WAIMEA — Get the dog!
“The kids had been admonished several times to stay off the competition mat that had been sterilized for the Sam Silva Memorial Tournament matches that were about to start, June 11,” said Westside Wrestling coach Matt Pigott. “Of course, when you have a gym full of wrestlers, many of whom are under 10 years old, there is a lot of playing around and laughter. Suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, a dog came running into the Clem Gomes Gym.”
“Within seconds, the canine had about 25 kids chasing him down,” Pigott said. “It was quite a ruckus as the dog outmaneuvered the kids while parents and coaches laughed and yelled, ‘Get the dog!’”
Pigott said the incident set the tone for the day of five hours of nonstop wrestling with good sportsmanship and lot of fun at the Sam Silva Memorial tournament that wrapped up the Kaua‘i USA Wrestling Spring Season with championships in the 10 different age group and weight classes.
The tournament weekend started June 10 with Olympic Hall of Famer Clarissa Chun teaching Kaua‘i youth wrestling techniques while talking about life lessons learned on the mat.
Forty-two wrestlers ranging in age from 4 to 35 years old filled the day with 47 matches and four exhibition matches for the different bracket championships.
“In the 44-pound division, Brynn Malama of Waimea got the crowd’s attention several times with big throws on the way to a gold medal in the six-wrestler bracket,” Pigot said. “In the 59-pound division, it was almost all-Maui, with Kommon Cunanan edging out his teammate Zayden Hirouji in the title match. The Maui team nearly took home all the medals in that bracket, but Brody Aceret of Waimea broke the string, earning a spot on the podium with a bronze medal following a win over Atlas Monteleone.”
Westside Wrestling would like to thank referee Frank Flippi, who singlehandedly officiated nearly 100 matches over the five-week spring season.
“Special thanks to Waimea High School for hosting both the Clarissa Chun clinic and the Sam Silva Memorial Tournament,” Pigot said. “Thanks to all the coaches and parents who helped make the spring wrestling season a great experience for Kaua‘i’s high school wrestlers. A big mahalo to coach Zane Meteleone for bringing his Maui team, and sincere thanks to Clarissa Chun, who returned to her roots with mom and dad, back on Kaua‘i, donating her valuable time to our youth wrestling program.”
Pigot said wrestling practice continues in Waimea and Kapa‘a because some wrestlers have plans to travel to mainland camps. For mat times, contact coach Wilder in Waimea at 763-213-6188, or coach Nelson in Kapa‘a at 808-344-4233.
Results
• Age 4-8, 44 Pounds: Brynn Malama, Koa Armitage, Keawaihi Armitage, Keahnui Mori
• Age 8-9, 59 Pounds: Kommon Cunanan, Zayden Hirouji, Brody Aceret, Atlas Monteleone
• Age 8-10, 67 Pounds: Jian Cuaresma, Liam Hirouji, Kahikoloa Lopez, Noah Hussey
• Age 9-11, 91 Pounds: Kiakaha Lopez, Kaonohi Armitage, Koaia Sakamoto-Flores
• Age 9-12, 102 Pounds: Wyatt Ballard, Kaiwahie Sakamoto-Flores, Triton Monteleone
• Age 12-16, 112 Pounds: Safira Lasore, Makai Kua, Kayeleigh Martinez
• Age 15-17, 145 Pounds: Lilyn Hayase, Teani Medeiros-Maielua, Deandre Gonzales
• Age 14-16, 175 Pounds: Skyelynn Ripley, Brianna Ku Kekona, Koi Richards, Kolai Richards
• Age 15-16, 196 Pounds: Jackson Hussy, Shawn Parraga, Ephraim Salud
• Age 27-32, 175 Pounds: Colin Fink, Paul Shindell
