Kamehameha’s Kayla Araki carried the banner for the BIIF once again at the HHSAA championships. ADVERTISING Kamehameha’s Kayla Araki carried the banner for the BIIF once again at the HHSAA championships. Araki and Keaau’s Ivory Ayers grabbed judo bronze Saturday
Kamehameha’s Kayla Araki carried the banner for the BIIF once again at the HHSAA championships.
Araki and Keaau’s Ivory Ayers grabbed judo bronze Saturday night at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, highlighting what was otherwise another slow day for the league on state mats.
Araki was one of only two BIIF wrestlers who won bronze at states in March. She started her march to this third-place finish at 129 pounds in the consolation bracket after losing in the quarterfinals, capping her day off with a victory via ippon 58 seconds into her match against Mililani’s Maya Nakasone. Araki notched all five of her victories by ippon, including four consecutive after being stopped by Leilehua’s Sarah Murallos by ippon.
Ayers advanced to the semifinals at 172 before losing, and after one consolation victory she claimed an ippon victory against Campbell’s Kayla Mae Cuizon for third. Ayers took fourth at the state wrestling meet.
Waiakea’s Liann Yamamoto (103) and Hilo’s Kaitlyn Funai both lost to the eventual champions in the semifinals. Funai was fourth, matching her finish from state wrestling, while Yamamoto lost twice and was sixth.
The BIIF medal haul was modest compared to past years. The league failed to produce a gold-winning judoka for the first time since 2009 – three claimed gold last season.
In the boys competition, Waiakea’s Kellen Goya (132), Hilo’s Kody Minemoto (178) and Chris Kubota (198), and Kamehameha’s Joyden Madriaga (220) all reached the semifinals. Goya and Minemoto finished fourth along with Waiakea’s Dayton Towata (145) and Hilo’s Seth Fukushima (220). In a consolation semifinal, Fukushima defeated Madriaga, who went on to take fifth. Kubota also won a fifth-place match.
Kapolei won four divisions to repeat at boys champion. Hilo was ninth.
Roosevelt won three titles en route to the girls crown. Kamehameha-Hawaii tied for 16th.
Iolani’s Jordan Ng (121) of Iolani and Mid-Pacific’s Cole Chandler (145) of each won their third titles.
