KAPA‘A — D’Andre Gonzales of Waimea had not wrestled until about a week before the start of the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation wrestling program, said his coach.
Gonzales was pit against Thomas Ramos of Kaua‘i High in one of the eight mixed-weight exhibition matches that greeted the KIF season at its first tournament held at the Bernice Hundley Gym on the Kapa‘a High campus.
Twenty-two wrestlers from Waimea, Kaua‘i High and Kapa‘a turned out to participate in five regulated weight-class divisions and the exhibition matches.
Kapa‘a’s Casey Bernabe defeated Waimea’s Mary Joy Angola in the sole female regulation match in the 113-pound division, and went on to participate against other wrestlers in the mixed-weight exhibition matches, dropping to Kaua‘i’s B. Kellerman.
“They had better tell us where the automatic electronic defibrilators are,” said Matt Bernabe, Casey’s dad, as his daughter’s match got underway. “This is electrifying, and if something happens to me, we need to know where the AEDs are.”
Kapa‘a grapplers finished with first places in three of the five weight divisions, led by Bernabe taking the 113-pound girls division. Kelan Keohokapu tamed Waimea’s Kayden Libre for the 152-pound boys class, and Nathan Narovish of Kapa‘a controlled the 195-pound boys class.
In the mixed-weight exhibition with Gonzales, the Red Raider opponent lead a 11-6 spread after the two rounds.
With the Red Raider coaching staff coaching during the break between rounds, Ramos was re-energized, and just shortly following the start of the final round turned the tables on his Menehune opponent and take the match by pinfall.
The KIF wrestling tournament moves to the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea on Saturday with the first matches hitting the mat starting at 10 a.m.
Results
• 113 Pounds, Girls: Casey Bernabe (Kap), Mary Joy Angola (Wai)
• 152 Pounds, Boys: Kelan Keohokapu (Kap), Kayden Libre (Wai)
• 170 Pounds, Boys: El Butac-Sagucio (Kau), Shawn Parraga (Wai), Kaden Escobar (Kap)
• 195 Pounds, Boys: Nathan Marovish (Kap), Eliam Ornellas (Wai), Ephraim Salud (Kau), Darren Dela Cruz (Kau)
• 220 Pounds, Boys: Walker Turpin (Kau), Eldon Simpliciano-Siliad (Wai)
This story was updated for accuracy.
