Eight on All-America wrestling team
Advertiser Staff
Eight of the 55 seniors selected on Wrestling USA magazine's High School Girls All-America team are from Hawai'i.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
California led selections with 18. Michigan followed Hawai'i with five.
Hawai'i's High School All-America wrestlers, top left, Shani Alvarado, Mellisa Orden, Melissa Fukushima, Stephany Lee; bottom left, Tanya Miyasaki, Shanel Vivas, Jennifer Miyahira.
The Hawai'i All-Americans are:
• Shani Alvarado, Moanalua —Won the 138-pound gold medal on a pin at the U.S. Girls Wrestling Association National Championships on March 24. Won state high-school championship two of the last three seasons. Will wrestle at Menlo College (Calif.).
• Melissa Fukushima, Punahou — Won the 114-pound gold medal at the USGWA this year and was second in 2001. Deciding on college between Syracuse and Illinois, which do not have women's wrestling teams.
• Stephany Lee, Moanalua — Won USGWA 152-pound gold medal in her first national tournament. Won three state high-school championships. Had surgery this month to fix a torn right rotator cuff and will attend a local community college.
• Jennifer Miyahira, Pac-Five (Mid-Pacific) — Finished second in the 126-pound division of the USGWA. Won state high-school championship this year. Will wrestle at Pacific. (Ore.).
• Tanya Miyasaki, Castle — Finished eighth at 105 pounds at USGWA Nationals. 2001 state high-school champion. Will wrestle at Menlo (Calif.).
• Melissa Orden, McKinley — Placed fifth at 105 pounds at USGWA. Three-time state high-school champion. Will attend a local community college.
• Anna Tong, Kaiser — Was 144-pound USGWA runner-up past two years. Runner-up to Alvarado in state championship. Ranked No. 1 all season by USGWA at 138. Will wrestle at Menlo (Calif.).
• Shanel Vivas, Kahuku — Took fifth place at 105 pounds at USGWA nationals. Runner-up to three-time state champion Caylene Valdez, a junior, in state championship. Will attend the University of Hawai'i and pursue her other sport, cheerleading.
The girls qualified for the team by placing eighth or higher at the U.S. Girls Wrestling Association national championships in their senior year or ninth-through-12th in their senior year with eighth-or-higher finishes in a previous year.
Kent Bailo, director of the USGWA, and the Wrestling USA magazine staff made the selections.
