Kaua‘i, Waimea get KIF wrestling titles
WAIMEA — Casey Bernabe, a wrestler from Kapa‘a High, said it felt funny with no one to wrestle with Saturday during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation Wrestling Championships contested at the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea.
“I don’t have anyone to wrestle,” Bernabe said. “All I have to do is suit up and wait until they raise my hand? I get to move to the state tournament.”
Bernabe, who has been participating in all of the matches leading to Saturday’s championships, joined the remainder of the girls field in being qualified to advance to the state tournament.
“But we’re going to have some exhibition matches to fill the time,” one of the officials said. “There are only six matches that will have winners advancing.”
Once the dust settled on the proceedings, Waimea High was declared the champion of the girls division with 30 points, followed by Kaua‘i High with 20 points and Kapa‘a High with 10 points.
On the boys’ division, Kaua‘i High was declared champion with 78 points, followed by Waimea with 64 points and Kapa‘a with 40 points.
“This is early,” said Kapa‘a High School athletic director Greg Gonsalves. “They moved the state wrestling date up a week. Otherwise, the KIF championships would be next Saturday. Instead, we’ll be having the dual meet where everyone is paired up and gets to wrestle.”
The meet will take place at the Kaua‘i High Saturday starting at 10 a.m.
The Texaco Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Wrestling Championships will take place on March 4 and 5 at the Neal Blaisdell Arena on O‘ahu.
State qualifiers
Girls
• 99 pounds: Tristin Asuncion (Kau)
• 104 pounds: Kayleigh Martinez (Wai)
• 109 pounds: Mary Joy Angala (Wai)
• 114 pounds: Casey Bernabe (Kap)
• 147 pounds: Meleana Rita (Kau)
• 157 pounds: Skyelynn Ripley (Wai)
Boys
• 108 pounds: Thomas Ramos (Kau)
• 122 pounds: Jayden Manibog (Kau), Orien Hodges (Kap)
• 134 pounds: DeAndrei Gonzales (Wai)
• 140 pounds: Connor Raybuck (Kap)
• 147 pounds: Kayden Libre (Wai), Kelan Keohokapu (Kap)
• 154 pounds: Jayred Tumbaga (Wai)
• 162 pounds: Ka-Lei Butac Sagucio (Kau), Shawn Parraga (Wai)
• 172 pounds: Nathan Marovish (Kap), Ephraim Salud (Kau)
• 197 pounds: Nakoa Lovell Obatake (Kau)
• 222 pounds: Walker Turpin (Kau), Eldon Simpliciano-Siliad (Wai)