Big Island grappler finds way to mat
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
It looked like Jasmine Norman's greatest passion was going to be taken away in her last year of high school.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
Norman, a senior at Kealakehe High on the Big Island, was going to be effectively denied her wrestling season.
Jasmine Norman, top left and below, is the No. 2 seed in the 130-pound weight class at the state tournament. Jazmine Cockett, top right, is the top seed at 130 pounds.
Norman has made it to the state tournament the past three years mainly wrestling against boys. There are a relative handful of girl wrestlers on the Big Island and none of them want to wrestle against Norman.
This season, Big Island Interscholastic Federation athletic directors voted that girls could no longer wrestle against boys. That left Norman with one opponent in her 130-pound weight class — one or two matches all season to prepare for the state tournament.
Until the Interscholastic League of Honolulu came to the rescue.
Pac-Five girls coach Keith Matsumoto arranged an invitation for Norman to come to O'ahu and wrestle ILH girls.
She flew from Kona twice with her father, Mark, and made such an impression that yesterday she was seeded second in this weekend's state championships.
Why such a passion for wrestling? She also excels at soccer and running.
"It challenges me," Norman said. "Wrestling is the only sport that pushes every aspect — physical coordination, endurance, muscular strength, mindset.
"I've never done anything so invigorating. I just love it."
She developed a lot of those qualities working on her dad's coffee farm in Holualoa — body-slamming 100-pound coffee bags.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
She was so intimidating in her freshman year at Kealakehe — the new school in Kailua, Kona — that boys on the wrestling team called her "She-Man."
Jasmine Norman, bottom, had to default against Jazmine Cockett, top.
So she body slammed them.
Norman is seeded second to Jazmine Cockett, Kamehameha's undefeated 130-pounder.
They wrestled at Kekuhaupi'o Gym on Feb. 22, and Norman was leading with seconds to go before Cockett forced the match into overtime.
After the first overtime ended still 3-3, Norman was on the verge of losing her breakfast and had to default.
What did you learn here today?, she was asked. "Don't eat pancakes before you wrestle," she answered.
QUICK PINS: Jasmine Norman won her third straight BIIF championship Saturday night on a first-round pin against the only other 130-pound entrant. . . . Wrestling, working at a book store, volunteering at a home for the elderly, helping clean highways and coaching an under-10 soccer team has not hindered Norman academically. She got a 4.75 grade point average (out of 5) taking advanced placement courses last fall, and has a cumulative GPA of 3.97 out of 4. . . . She placed sixth in last year's state wrestling championships. . . This weekend's tournament will be held at Blaisdell Arena Friday and Saturday . . . Kamehameha coach Mike Tanimoto has invited Norman to train with Cockett after states for the U.S. Girls Wrestling Association national championships on March 29 and Moanalua coach Joel Kawachi invited her to travel to the nationals at Lake Orion, Mich., with his team.
