Result brackets were posted on the wall of the Hilo High gym halfway through Saturday’s BIIF wrestling tournament, with student assistants appearing now and then to pencil in more winners. ADVERTISING Result brackets were posted on the wall of the
Result brackets were posted on the wall of the Hilo High gym halfway through Saturday’s BIIF wrestling tournament, with student assistants appearing now and then to pencil in more winners.
So it was clear even to the casual observer that Kamehameha’s girls squad was having a standout day, locking up wins in four weight classes early on and setting the stage to place in another three before the meet was over.
The Warriors are a young team, with just one senior on the roster, but the results speak for themselves as Kamehameha begins to shift its attention to Oahu and the state tournament.
“We like our chances,” coach Marlon Miller said, crediting fellow coach Keith Laeda with a strong recruiting effort this year and noting that Kealakehe’s team was also having a strong season.
Junior Kayla Araki, Kamehameha’s lone competitor at states last year, is seeking a repeat trip to the Oahu tournament. Araki earned a bronze in the 132-pound division last year, and wrestling in the 155-pound division this year. She faces some of her toughest competition right here on the Big Island.
On Saturday, Araki defeated Hawaii Preparatory’s Loke Ching at 155. Ching has made two trips to states, placing fifth last year in the 138 division.
“This time we lucked out,” Miller said of the Saturday matchup. “We had the upper hand.”
Having Araki and Ching in the same class this year helps both wrestlers improve over the season, he said: “They need each other.”
Miller has been involved with the team since its earliest days, when the entire squad — boys and girls — consisted of nine wrestlers practicing in a hallway.
This season he is transitioning some coaching duties over to assistant Kelia Parrilla, a Kamehameha- Kapalama alumna and former University of Hawaii at Hilo volleyball player.
“The old guard to the new,” Miller said.
The same can be said of the entire Kamehameha team. About thirty wrestlers turned out early on, Miller said, a number that dropped to around twenty as the season went on (“The sport’s very demanding”).
And nearly half of its wrestlers are freshmen. It’s a statistic the coaches like to see.
“We want them to come out young,” Miller said. “Like with anything you do — come out freshman year, stay for four years.”
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
