Three Kauai Interscholastic Federation wrestlers finished with awards at the 2013 Officials Scholarship wrestling tournament that wrapped up Saturday at Leilehua High School on Oahu. Coach Ray “Mac” Pigott, of Westside Wrestling Kauai and the KIF wrestling director, said the
Three Kauai Interscholastic Federation wrestlers finished with awards at the 2013 Officials Scholarship wrestling tournament that wrapped up Saturday at Leilehua High School on Oahu.
Coach Ray “Mac” Pigott, of Westside Wrestling Kauai and the KIF wrestling director, said the three award-winning wrestlers emerged from a field of 14 wrestlers who went to compete at the preseason match on Oahu.
“The Officials has traditionally been the biggest and toughest preseason tourney in Hawaii, and this year was no exception,” Pigott said in an email. “Tournament directors reported 291 boys and 129 girls representing 35 high schools competing in the two-day event.”
Kaisa Ishikawa and Nika Tapucol of Kauai High School and Charlie “CJ” Kahepuu of Waimea High School fought their way into the finals and made their mark on the season, Pigott said.
“History has shown that the top six placers at the December preseason tournament will be in the top six placers at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association State Championships in March,” Pigott said.
Tapucol earned the third-place plaque in the 125-pound class, Ishikawa finished sixth at 101 pounds and Kahepuu finished fifth in the 195-pound class.
“For our 10 wrestlers to finish with a 15-win, 19-loss record at a tournament of this caliber is huge for our young program,” said Matt Ballard, coach for the Kauai High School team. “Our technical wrestling skills are way better than last year, the inaugural year for KIF wrestling, and we are actually catching up to the rest of the state.”
Ballard said the wrestlers need to travel to get better if they want to compete with the best wrestlers in the state.
“We need to be wrestling against them as often as possible,” Ballard said.
Waimea High School wrestling coach C.J. Threat said the trip to Oahu was good, the team learning a lot about the competition.
“C.J. Kahepuu’s finish was icing on the cake,” Threat said. “We have a lot of work to do. This tournament showed us our deficiencies. It was an awesome weekend for the student athletes. After getting the butterflies out, they all performed well at some point. I told them that if they are not learning, they are not living. They need to keep learning, and this is the general life lesson of wrestling.”
Kauai girls results included Ishikawa (101) ended 2-3, sixth place, Courtney Brock (117) 2-2, Sanoe Kalama (121) 0-2, Nika Tapucol (125) 2-1, third place.
Kauai boys results include Kristopher Alcos (113) 3-2, Bryson Yoro (132) 2-2, Madison Leanio (138) 2-2, Mike Gabriel (145) 1-1, Nick Gabriel (152) 1-2, Hanale Reynolds Kane (220) 0-2.
Waimea boys results include Nikolay Cariffe (138) 1-1, Faa Tafua (152) 2-2, Kala Dusenberry Lee (160) 1-2, Charle “CJ” Kahepuu (195) 3-2, fifth place.
The first KIF wrestling match takes place Jan. 18 at Waimea High School with the KIF championships and state championships taking place Feb. 15 at Waimea.
The HHSAA state championship tournament will take place Feb. 28 and Mar. 1 at the Neal Blaidell arena on Oahu.
