By KEVIN JAKAHI
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
HONOLULU — Kamehameha senior Megan Aina, Waiakea junior Tanalei Louis and Hilo junior Lia Nakamura highlighted a day that featured Big Island Interscholastic Federation finishers across the scoring sheet.
All three pocketed gold at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association state judo championships on Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center, but they weren’t the only ones with success.
Aina defeated Kapolei’s Shanelle Ramelb for the 103-pound title. Louis beat Mililani’s Phairin Hicks for the 129 championship in extra time. Nakamura returned from injury after sitting out last year to top Roosevelt’s Brianna Jeffries for the 172 gold medal.
Other BIIF top six finishers included:
• Hilo’s Lahi Kanakanui def. Farrington’s Dioan Cantiller for fifth at 139.
• Kamehameha’s Nissi Flores-Jumalon def. University High’s Nicolina Pascua for fifth at 154.
• Campbell’s Taylor Allen def. Kamehameha’s Kailey Lapenia for third at 172.
• Ka‘u’s Kiana Mello-Waiwaiole def. Kamehameha-Kapalama’s Rainbow Ulii for third at 220.
• Kaiser’s Cole Chandler def. Konawaena’s Justin Raymond for first at 114.
• Kamehameha’s Ikaika Villanueva def. Roosevelt’s Royce Nelson for third at 145.
• Mililani’s Dayton Furuta def. Keaau’s Ha‘aheo Chan for third at 198.
• Waiakea’s Zeph Pavao def. Kapolei’s Isaiah Alapai for fifth at 275.
It was a good day for the BIIF. Three golds came from three different BIIF schools. And the league did itself proud.
Grandma’s promise
Louis was emotional after winning her match. She was inspired by her late grandma Pualani Louis, who passed away last October.
“I promised her I would win a state championship one day,” Louis said. “It feels amazing. I trusted my heart and played with my heart. I grabbed my opponent from the back and threw her.”
Last year, Louis played softball for Konawaena, which won the BIIF Division II championship. She transferred to Waiakea and rejoined judo. She won the BIIF title this season and as a freshman.
“I followed my gut and it told me to do judo and I did,” said Louis, who had to pick a sport because softball and judo run during the same time.
She won the 125-pound BIIF wrestling title this season. But she fell short of her promise to her grandma, taking bronze at states for wrestling in March.
Her promise was fulfilled against a tough opponent who made her work overtime. After five minutes, it was tied 1-1. In the three-minute sudden-death extra period, Louis won with 1:43 remaining.
“I hope I made my grandma proud,” she said.
Lia’s gold
As a freshman, Nakamura captured the BIIF title. Then she fractured her collarbone at states and placed sixth. She sat out last season to recover.
“It feels good to win. I never thought I’d come back after my freshman year, but I missed it,” she said. “I missed the adrenaline rush at a tourney you get before the match.”
Jeffries was physical, pulling and pushing and forcing Nakamura to the floor. But the Hilo junior won with technique, throwing her opponent for ippon, the automatic decision for victory.
“I took what I learned and put it out on the mat and I threw her,” Nakamura said. “What I like about winning first place is all the people here to support me.”
Then she thought about all her fellow BIIF compatriots.
“They all did pretty good,” she said. “I’m proud of us.”
Hilo coach Grant Hirayama had no doubt gold was going to hang around Nakamura’s neck.
“I knew she could do it,” he said. “She finally got her stuff together. I knew she had the potential. She grabbed the sleeve, pulled her and swept her legs.”
BIIF success
In the girls team standings, Pearl City won with 71 points. Kamehameha was seventh with 28 points, Hilo tied for eighth with 21, Waiakea 11th with 16 points and Ka‘u 16th with nine points.
In the boys team scoring, Moanalua took first with 58 points. Keaau and Konawaena were tied for 16th with 12 points, Kamehameha was 19th with nine points and Waiakea was tied for 20th with nine points.
More than a handful of BIIF judoka were knocking on the door for a gold medal.
“That’s great and it shows the Big Island can compete with the Oahu and the state in general,” Hirayama said. “It’s a big day for the Big Island.”
After Kamehameha coach Jenna Aina looked at her players in contention, she had a proud coach’s moment.
“I’m happy for them. It shows that hard work paid off. They worked hard in practice. The intensity was always high in practice. That way they could compete well at the state level,” Aina said, speaking about her Warriors, but for all members of the BIIF as well.