Hilo, Waiakea and Kamehameha each have three wrestlers still in gold medal contention as 13 from the BIIF reached the semifinals Friday at the state championships at Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu.
There is a decent chance at an all-Big Island final Saturday in the boys 160-pound division, where Kamehameha’s Kamalu Anahu is the highest seed remaining at No. 2 after winning twice and heads into a final four matchup against Punahou’s Hudson Pak. Hilo’s Hana Kahookaulana looms on the other side of the bracket. Kahookaulana beat the top seed, Kamehameha-Maui’s, 6-5 in the quarterfinals.
There are also two BIIF wrestlers looking for gold at 113, Waiakea’s Aiden Shikuma, No. 4, and unseeded Raizen Aina of Kamehameha.
Waiakea’s Caleb Shimaoka, a three-time BIIF champion and the second seed, faces a semifinal against unseeded Elijah Kaawa of Saint Louis, and a win likely matches Shimaoka up against Kamehameha-Kapalama’s Kysen Terukina, who is seeking a fourth state title.
Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Tehya Tanigawa has a daunting task at girls 132. Her first match Saturday is against Lahainaluna’s Nanea Estrella, who also is trying to secure a fourth state crown.
Also getting set for top seeds are Waiakea’s Rylan Smith (120), Honokaa’s Chandon Pacheco (225), Hilo’s Ashley Lavarias (112), Kealakehe’s Pualani Louis (117) and Kamehameha’s Lainey Eckart (127).
Hilo’s Leona Toledo, seeded second in the 225 division, can improve on her third-place finish with an opening win, but Kahuku’s Tangiteina Niutupuivaha, a two-time state state champ, could be waiting in the final.
Keaau’s Kaleinani Makuaole was a runner-up last season at Waianae, and the third seed still has a chance to reach the finals again, this time at 184.