Advertiser Staff
League wrestling championships will be held today and tomorrow as four leagues determine their entries to next weekend’s state tournament at Blaisdell Arena.
On O‘ahu, the six-team private-school Interscholastic League of Honolulu will conduct its first official girls championships and its boys junior varsity championships today at Kamehameha’s Keku-haupi‘o Gym, starting at 5 p.m., with finals expected to begin around 8.
The ILH boys varsity championships, featuring last year’s two top teams in the state — ‘Iolani and St. Louis — will start at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Kekuhaupi‘o. The finals will probably start around 4:30 p.m.
The 23 public schools O‘ahu Interscholastic Association will start its boys and girls varsity tournaments at 1 p.m. today on multiple mats at Leilehua High. Officials hope to get through quarterfinals today and resume with semifinals at 1 p.m. tomorrow. Target time for finals for girls and boys is 5 p.m.
Big Island and Maui tournaments also are scheduled this weekend.
In a unique format in Hawai‘i, the ILH combines its dual-meet season, dual-meet tournament and championship tournament to determine one season champion. Entering tomorrow’s showdown, St. Louis has the inside track on its first league title since 1987.
The Crusaders, state runners-up to ‘Iolani last year, hold an 18-point lead over ‘Iolani, 66 to 48. They earned 36 points for six dual meet victories in seven matches (6 per win) and another 30 for winning the dual meet tournament.
But ‘Iolani, Kamehameha or Punahou could wrest the title from St. Louis with its best performance in the league tournament, where depth counts more than in dual meets. Each individual champion earns 14 points for his or her team and bonus points are awarded for falls, technical falls and superior decisions.
If Travis Lee of St. Louis wins his fourth consecutive league title tomorrow, he will join an elite group. Long-time ‘Iolani coach and league coordinator Carl Schroers can recall only four previous four-time champions: Kale Flagg (‘Iolani 1982-85), Patrick Higa (‘Iolani 1983-86), Kevin Bellefeuille (St. Louis 1986-89) and Gerald Welch (St. Louis 1987-2000).
The three teams that won the last five championships are the chief contenders again in OIA boys — defending champ Kahuku, McKinley (1996, ’97 and ’99) and Moanalua (’98). Kahuku won the dual meet and Eastern division titles and McKinley has lost only to Kahuku.
In the girls meet, Castle is expected to challenge two-time state champion Moanalua. The Knights beat the Menehune in the Eastern Division championship tournament. Kahuku is defending champion.
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