Lahainaluna wrestlers come away winners at Pa'ani Challenge
Dec. 29—Every athlete from the Lahainaluna girls wrestling team walked out of Punahou's Pa'ani Challenge a winner this year.
Every athlete from the Lahainaluna girls wrestling team walked out of Punahou's Pa'ani Challenge a winner this year.
The Lunas had only one champion in the open division of the tournament, but the school was the recipient of the annual Fighting Spirit Award and the $1, 000 check that came with it for their resilience after the wildfires in August.
"It's one of the most important awards in the sport, " Lahainaluna coach Ryan Ah Puck said. "I think for the girls it does a lot for them spiritually and emotionally. We've got close to 10 kids, if not more, who lost everything. They lost everything, their entire childhoods, and their motivation was gone—and I can't blame them. But the fact that they showed up to represent their team and their community shows who they are."
The tournament is much more than the wrestling on the mat, with a day of clinics and college fairs preceding the action for the largest girls wrestling tournament in the nation.
Catherine Asami was Lahainaluna's lone champion, winning the 190-pound weight class in dominating fashion. Less than a week after winning her three matches at the Hawaii Officials Association Tournament in under a minute each, she won all three at the Pa'ani Challenge in the first period. Teammate Brianna Kekona was the only one to last more than 79 seconds against her.
Asami, a senior, is one of the many Lunas who are displaced after the tragedy. She won a state championship as a sophomore and was a state runner-up last year, losing to Moanalua's Jasmine Adiniwin after beating her the year before. Adiniwin has since graduated, leaving Asami as the boss of the weight class.
"(The loss ) was good, " Asami said. "It just made me realize that I need to work harder and really focus more on wrestling. I might have gotten a little lazy."
Campbell won the team title with 365.5 points over Kamehameha's 327.5, with Lahainaluna a distant 12th. Two-time state runner-up Bethany Chargualaf and Zoe Ahue-Bolosan climbed to the top step of the podium for the Sabers.
Reigning state champions had no trouble, with Kamehameha's Jax Realin pinning Lahainaluna's Crystin-Dior Treu for her second Pa'ani championship at 130 pounds and Kapolei sophomore Eloise Woolsey stopping Hilo's Paige Taasan for the 140 title. Woolsey was looking to finish things early after beating Kaleialoha Yasumura of Moanalua by a 17-2 technical fall in the semifinals.
Woolsey was named the most outstanding wrestler in the tournament for her effort.
"Last year I was probably stripped of it because I didn't pin one of my girls, " Woolsey said. "So this year I was trying to pin everyone and I thought I wasn't going to get it, so I am actually really excited I got it."
Other champions in the open division were Serah Yogi of Pearl City (100 pounds ), Taylen Babas-Masuno of Hilo (105 ), Emma-Grace Cabinian of Leilehua (110 ), Hilo's Kaloni Brown (115 ), Tatiana Paragas of Punahou over Kamehameha's Joy Jeremiah in the toughest bracket (120 ), Sanairee Hasegawa of Baldwin (125 ), Pearl City's Taydem Uyemura (135 ), Lakota Kamaka (145 ) and Jahlia Miguel (155 ) of Baldwin.
There were 14 other champions crowned in the novice division.
"I had the opportunity three years ago to come with our retired head coach Todd Hayase, " Ah Puck said. "He explained to me the importance of it for these girls. It pushes for women's wrestling not just in Hawaii but all over the nation. It allows them to focus on themselves but also gives them resources for college and careers. I really enjoy this tournament."
Or it is just a lot of fun. No boys allowed.
"It is a good experience, " Asami said. "It is really fun. I think it is just about building relationships with new people and just having fun."
