Two-time Olympian Clarissa Chun will highlight the second day of the Westside Wrestling Camp Saturday, said Coach Mac Pigott of Westside Wrestling.
“We are just very fortunate to have Clarissa Chun on Kauai teaching wrestling skills to our youth,” Pigott said. “If you ever met her, you learn quickly she is always looking to give back to the sport. Future and current Kauai Interscholastic Federation wrestlers who make it out west this weekend are guaranteed to learn some good technique and meet a true legend of Hawaii wrestling.”
The two-day Westside Wrestling Camp starts Friday and wraps up Saturday with a dual meet tournament at the Clem Gomes Gym. The camp is free for current and future KIF wrestlers.
“This camp wraps up the Kauai USA Wrestling spring season,” Pigott said. “It is intended to offer off-season training and competition for Kauai’s high school wrestlers while introducing the sport to youth for future participation at the high school level. This year’s season couldn’t have ended any better.”
Allen Hackman, former Liberty University, and current Jefferson Forest High School coach, returns for a second year to lead the clinics Friday. The day starts with a beach run from the Westside Wrestling Club starting at 7 a.m. Hackman takes the floor from 8 a.m. before ending the day with a walk to the historic Waimea Theater for dinner and a movie.
Saturday starts at 7 a.m. with a run to Pakahi Academy and strength training before Chun takes the floor from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The camp ends following dinner with a red vs. green dual meet starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Clem Gomes Gym.
“Wrestlers who made it to last year’s camp know how good Coach Hackman is in teaching his technique and toughness clinic,” Pigott said. “The camp ends with the red vs. green dual meet where everyone will get at least one match.”
Chun, coming off her induction into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame, was born and raised on Oahu where she started judo at 7 years old before transitioning to wrestling during her junior year at Roosevelt High School.
She became a state champion in 1998, the first year Hawaii sanctioned girls high school wrestling.
Continuing through college and international competition, Chun went on to become a two-time Olympian, 2008 World Champion, and earned a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games. She was hired by USA Wrestling as the assistant coach at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in 2017.
Information: Coach Mac 639-8858.
••• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
