a state title),” Erolin said. “All those hours that you put in finally pays off and it feels really good. All those early mornings, all those late nights.”
About Soares, Erolin added: “He’s pretty solid, a little unorthodox and it works in his favor. I’ve never wrestled anyone like him before.”
Soares said he felt like he let the match slip away, adding that his biggest mistake was trying a late leg ride where he got caught and Erolin scored two.
>> Two Saint Louis wrestlers won individual championships two days after the unexpected death of a highly-respected and elite teammate. Crusaders prevailing in the finals on Saturday were Cyrus Bucsit (113) and Blaze Holani (197).
“It means a lot to me, all the hard work in the morning, all the cutting weight,” Bucsit said. “The blood, sweat and tears I put into the wrestling room, it all adds up to the state championship.”
>> Punahou’s Justyce Mercado avenged his 2-1 loss to ‘Iolani’s Kai Yawata in the ILH Championships by beating Yawata 10-6 for the 145 title.
>> Baldwin’s Liana Ferreira (No. 3 p4p) became a three-time state placer and a state champion for the first time by edging Mililani’s Tristan Nitta (No. 9 p4p) 3-2 at 102.
>> Moanalua’s Madison Kalamau is now a two-time state placer and a state champ for the first time with a 6-0 win over 2020 state placer Naiomi Kalukalukalani-Sales of Lahainaluna at 107.
>> Kamehameha’s Nohea Moniz (No. 4 p4p, 10-0), a state placer in 2020, won her first state championship, by fall in 1:43 over ‘Iolani’s Lillie Awaya at 112.
>> Despite an early deficit, Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Lainey Eckart (another state placer in 2020, 14-0) rallied to beat Kamehameha’s previously unbeaten Jax Realin by fall in 1:45 for the 127-pound championship. One day earlier, Realin had pulled off an upset of 2020 state placer, Baldwin’s Kaceylee Pua (No. 8 p4p).
>> Pearl City’s Aubrie Molina finished her season 13-0 and took the 138-pound title with a 3-1 overtime sudden victory over 2020 state placer Anissa Wright of Campbell. The two also met in the OIA Championships, where Molina got past Wright, 5-4.
>> Lahainaluna’s Teani Mederios-Maielua knocked off 2020 state placer Kianna Chargualaf by fall in 2:45 for the 132-pound title.
>> Moanalua freshman Tyger Taam recorded the second fastest pin of the finals — in 0:48 to beat Waianae’s Bransen Porter at 132.
TEXACO/HHSAA STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS FINALS
GIRLS 97
>> Erin Hikiji (Mililani) def. Angelina Godoy-Holt (Kapolei), fall, 2:31
GIRLS 102
>> Liana Ferreira def. Tristan Nitta (Mililani), 3-2
GIRLS 107
>> Madison Kalamau (Moanalua) def. Naiomi Kulukukalani-Sales (Lahainaluna), major decision, 8-0
GIRLS 112
>> Nohea Moniz (Kamehameha) def. Lillie Awaya (‘Iolani), fall, 1:43
GIRLS 117
>> Isabelle Asuncion def. Aliya Takano (Kamehameha), 4-1
GIRLS 122
>> Haley Narahara (Kamehameha) def. Taydem Uyemura (Pearl City), fall, 1:20
GIRLS 127
>> Lainey Eckart (Kamehameha-Hawaii) def. Jax Realin (Kamehameha), fall 1:45
GIRLS 132
>> Teani Mederios-Maielua (Lahainaluna) def. Kianna Chargualaf (Campbell), fall, 2:45
GIRLS 138
>> Aubrie Molina (Pearl City) def. Anissa Wright (Campbell), overtime sudden victory, 3-1
GIRLS 145
>> Jahlia Miguel (Baldwin) def. Rayden Kukahiwa (Hilo), 6-3
GIRLS 155
>> Mehana Kapoi (Kamehameha) def. Bethany Chargualaf (Campbell), 7-5
GIRLS 168
>> Jadyn Crisostomo (Moanalua) def. Kealohilani Grace (Kamehameha-Hawaii), 6-3
GIRLS 184
>> Catherine Asami (Lahainaluna) def. Jasmine Adiniwin (Moanalua), fall, 2:30
GIRLS 225
>> Maia Esera (Kahuku) def Isabella Martinez (Radford), fall, 1:37
BOYS 106
>> Evan Kusumoto (Kamehameha) def. Austin Kaalekahi (Molokai), major decision, 13-5
BOYS 113
>> Cyrus Bucsit (Saint Louis) def. Khansith Chanthanouasith (Leilehua), fall, 3:33
BOYS 120
>> Joseph Lathwood (Moanalua) def. Kulika Corpuz (Mililani), technical fall, 21-3
BOYS 126
>> Mikah Labuanan (Kamehameha-Maui) def. Tobey Ravida (Baldwin), 7-4
BOYS 132
>> Tyger Taam (Moanalua) def. Bransen Porter (Waianae), fall, 0:48
BOYS 138
>> Kinau McBrayer (Kapolei) def. Kade Okura (Kalani), ultimate tiebreaker, 3-2
BOYS 145
>> Justyce Mercado (Punahou) def. Kai Yawata (‘Iolani), 10-6
BOYS 152
>> Xander Erolin (PAC-5) def. Holden Soares (Campbell), ultimate tiebreaker, 8-7
BOYS 160
>> Blaze Sumiye (Moanalua) def. Ayden Coronil (Kamehameha), fall, 3:24
BOYS 170
>> Brycen Pagurayan (Kapolei) def. Pookela DeSantos (Leilehua), 7-2
BOYS 182
>> Karter Nitahara (Moanalua) def. Keawe Kane-Keahi (Lahainaluna), fall, 0:42
BOYS 195
>> Blaze Holani (Saint Louis) def. Kayzehn Aiwohi-Frisby (Waianae), fall, 3:10
BOYS 220
>> Vanderlei Yong (Waianae) def. Zachary Kaliko (Saint Louis), 7-4
BOYS 285
>> Scotty Dikilato (Kamehameha) def. Kanale Coelho (Leilehua), 4-2
11 Comments
Thankful that these kids got a season in.
Congrats to all champions and placers also to Moanalua for winning the team titles.
Covid has destroyed the competition level of wrestling which was very evident this week, this state tournament was lacking in talent and high level wrestlers, hopefully with Hawaii opening up again will allow more kids to train in the off season and raise the competitive level back to where it was a few years ago.
Hey, I’m actually kind of curious. Will u be trying to cover Judo as well this year?
Hi Bobby. I will reply via email.
Happy for all that there was a season and congratulations to the champions but seriously the competition was non existent Hawaii high school wrestling is at an all time low right now.
Why did Sumiye ran away from the tougher bracket?
I do not know for sure that what you say is true. I will certainly ask the coach that question and I will tell him Eric (and possibly others) want to know if it is true. I like the fact that you put your real name on the post. Thanks for your readership.
Blaze is chubby at 160, I’m pretty sure he was already wrestling up from 152.
Thanks a million to Bedrock without you there would be no coverage.
It was a very enjoyable season for wrestling. The word is that the competition level was down and that is true, but what do you expect with COVID taking so much away from these kids for close to two years? These wrestlers this year were the resilient ones. We appreciate your kind words. And thanks for reading!!
I am so glad BedRockSportsHawaii covered wrestling as detailed as you did along with videos wins losses especially for all the different associations oahu maui kaui hawaii it really gave information as to who to expect. Thank you
Hope you all will be covering Judo.
Thanks for reading and for the nice words. Judo is possible. Looking for businesses who would sponsor that endeavor in exchange for advertising space.
Comments are closed.