Growth boosts girls wrestling
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
Now in its fourth official year, the state high school girls wrestling tournament appears to have come of age.
Advertiser library photo
Eight of last year's 10 champions are back, including five who are two-time defending champions. But none of this year's titles are locks, since several of the returning champions have either moved up a weight class or been upset in league finals.
Ashley Gaspar of Nanakuli won the state title at 155 pounds last year. This year she is competing at 175 pounds.
And the team championship, won by Moanalua the past three years, also looks to be up for grabs. For a young tournament with a short history, this one could provide several story lines.
"There are a lot of interesting pairings," Moanalua coach Joel Kawachi said. "Some wrestlers who were No. 1 or 2 in their weight class a year ago might now be 4 or 5."
The five two-time defending champions are McKinley's Melissa Orden (103 lbs.), Moanalua's Caylene Valdez (108) and Stephany Lee (155), Nanakuli's Ashley Gaspar (175) and Kamehameha's Iwalani Fonoimoana (220).
Castle's Tanya Miyasaki (103), Pearl City's Dara Ching (130) and Moanalua's Gabrielle Nicholas (175) also won state titles last year.
Miyasaki and Nicholas, however, will enter the tournament unseeded. Miyasaki won last year's championship at 98 pounds, but moved up to 103 this season and lost to Orden in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association finals.
The 103 division promises to be one of the more competitive this weekend.
"The top five in that weight class were all place winners last year," Kawachi said. "That's pretty remarkable."
Gaspar won the 155-pound title last year, moved up to 175 this season and beat Nicholas for the OIA crown.
Some of the other weight classes also offer intriguing matchups. Valdez, a two-time champ, is not safe at 108. She won the OIA title with an 11-8 victory over Kahuku's Shanel Vivas.
At 114, OIA champion Debbi Sakai of Mililani is the No. 1 seed, but only after winning a close 13-9 match with Kahuku's Elizabeth Torres in the OIA finals.
At 130, defending champion Ching could face a challenge from Mid-Pacific's Jennifer Miyahara, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion.
Moanalua's Shani Alvarado was the 130-pound state champion two years ago, but moved up to 140 last year and lost to Lee. Alvarado now is seeded No. 1 at 140 and could face Kaiser's Anna Tong in the finals. The two met in last year's semifinals.
And at 220, two-time champion Fonoimoana could face a strong challenge from Leilehua's Matalaloa Tuitele.
Several teams, Kawachi said, could vie for the overall title.
"Kahuku has eight wrestlers, and all eight have a shot at placing," Kawachi said. "They would have to be the favorite. But Kamehameha is also strong, and Castle and Punahou could be right there."
As for his team, Kawachi said the Menehune have some injuries that may hamper their chances.
"But we're luckier than most teams, because we have backups," Kawachi said. "For most teams, if someone is injured, there's no one else. We have 20 girls on our team, which is pretty good for a girls sport."
Girls wrestling seems to be doing well as a sport, at least at the state tournament level. This year's tournament features 142 wrestlers, compared to 86 in 1998's pilot year.
The tournament had 126 wrestlers in 1999, 132 in 2000 and 142 last year.
