HONOLULU — Kauai High School senior Madison Leanio finished fourth in the 152-pound division at the Cheveron Hawaii High School Athletic Association 2017 wrestling championships that wrapped up Saturday night at the Blaisdell Center on Oahu. Leanio was the sole
HONOLULU — Kauai High School senior Madison Leanio finished fourth in the 152-pound division at the Cheveron Hawaii High School Athletic Association 2017 wrestling championships that wrapped up Saturday night at the Blaisdell Center on Oahu.
Leanio was the sole representative of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation to find his way to the finishers’ podium at the state championships.
“Last year, Madison finished fifth,” said Mac Pigott, the KIF wrestling tournament director. “This year, the Red Raider wrestler made it to the No. 4 spot to cap his last year as a high school wrestler. Leanio battled his way through the 16-wrestler bracket featuring the best wrestlers in the state to advance to the second day of the tournament, and eventually to the championship rounds.”
Iolani High School captured the Boys Wrestling Championships with 164.5 points over Campbell High School who finished at 145.0 points. Kauai High School, the KIF title holder, finished tied for 28th place with Lanai High School, and Maui High School at 16 points each, just a point shy of Kailua High School of Oahu (17 points).
The Waimea High School boys finished 37th (6 points) and the Kapaa High School boys finished 42nd (3 points).
Lahainaluna of the Maui Interscholastic League topped the Girls Wrestling Championship with 191 points followed by Kamehameha-Kapalama (146.0 points). Kauai High School girls finished 33rd (12 points) followed by Kapaa at 38th place (7 points), and Waimea (0 points).
“Kauai High School freshman Sarai Valdez and sophomore Justice Funamura-Sasil made it to Day 2 of the tournament, but fell a match short of the championship rounds,” Pigott said. “Two Waimea wrestlers — senior Andrew Evans and junior Corey Agena — each earned wins in Day 1, but did not advance to Day 2.”
Pigott said Kapaa girl wrestlers Shanayah Marshall, wrestling in the 127-pound bracket, and Jolette Miner-Ho, wrestling in the 155-pound division, fell short of advancing to the second day of Hawaii’s toughest high school wrestling tournament.
“The skill level of our wrestlers is elevating every year since the KIF started the program five years ago,” Pigott said.
