KAPAA — Kapaa controlled the girls arena, racking up three of four matches, and Waimea controlled the boys arena with two of four matches Saturday during the Kauai Interscholastic Federation wrestling match held at the Kapaa High School campus.
“What an insane morning,” said Kauai High School coach Paul Shindell, whose only first-place win came with Coby Lawrence in the boys 120-pound class. “With the road closure and then hunkering down for the warning of an incoming missile! The mental battle of overcoming all that was certainly (felt in) the first match of the day. It was great to see Matthew Tamanaha return (finishing second in the boys 138-pound division below Corey Agena) following an injury, and it was great to see Jeremiah Fukushima-Fernandez get his first win. Jayden Ogata and Coby Lawrence wrestled especially well.”
Coach Mac Pigott, KIF tournament director, said 10 girls and 17 boys weighed in and competed in 26 matches for the second tournament of the KIF wrestling season.
Stuck in traffic just outside Hanamaulu, Pigott was fielding text messages and phone calls inquiring about the meet.
“It was surreal,” he said. “It is a moment many of us will not forget. Everyone was relieved to hear the official stand-down and all clear. Tournament No. 2 is delayed, but not cancelled. Everyone involved in KIF wrestling cooperated to improvise and get the tournament going. Due to the extraordinary circumstances, participation was down, but there was plenty good wrestling in Kapaa.”
Pigott said following the second week of KIF wrestling and a busy preseason schedule, there are a few wrestlers making their mark.
“There are no surprise seniors, and defending KIF champions Braeden Jensen of Kapaa and Corey Agena of Waimea are proving to be the leaders in their respective weight classes,” Pigott said.
“Kapaa sophomore Joji Miner-Ho and Waimea freshman Ashlyn Agena, as well as Kauai’s Coby Lawrence, have represented the underclassmen well, as they dominated their respective divisions in the first two weeks.”
KIF wrestling continues Saturday, with the first matches starting at 10 a.m., at the Kauai High School gym.
Results
Girls 112 Pounds: Ashlyn Agena (Wai), Jordyn Kahananui (Kau), Shaelin Manibog (Kau)
Girls 122 Pounds: Anna Malia Santos (Kap), Danielle Santos (Kap), Janessa Llego-Finney (Kau)
Girls 132 Pounds: Ini Marshall (Kap), Tessa Jensen (Kap)
Girls 155 Pounds: Joji Miner-Ho (Kap), Halle Sakai (Kau)
Boys 120 Pounds: Coby Lawrence (Kau), Jeremiah Fukushima-Fernandez (Kau), Marcus Charles (IS)
Boys 138 Pounds: Corey Agena (Wai), Matthew Tamanaha (Kau), Jayden Ogata (Kau)
Boys 160 Pounds: Levi Eulalio (Kap), Kalama Fernandez (Wai), Zayden Sarmiento (Wai)
Boys 220 Pounds: Cody Artaho (Wai), Malachi Sacramento (Wai)
