2010 Excel Wrestling Summer Camp – Matside Coverage

The 2010 Excel Wrestling Summer Training Camp was held on July 1 (Thursday) through July 3 (Saturday) at Punahou School in the Intermediate wrestling room (Forrest Hall).

The camp was run by Excel Wrestling’s Executive Director and Head Coach, Steve Knight. Coach Knight was an NCAA All American and Big 12 Champion for Iowa State before becoming an assistant coach at ISU and training for the 1992 Olympics. He won the Pan American Championships in 1992 defeating the Cuban Olympic Bronze medallist and travelled as an alternate/training partner to the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He has been a member of 2 US Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Coaching Staffs and has worked with USA Wrestling on the Senior Olympic Level for many years.

Accompanying Coach Knight were his sons, Evan, a two-time Iowa Class 3A state champion who will be attending Cornell on a wrestling scholarship, as well as Colby, who just finished his Freshman year at Urbandale High School by taking the runner-up spot at 103 lbs. in the 2010 Iowa Class 3A State Championships.

There were many notable wrestlers there as most of the Team Hawaii contingent attended. However, all of the wrestlers who attended took away from the camp excellent tutelage and coaching by Coach Knight, additional guidance from the local coaches who attended, drilling & live work with other wrestlers, comraderie, and just an overall great wrestling experience.

2010 HHSAA State Judo Championships: Boys Finals – Matside Coverage

Attended the 2010 HHSAA State Judo Championships at the Stan Sheriff Center on May 8, 2010.  Coverage includes Boys Championship matches.

Notes/Observations:

I was hoping that the tournament organizers would hold all championship matches (Boys and Girls) on one mat which would have allowed me to give video coverage of all finals.  But they separated the Boys and Girls finals on back-to-back mats which put me in tough situation as there was no way I could run back and forth to capture all finals, so I had to choose.  With the seemingly more intriguing match-ups on the Boys side, I decided to give that side the coverage.

Note – Finalists are listed in order according to their seeding.  The order for the finalists’ picture from left to right are 6th, 4th, 2nd, 1st, 3rd, 5th.

108

Brendan Chang (Maryknoll) vs Kelson Onigama (Moanalua)

Chang won by ippon.  Brendan, the top seed and ILH champion, defeated Kelson, the 3rd seed and OIA champion.  Brendan is a freshman and I believe so is Kelson, and that would mean many more years of battles between these two judoka.  Brendan brought home another individual state title for Maryknoll after Cassidy Oshiro brought home Maryknoll’s first title ever in wrestling this past season.

Congratulations to Brendan on your championship and to Kelson for a successful season!

(L to R) Justin Raymond (Konawaena), Zachary Kido (Campbell), Kelson Onigama (Moanalua), Brendan Chang (Maryknoll), Kevin Miyamasu (Moanalua), Jacob Arakaki (Kamehameha-Kapalama)

114

Jacob Palimo’o (Moanalua) vs Jordan Ng (Punahou)

Ng won by ippon.  Jordan, the 4th seed and ILH champion, defeated Jacob, the 2nd seed and OIA champion.  Jordan, a senior, ends his high school career with back-to-back state titles in wrestling and judo.  Jordan also won the state title last season at 108.  Jacob had a huge win in the quarterfinals over Cassidy Oshiro.

Congratulations to Jordan on your championship and to Jacob for a successful season!

(L to R) Cody Fernandez (Roosevelt) (stand-in shown), Skye Yonamine (Kamehameha-Kapalama), Jacob Palimo’o (Moanalua), Jordan Ng (Punahou), Cassidy Oshiro (Maryknoll), Logan Yamamoto (Iolani)

121

Logan Bucsit (Farrington) vs David Terao (MPI)

Terao won by ippon.  David, the 3rd seed and ILH champion, defeated Logan, the top seed and OIA champion.  These two know each other very well having battled in wrestling and judo for numerous years.  This was also a repeat of last season’s 114 final also won by David.  David has proven so dominant and with his 3rd state title under his belt, he will be gunning for a distinguished 4th next season.

Congratulations to David on your championship and to Logan for a successful season!

(L to R) Cody Uyejo (Mililani), Blaine Bolibol (Punahou), Logan Bucsit (Farrington), David Terao (MPI), Ryan Oda (Punahou), Brant Tsuda (Moanalua)

132

Brady Lafortune (Moanalua) vs Tyler Kono (Kapolei)

Lafortune won by ippon.  Brady, the 4th seed and OIA champion, defeated Tyler, the 7th seed and OIA runner-up.  Tyler is so tough and he scored a huge win over Sean Tachibana in the quarterfinals.  Brady was the talk of the tournament as he became the 4th judoka to win 4 state titles joining Taylor Iberra of Farrington, Lianne Tomishima of McKinley, and Christian Pavo of Pearl City.  But Brady became the first judoka in Hawaii history to win 4 state titles in 4 different weight classes.  Quite an accomplishment and something for all of the Hawaii judo community to be proud of!

Congratulations to Brady on your championship and to Tyler for a successful season!

(L to R) Koan Kojima (Roosevelt), Trevor Kalawaia (Kahuku), Tyler Kono (Kapolei), Brady Lafortune (Moanalua), Sean Tachibana (Maryknoll), Evan Uehara (Punahou)

145

Tyler Yonemori (Waiakea) vs Jordan Ogata (Mililani)

Yonemori won by wazari.  Tyler, the top seed and BIIF champion, defeated Jordan, the 7th seed and OIA runner-up.  Tyler improved on his 5th place finish last season at 145.  There was an early buzz this season about Tyler and he proved the hype was correct and he was the only neighbor island state champion this tournament.  Jordan scored an upset in the quarterfinals against Jacob Luning-Hoshino and he was the runner-up last season at 132.

Congratulations to Tyler on your championship and to Jordan for a successful season!

(L to R) Royce Mori (Damien), Jacob Luning-Hoshino (Kamehameha-Kapalama), Jordan Ogata (Mililani), Tyler Yonemori (Waiakea), Chaeden Grace-Reyes (Farrington), Cody Kagawa (University)

161

Kainalu Matthews (Kamehameha-Kapalama) vs Damon Hom Jr. (McKinley)

Hom won by ippon.  Damon, the 3rd seed and OIA champion, defeated Kainalu, the top seed and ILH champion.  This match gets my vote for the Best Winning Reaction, narrowly edging out Lafortune’s match, and also the Fastest Finals Ippon (8 seconds).  Damon was so ecstatic after his win that he literally leaped into the arms of Kainalu in a big bear hug, then he ran to bow and then ran off the mat… probably ran into the back somewhere to scream in happiness.  Damon finished 5th in the state last season at 161 and he finally captured his first state title in his senior year.  Kainalu has been so dominant all season and his height presented major problems for his opponents.

Congratulations to Damon on your championship and to Kainalu for a successful season!

(L to R) Tyler Vaughn (Hilo), Ken Kobayashi (Punahou), Kainalu Matthews (Kamehameha-Kapalama), Damon Hom Jr. (McKinley), Gaston Carr (Kahuku), Lindsey Nelson (Roosevelt)

178

Punahele Soriano (Kahuku) vs Robby Ostovich (Moanalua)

Soriano won by ippon.  Punahele, the 2nd seed and OIA champion, defeated Robby, the 5th seed and OIA runner-up.  Punahele has had quite a senior year capturing his first state title in wrestling and now another state title in judo.  Robby has been an accomplished wrestler and judoka and closes out his high school career as well.

Congratulations to Punahele on your championship and to Robby for a successful season!

(L to R) Taylor Sakanashi (McKinley), LJ Remillard (Punahou) (stand-in shown), Robby Ostovich (Moanalua), Punahele Soriano (Kahuku), Tevin Miyahara (Leilehua), Randy Ishitani (Roosevelt)

198

Myer Alokoa (Hawaii Center for the Deaf & Blind) vs Tyler Hayashi (Roosevelt)

Alokoa won by ippon.  Myer, the top seed and OIA champion, defeated Tyler, the 6th seed and OIA runner-up.  Quite a story for Myer who has learned to overcome his disability and capture his first state title after finishing 3rd in the state last season at 198.  Myer competed for Kalani in the regular season.  Tyler finished 3rd in the state last season at 178 and also had a runner-up finish in wrestling this past season.

Congratulations to Myer on your championship and to Tyler for a successful season!

(L to R) Kawika Scott (Konawaena), Warren Mamizuka (Kahuku), Tyler Hayashi (Roosevelt), Myer Alokoa (Hawaii Center for the Deaf & Blind), Diego Meyers (Campbell), Makale’a Medeiros (Baldwin)

220

Dane Paihi Pestano (Kamehameha-Kapalama) vs Kyle Tsubota (Lutheran)

Pestano won by yuko.  Paihi, the 3rd seed and ILH champion, defeated Kyle, the 8th seed and ILH runner-up.  This was Round 4 for these two top judoka.  During the ILH season, Paihi won twice and Kyle won once, and all were great, close battles… like a chess match, one unable to truly dominate the other.  Paihi, a freshman, is a national caliber judoka with Hawaii Tenri Judo Club and he will be setting his sights on a repeat title next season.  Kyle was the returning state champion at 220 and scored a big win over Jheryl Makaiau in the quarterfinals.

Congratulations to Paihi on your championship and to Kyle for a successful season!

(L to R) Demetrius Roby (Saint Louis), James Lloyd (Kaimuki) (stand-in shown), Kyle Tsubota (Lutheran), Paihi Pestano (Kamehameha-Kapalama), Jheryl Makaiau (Kahuku), Weston Akamine (Roosevelt)

275

Alex Kozuma (Moanalua) vs Keith Chargulaf-Tuilepa (Farrington)

Chargulaf-Tuilepa won by ippon.  Keith, the 4th seed and OIA champion, defeated Alex, the 3rd seed and OIA runner-up.  Keith was the runner-up last season at 275 and this was a sweet victory as Keith lost an OT battle with Jheryl Makaiau in the 285 state wrestling final.

Congratulations to Keith on your championship and to Alex for a successful season!

(L to R) Simeon Vierra (Kahuku), Iokepa Alcantra (Pearl City), Alex Kozuma (Moanalua), Keith Chargulaf-Tuilepa (Farrington), Kaulana Buchanan (Kamehameha-Kapalama), Abraham Hall (Saint Louis)

Team Runner-up

KAMEHAMEHA-KAPALAMA

The Warriors bested their rival Punahou (who finished 4th) after Punahou edged them out by 5 points at the ILH Championships.  This team has a talented, young nucleus returning and with Paihi Pestano anchoring the team for 3 more years, they will be aiming for a team title in the coming years.

Note – I didn’t manage to get a picture as Kainalu Matthews received the team trophy and left a little too fast for my camera.

Congratulations to Kamehameha-Kapalama on your success and to the Kamehameha-Kapalama coaching staff!

Team Champion

MOANALUA

Moanalua has always had a solid judo program, but Punahou has stood in their way the past 3 years.  Their team is very young and very talented and they will be shooting for no less than a repeat team championship next season.

Congratulations to Moanalua on your championship and to Coach Brandon Maki, Coach Scott Pak, and their staff!

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2010 HHSAA State Judo Championships: Girls Finals – Matside Coverage

Attended the 2010 HHSAA State Judo Championships at the Stan Sheriff Center on May 8, 2010.  Coverage includes Girls Championship matches.

Notes/Observations:

I was hoping that the tournament organizers would hold all championship matches (Boys and Girls) on one mat which would have allowed me to give video coverage of all finals.  But they separated the Boys and Girls finals on back-to-back mats which put me in tough situation as there was no way I could run back and forth to capture all finals, so I had to choose.  With the seemingly more intriguing match-ups on the Boys side, I decided to give that side the coverage.  However, I did manage to get pictures of the awards ceremony for the Girls and they are shown under each final capsule.

Note – Finalists are listed in order according to their seeding.  The order for the finalists’ picture from left to right are 6th, 4th, 2nd, 1st, 3rd, 5th.

98

Erin Uehara (Punahou) vs Marina Higa (McKinley)

Uehara won by wazari.  Erin, the top seed and ILH champion, defeated the 3rd seed and OIA champion Marina.  Erin placed 4th in the state last season at 98 and the senior has been on a mission this season.

Congratulations to Erin on your championship and to Marina for a successful season!

(L to R) Mary Jane Garcia (Waipahu), Taylor Vidad (Pearl City), Marina Higa (McKinley), Erin Uehara (Punahou), Meagan Aina (Kamehameha-Hawaii), Victoria Meno (Moanalua)

103

Marissa Rogers (McKinley) vs Shayla Pang-Kee (Castle)

Rogers won by ippon.  There were big upsets in this bracket as Marissa, the 9th seed, defeated Shayla, the 14th seed.  Marissa placed 3rd in the OIAs and 4th in the state last season at 103.

Congratulations to Marissa on your championship and to Shayla for a successful season!

(L to R) Shanelle Ramelb (Kapolei), Jamie Kakugawa (Campbell), Shayla Pang-Kee (Castle), Marissa Rogers (McKinley), Kimmi Lum (University), Toni Uyehara (Pearl City)

109

Brittnay Balanay (McKinley) vs Kayla Martin (Kahuku)

Balanay won by wazari.  Brittany, the top seed and OIA champion, defeated Kayla, the 10th seed.  Brittany also took home the 109 title last season and has been the cornerstone for a very successful McKinley Girls team this season.  Kayla had a nice run to reach the finals and she placed 3rd in the OIAs and was the runner-up at 109 in the state last season as well.

Congratulations to Brittany on your championship and to Kayla for a successful season!

(L to R) Mary Coroando (Kaimuki), Taylor Castro (Pearl City), Kayla Martin (Kahuku), Brittany Balanay (McKinley), Nicole Taniguchi (Punahou), Diane Mikuni (Kapolei)

115

Bree Rapoza (Kamehameha-Kapalama) vs Megan Yamaguchi (Kalani)

Rapoza won by ippon.  Bree, the 3rd seed and ILH champion, defeated Marisa, the 4th seed and OIA champion.  This was also a battle between two current state champion wrestlers.  Bree, a freshman, has proven dominant this season and it is likely that she could become a 4-time state champion in both sports.  Megan placed 3rd in the state last season.

Congratulations to Bree on your championship and to Megan for a successful season!

(L to R) Ilisha Badua (Kapolei), Ayame Higa (McKinley), Megan Yamaguchi (Kalani), Bree Rapoza (Kamehameha-Kapalama), Marisa Fukunaga (Roosevelt), Jenna Aina (Kamehameha-Hawaii)

122

Tiare Mashima (Kamehameha-Kapalama) vs Brittney Shinsato (Kalani)

Shinsato won by wazari.  Brittney, the 8th seed, upset the 2nd seed and ILH champion Tiare.  Brittney was the runner-up in the OIAs.

Congratulations to Brittney on your championship and to Tiare for a successful season!

(L to R) Liko Fukumoto (Moanalua), Tiare Mashima (Kamehameha-Kapalama), Brittney Shinsato (Kalani), Julia Afuso (Iolani), Rochelle Pagaduan (Waipahu)
Note – the organizers failed to call out 6th place finisher Shayla Rivera of King Kekaulike, but did call her up later.

129

Chrissy Chow (Punahou) vs Tanalei Louis (Konawaena)

Chow won by ippon.  Chrissy, the top seed and ILH champion, defeated Tanalei, the 3rd seed and BIIF champion.  Chrissy is a national caliber judoka with Hawaii Tenri Judo Club.  This is her 3rd state title in as many years and she will be shooting for a 4th next season.

Congratulations to Chrissy on your championship and to Tanalei for a successful season!

(L to R) Lindsay Villarmia (Aiea), Tara Srirangarajan (Iolani), Tanalei Louis (Konawaena), Chrissy Chow (Punahou), Kiana Borengasser (Kamehameha-Kapalama), Abigail Helenihi (Kapolei)

139

Morgan Yamaguchi (Kalani) vs Mindy Chow (Punahou)

Chow won by han soku make.  Mindy, the 4th seed and ILH champion, defeated Morgan, the 2nd seed and OIA champion.  Mindy is a national caliber judoka with Hawaii Tenri Judo Club.  This is her 2nd state title in as many years and she will be shooting for a 3rd next season.  Morgan placed 3rd in the state last season at 129.

Congratulations to Mindy on your championship and to Morgan for a successful season!

(L to R) Lacey Katakura-Enos (Pearl City), Rachel Factora (Campbell), Morgan Yamaguchi (Kalani), Mindy Chow (Punahou), Kayla Mishima (HBA), Kalena Shiroma (Kamehameha-Hawaii)

154

Amber Ah Sue (Kahuku) vs Kaimana Lundquist (Punahou)

Lundquist won by ippon.  Kaimana, the 3rd seed and ILH champion, defeated Amber, the top seed and OIA champion.  Kaimana is a national caliber judoka with Hawaii Tenri Judo Club.  This is her 2nd state title in as many years and she will be shooting for a 3rd next season.  Amber was the runner-up in the state last season at 154.

Congratulations to Kaimana on your championship and to Amber for a successful season!

(L to R) Tiffany Kotani (Moanalua), Jayna Koko (Roosevelt), Amber Ah Sue (Kahuku), Kaimana Lundquist (Punahou), Kasie Kashimoto (Iolani), Meridian Burrhus (Aiea)

172

Tiara Kaye (Punahou) vs Mei Ling Keiki (Pearl City)

Keiki won by ippon.  Mei Ling, the 4th seed and OIA champion, defeated Tiara, the 2nd seed and ILH champion.  This has been a great school year for Mei Ling as she also recently brought home a state title in wrestling.  Mei Ling was the runner-up in the state last season at 172.  Tiara placed 5th in the state last season at 139.

Congratulations to Mei Ling on your championship and to Tiara for a successful season!

(L to R) Joo Yeon Kang (Moanalua), Aja Gample (St. Francis) (stand-in shown), Tiara Kaye (Punahou), Mei Ling Keiki (Pearl City), Makana Borden (Kamehameha-Kapalama), Erika Bareng (Waipahu)

220

Patrice Yamane (Castle) vs Sanoe Spencer (Pearl City)

Spencer won by ippon.  Sanoe, the 12th see, upset the 3rd seed and OIA champion Patrice.  This has been a great school year for Sanoe as she also recently brought home a state title in wrestling.  Sanoe was the runner-up in the state last season at 220.  Patrice placed 3rd in the state last season at 220.

Congratulations to Sanoe on your championship and to Patrice for a successful season!

(L to R) Sade Hendricks (Leilehua), Patrice Yamane (Castle), Sanoe Spencer (Pearl City), Jamilyn Chur (Pearl City), Angela Kim (University)

Team Runner-up

PEARL CITY

This has been a great season for the Pearl City Girls.  They narrowly beat McKinley for the OIA team title by 1 point, and edged McKinley yet again by 3 points to capture the runner-up trophy.

Congratulations to Pearl City on your success and to Coach Rob Puahala and his staff!

Team Champion

PUNAHOU

Despite not placing in 4 weight classes, Punahou still managed to defend their team title by 31 points by having 4 state champions.  The team only loses Erin Uehara to graduation, so they will be shooting to defend their title again next season.

Congratulations to Punahou on your championship and to Coach Greg Chow and his staff!

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2010 HHSAA State Judo Championships – Matside Coverage

Attended the 2010 HHSAA State Judo Championships at the Stan Sheriff Center on May 8, 2010. Coverage includes pictures of selected matches.

Notes/Observations:

It was great to see the number of participants from all the schools and the support for them as well. There were some critics before the start of the season who stated that with the IJF rule changes there would be a big drop in numbers of judoka. From what I saw, judo is alive and well in the islands.

With matches being conducted on six mats simultaneously, it was hectic and impossible to keep track of match details. Therefore, the following coverage includes various pictures of selected matches from non-finals matches (1st round, quarterfinals, semifinals, consolation rounds) with no captions that celebrate the spirit of the State Judo Championships.

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2010 ILH Championships – Matside Coverage

 

Attended the ILH Championships at Punahou on April 24, 2010.  Coverage included pictures and video of championship matches.

Notes/Observations:

Congratulations go out to the Pac-Five Boys and the Punahou Girls on their team championships!  Once again, it is too bad that Pac-Five has to disband as a team at States or they would have to be considered among the Boys favorites along with Moanalua and Roosevelt.

The only championship matches without any media was the Girls 220 where Angela Kim of Pac-Five went unopposed, and the Girls 122 where Tiare Mashima of Kamehameha defeated Julia Afuso of Iolani… the pictures taken were not sufficient.

Pictures were taken of the Boys awards ceremony and they are shown under the appropriate weight classes.  Sorry, but I was unable to take pictures for the Girls side.

The State Championships is on May 8 at the Stan Sheriff Center.

 

98

Erin Uehara (Punahou) vs Lauren Fukuhara (Punahou)

Uehara won by ippon.  The battle of the teammates with Erin pulling out the win.  Erin placed 4th in the state last season and is shooting to take home the title this time in her Senior year. 

108

Brendan Chang (Pac-5) vs Jordon Kondo (Punahou)

Chang won by ippon.  Brendan, a freshman, has been very strong the entire season and with Cassidy Oshiro set now at 114, Brendan has a shot at trying to secure a state title.  Jordon, a freshman, is in his first year of judo.

 

103

Kimmi Lum (Pac-5) vs Kiana Block (Iolani)

Lum won by ippon.

109

Nicole Taniguchi (Punahou) vs Holly Kogachi (Punahou)

Taniguchi won by ippon.  Another battle of the Punahou teammates.  Macy Yonamine from Kamehameha was seen in street clothes and did not compete… not sure of the reason why.

115

Bree Rapoza (Kamehameha) vs Alexandria Carlyle (Iolani)

Rapoza won by ippon.  Bree has been very dominant this season and is looking to take her first state title as a freshman.

129

Chrissy Chow (Punahou) vs Dana Tsuruda (Pac-5)

Chow won by ippon.  Chrissy has been dominant this season and the returning state champion at 115 is aiming to capture another title.

161

Kainalu Matthews (Kamehameha) vs Ethan Sumida (Pac-5)

Matthews won by ippon.  Kainalu has been dominant the entire season.  He is so much taller than his competition that is creates all kinds of problems for them.  Ethan, runner-up last season at 161, was battling back problems today.  There were two times during the match where he slowly got up in pain, but gutted it out and continued.  On the final throw, he was in incredible pain and had to be assisted off the mat.  With 2 weeks off, here’s hoping that Ethan can heal and be at 100% for states.

Anthony Kwon of Pac-5 was on the bracket but did not compete.  Among the top competitors in the state, he has not competed all season due to injury.

 

139

Mindy Chow (Punahou) vs Kayla Mishima (Pac-5)

Chow won by ippon.  Mindy has been dominant this season and the returning state champion at 122 is aiming to capture another title.  Kayla is the sister of former state champion Risha Mishima.

178

Garrett Chan (Iolani) vs Bronson Taketa (Damien)

Chan won by ippon (2 wazari).  Garrett has been very strong this season and after finishing 5th last season at 178, he is looking to secure a state title.  Bronson has been solid all season for a very strong Damien team.

 

154

Kaimana Lundquist (Punahou) vs Kasie Kashimoto (Iolani)

Lundquist won.  Kaimana is the returning state champion at 172.

198

Lukela Los Banos (Pac-5) vs Tyler Mizota (Punahou)

Mizota won by ippon.  An upset for Tyler who is like a bulldog on the mat.  Lukela will be even hungrier heading into states.

 

172

Makana Borden (Kamehameha) vs Tiara Kaye (Punahou)

Kaye won.  An upset for Tiara after Makana was given a hansokumake for a leg grab.  Tiara, a sophomore, has been very tough this season.  Makana placed 4th in the state last season and will not make the same mistake again at states.

275

Abraham Hall (Saint Louis) vs Kaulana Buchanan (Kamehameha)

Buchanan won by ippon.  Kaulana placed 6th in the state last season at 220 and is a fiery and spirited competitor.  Abraham has been solid all season and these two will try to tackle the OIA big boys at states.

114

Cassidy Oshiro (Pac-5) vs Jordan Ng (Punahou)

Ng won by ippon (2 wazari).  Jordan, the returning state champion at 108, is seeking another title.  He has not been denied this season and is coming back down to 114 after defeating David Terao at 121 earlier.  Jordan also beat Cassidy in last season’s state final at 108, and if these two meet up again, Cassidy will be hoping that the third time is the charm.

121

David Terao (Pac-5) vs Ryan Oda (Punahou)

Terao won by ippon.  David, the returning state champion at 114, will be going for another title at 121.  He has been so dominant this season and just seems to be a notch above his competition.  Ryan placed 3rd in the state last season at 114.

132

Korey Higa (Damien) vs Sean Tachibana (Pac-5)

Tachibana won by ippon (2 wazari).  Korey has been strong all season and was with Pac-Five last season, so he and Sean are familiar with one another.  Sean placed 3rd in the state last season at 121 and has been very impressive this season.  If the brackets at states play out as anticipated, Sean could see a highly anticipated matchup and final with Moanalua’s Brady Lafortune.

145

Royce Mori (Damien) vs Jacob Luning-Hoshino (Kamehameha)

Luning-Hoshino won.  Royce has been dominant all season, as has Jacob who was earlier competing at 161.  Jacob placed 4th in the state last season at 145 and is shooting to improve on that placing this season.  Royce will bounce back even stronger.

220

Kyle Tsubota (Pac-5) vs Paihi Pestano (Kamehameha)

Pestano won by yuko.  This is the 3rd time this season these two top judoka have met.  The first time around, Paihi won 2 yuko to 1.  The second time, Kyle won due to a hansokumake (leg grab).  They have big boy Jheryl Makaiau of Kahuku and the OIA waiting for them at states, but there’s a good possibility that it will be round 4 for these two in the finals with everything on the line.

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2010 ILH Inter/JV Championships – Matside Coverage

Attended the ILH Intermediate/JV Championships at Punahou on April 23, 2010.  Coverage included various pics.

Notes/Observations:

This was the first time this season being able to attend an ILH Intermediate/JV tournament.  I only stayed for a partial time but managed to get some pics, but no finals results or team results.  Since I am unfamiliar with the players, give or take a few, these are various pics with no captions.  Based on the turnout seen on the teams, the future of the ILH Varsity looks to be in good hands.

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ILH Duals at Kamehameha – Matside Coverage

Attended the ILH Duals at Kamehameha on April 16, 2010.  Coverage included various pics.

Notes/Observations:

This was the final dual meets of the ILH regular season.  Since I have given coverage to many of the notable players and matches previously, and plan to give specific coverage at the ILH Championships next week, I wanted to use this opportunity to give recognition to all the players, teams, and coaches… or as many as I could.  Therefore, the following coverage is various pics with no captions that celebrate all that is ILH judo.

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ILH Duals at Iolani – Matside Coverage

 
Attended the ILH Duals at Iolani on April 9, 2010.  Coverage included pics and video of selected matches.

Notes/Observations:

I didn’t get a chance to stay for the entire time and after missing the first two team scores, I gave up on keeping track of the other scores.  The one notable dual that I did keep track of was Pac-5 vs. Punahou (Boys).  Pac-5 won the dual 65-27 and this was without Cassidy Oshiro.  They have a very strong team this season and it is too bad that they separate at States or else Pac-5 would have to be one of the favorites along with Moanalua to win the team title.

The weights were not given on the scoreboards, so the weights for the matches covered are a best guess.  Note: the home team player is listed first.

220

Paihi Pestano (Kamehameha) vs Lance Asuka (Punahou)

Pestano won.  Paihi bounces back from his loss last week against Saint Louis.  Lance moved up from 198 for this dual possibly to make room for Tyler Mizota at 198.

103

Kiana Block (Iolani) vs Erin Uyehara (Punahou)

Uyehara won by ippon.  Erin placed 4th in the state last season at 98.

121

Ryan Chang (Iolani) vs Richmond Wong (Damien)

Wong won.  Richmond placed 6th in the state last season at 114.

145

Ola Aoki (Kamehameha) vs Matt Kanno (Punahou)

Kanno won.  Matt placed 4th in the state last season at 161.

220

Makana Borden (Kamehameha) vs Angela Kim (Pac-5)

Borden won.  Angela placed 5th in the state last season at 220.  Makana placed 4th in the state last season at 172.

178

Garrett Chan (Iolani) vs Christian Constantino (Saint Louis)

Chan won.  Garrett placed 5th in the state last season at 178 and is also coming off a 3rd place state finish in wrestling at 171.

178

Kamehameha (sorry no name) vs LJ Remillard (Punahou)

Remillard won by ippon.  LJ is coming back from a broken hand suffered in states for wrestling.  If anyone can provide the name of the Kamehameha player, it would be appreciated.

178

Garrett Chan (Iolani) vs Bronzon Takeda (Damien)

Chan won.  Bronzon is a big part of a very strong Damien team this season.

139

Kasie Kashimoto (Iolani) vs Mindy Chow (Punahou)

Chow won by ippon.

220

Lance Asuka (Punahou) vs Kyle Tsubota (Pac-5)

Tsubota won by ippon.  Kyle bounces back from his loss to Pestano last week.  After rolling through the competition, Lance had a tough night moving up and losing to Paihi and Kyle.

132

Evan Uyehara (Punahou) vs Sean Tachibana (Pac-5)

Tachibana won by ippon.  Sean continues to look very tough and came through with a big win against Evan who dropped weight from 145.

121

Jordan Ng (Punahou) vs David Terao (Pac-5)

Ng won.  A highly anticipated match that lived up to its billing.  Jordan is a returning state champion at 108 and David is a returning state champion at 114.  This was Jordan’s first matches of the season as he has been recovering from wrestling injuries.  Jordan won by 2 yuko which were both brought on by stalling calls. If both players stay in this weight class, this could be a preview of the state finals.

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Contributors needed

Please help us grow! If you’re a wrestling fan, we need your contributions. Register for the site and let me know if you’d like to post results, pictures, or video links to Matside Hawaii. Contributions can be anonymous, though I will ask that you adhere to our guidelines (…which will be posted as soon as I write them ). And no need to be self-conscious — if you went to a dual meet and enjoyed the competition, tell us about it. If you took pictures or video, even better. We just want to get the word out about all the hard work and great talent that’s out there. If people are more familiar with the teams and wrestlers, they’re more likely to come to the matches, which in turn makes the meets and tournaments that much more exciting for the fans and competitors alike.

Also, if you’re affiliated with a club or dojo, please let us know your contact information. People are always asking where to send their kids to learn wrestling or judo and as I get the information, I will create a reference section on this site.

Let us know what you think!

Building a community

Welcome to Matside Hawaii! If you’re a fan of wrestling (or grappling or judo), you’re probably as frustrated as I am with the lack of coverage our sport(s) get in the local media. To be honest, I can’t blame the papers or the TV stations – the news business is a tough one to be in right now and I can understand that there are simply not enough resources to cater to everyone’s interest. And that’s why I’m starting Matside Hawaii.

Having been involved in wrestling and judo in Hawaii for most of my life, I know there is a large and passionate community out there who love the sport. I hope that Matside Hawaii can become the information resource for our community.

So how’s this going to work? To be honest, I’m making this up as I go, but think of this as an experiment in community journalism. I hope I can recruit a few passionate people out there who are willing to contribute reports (anonymously or otherwise), so we can keep our community up to date on news, results, events, etc. I will be gathering news and administering the web site, but because of my responsibilities with the Punahou wrestling program, I need to rely on the rest of you in the community to help collect results, photos, analysis, etc. From reading some of the local message boards, it looks like there’s a number of you out there who follow the wrestling scene closely and I’m hoping you might be willing to share your observations here, as well.

The web platform I’ve chosen should be able to grow and evolve as our community needs. It’s much richer than a simple forum, though adding a forum is something we can do if that’s what people want. Initially the layout will be fairly basic, but as we get more content and more diverse contributions, we can expand appropriately.

So, let me know what you think. Comment below or send me email and let me know how together, we can help promote our sport and create a richer, more vibrant community for our athletes.

Mahalo,

Jimmy Takatsuka