By WAYNE JOSEPH Tribune-Herald correspondent ADVERTISING Kamehameha-Hawaii senior Akoakoa Paleka-Kennedy liked the sequel much better than the original. Konawaena senior Sage Aoki was just as happy to finally etch his family name into state wrestling lore. Paleka-Kennedy and Aoki both
By WAYNE JOSEPH
Tribune-Herald correspondent
Kamehameha-Hawaii senior Akoakoa Paleka-Kennedy liked the sequel much better than the original.
Konawaena senior Sage Aoki was just as happy to finally etch his family name into state wrestling lore.
Paleka-Kennedy and Aoki both won gold medals Saturday at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association championships in Honolulu.
Paleka-Kennedy repeated his championship in the heavyweight division, defeating Molokai’s Spencer Basa on the final match of the day at Neal Blaisdell Center.
“This one is even sweeter than last year,” Paleka-Kennedy said. “I had a huge target coming into this year’s championship as everyone was after me, so it means so much more to win.”
Paleka-Kennedy won the final 5-2, earning his points on an escape, a takedown and on technical points when the referee called Basa for stalling. Three of his four victories en route to the final came via a pin.
“I had to work really hard as there was good competition,” Paleka-Kennedy said. “All the hard work, putting in the long hours paid off today.”
After finishing on top again, Paleka-Kennedy said it was time to shift his focus away from the mat.
“I will concentrate on football and academics for the rest of the year as I prepare to attend Arizona Western on a football scholarship,” he said.
Aoki went the full three rounds against Maryknoll’s Brendan Chang in the 120 final, winning 3-1 for his first state title.
“This was my last chance to win the state championship and I gave it everything I could,” Aoki said. “My sister, Alexandra, finished two state championships as a runner-up and I wanted to win it all.”
Aoki got all the points he would need in the first period with a single-leg takedown after successfully navigating three matches en route to the final.
The Wildcat credited his judo experience as preparing him to be a better defensive wrestler. He finished fourth last year at the state wrestling finals.
“Judo gave me good defensive skills as I kept my distance when my opponents tried to shoot on me,” he said. “I had seen (Chang) wrestle and I knew I needed to stay away from being tied up.”
While Paleka-Kennedy and Aoki both felt nerves heading into the final matches of their high school wrestling careers, the pressure couldn’t compare to that faced by another Big Island Interscholastic Federation competitor: Keaau’s Cheyden Quiocho.
Quiocho fell just short of becoming the first Cougars athlete to win a state championship.
“I knew what was at stake and winning the state championship is a goal that I had set coming into the season,” Quiocho said. “I wanted to be the first state champion in our school’s history and I worked really hard this season to achieve it.”
Mililani’s Chase Tantog beat Quiocho 5-2 in the 135 final. Earlier, Quiocho won three matches in convincing fashion.
Afterward, Quiocho had few regrets, though it was second time this season that he’d lost to Tantog — and in similar fashion.
“I tried and gave it my all, so I can’t grumble,” Quiocho said. “He used the same move on me that he did at Leilehua earlier in the season. I should have been better prepared when he came at me with using the broomstick move, but I wasn’t ready for it.
“I wasn’t happy after the finals match but I don’t deserve what I don’t earn.”
Kamehameha senior Megan Aina, a 2010 state champion, lost her semifinal to the eventual champion 103 champion, Aiea’s Candice Segi, but Aina was one of five BIIF wrestlers to finish third.
She pinned Alanda Nguyen for bronze, but not after some initial trouble using her favorite move.
“The chicken wing worked for me the entire season, but when I went for it today it wasn’t there,” she said. “So I had to roll her over and press her down to get the pin.”
Waiakea junior Pat Enos (152) beat Andrew Kahalewai 6-4 to earn a measure of revenge on the Kamehameha-Kapalama wrestler.
“Last year he won by one point and I finished fourth,” Enos said. “I’m pretty happy with the way things turned out because I got the early lead on a takedown and then put him on his back in the second period.”
Kamehameha’s Welina Tong (175) was the BIIF’s biggest surprise. The first-year wrestler lost only one match over the two days to claim bronze.
“My only goal was to win the BIIF title, so today was just something extra,” Tong said. “I won four of my matches by pin using just basic, simple moves like the half.”
Waiakea’s Tanalei Louis (125) and Konawaena’s Justin Raymond (108) both lost their semifinal matches but rebounded to place third.
Punahou won the boys championship. Kona in 13th was the highest BIIF finisher. Aiea won the girls title, with BIIF champion Kamehameha seventh.
Other BIIF wrestlers who placed in the top six:
Hawaii Prep: Troy Choi, 215, sixth
Hilo: Kaylan “Lahi” Kanakanui, 140, fifth
Kamehameha: Chantel Pohina 130, fourth; Jasmine Iuta 155, fifth; Sky “Nalu” Kekona Souza, 120, sixth
Ka’u: Keani Mello-Waiwaiole, 220, fourth
Kealakehe: Robin Arellano, 114 fifth; Allin Franco, 140, sixth
Konawaena: Aimee Shiraki, 220, sixth
