PUHI — Connor Donaher of Waimea took his match by fall over Kenneth Niheu of Island School Saturday at the Clem Gomes Gym, and is one of the strong favorites to win a league title, said Mac Pigott, the Kauai
PUHI — Connor Donaher of Waimea took his match by fall over Kenneth Niheu of Island School Saturday at the Clem Gomes Gym, and is one of the strong favorites to win a league title, said Mac Pigott, the Kauai Interscholastic Federation tournament director.
“The Menehune 182 and/or 195 pound Conner Donaher looks to be a strong favorite to win leagues in either weight class,” Pigott said following the dual tournament. “We have an individual tournament at Kapaa High School Saturday starting at 10 a.m., and on Feb. 6, wrestlers gather at Kapaa for the league championships and state championship qualifying tournament.”
Pigott said 47 wrestlers from four KIF member schools weighed in and were paired by coaches to create two teams.
“Usually a dual meet is one school against another,” Pigott said. “But the KIF schools are still building interest in the sport and none of the KIF schools have full rosters to compete against each other. Led by coach Rich Capellino of Waimea, the schools developed a unique system where all KIF member school wrestlers were set up for either the Red or Green team.”
The Red team took an early lead, but as the last remaining matches were contested, the Green team slowing closed the gap.
“Going into the final match of the day, the Red team was leading 66-61,” Pigott said. “It could not have been scripted any better, the last match being the deciding factor for the team champion. When everything was done, the Green team came out on top, 67-66.”
Athens Acosta of Waimea, wrestling in the 160-pound class, took Kapaa’s Braeden Jensen by fall, leading Pigott to note Acosta’s potential for a league title in the 160-pound weight class.
“The two Waimea seniors are looking to finish their high school career as champions,” Pigott said. “Kauai High School seniors Kaisa Ishikawa and Sanoe Kalama look to be the favorites in their eligible weight classes as does Bryson Yoro. With just one more individual tournament before the KIF championships, many of the divisions have their favorites. But then, upsets could change things in the final two weeks.”
The KIF is awarded one seed in each division for the 2016 Hawaii High School Athletic Association state championships which will be contested Feb. 19 and 20 at the Neal Blaisdell Arena on Oahu. Pigott said despite previous records, the boy and girl KIF champion in each weight class will be determined on Feb. 6. The winners in the KIF championship earn a seed at the state championship.
