Riveting competition expected in girls tourney

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Moanalua's Caylene Valdez, right, practices with teammate Tyzele Ortego. Valdez will seek her fourth title. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser DATA HOUSE STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS WHEN: Tomorrow — Qualifying, preliminary, quarterfinals and consolation rounds 1 and 2 beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday — Semifinal and consolation rounds 3 and 4 at 11 a.m. Girls finals and consolation finals at 5 p.m. Boys finals and consolation finals at 7 p.m. WHERE: Blaisdell Arena ADMISSION: Adults $7.50, students (K-12) $5.50. PARKING: $3 TV/RADIO: None

But that does not mean this weekend's state tournament at Blaisdell Arena, starting tomorrow, will be any less exciting. Not with Moanalua's Caylene Valdez trying to become the first Hawai'i female to win four state titles, and not with outstanding competition expected at 103, 108, 114, 121 and 130 pounds, among other weight classes.

"I don't know if we'll ever have five three-time state champions in one tournament again," Moanalua coach Joel Kawachi said. "But this one still should be as competitive as ever, because all of the seeded wrestlers are all very good. And we've got some girls who are nationals-quality."

It starts with Valdez, who won three state crowns at 108 but is moving up to 114 as the No. 1 seed. She is joined there by defending champ Debbi Sakai of Mililani, along with three-time Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion and No. 2 seed Jaynee Kim of Punahou and challenger Tamitha Hufana of Farrington.

"They're all excellent wrestlers, and I give all those girls credit because people don't wanna wrestle in that division," Kawachi said. "It's very tough."

Another tough weight class is 103, where Roosevelt's Sadie Kaneda is the No. 1 seed but will be challenged by No. 2 seed Naomi Karlen of Punahou and two unseeded wrestlers, Kahuku's Nicole Fonda and Leilehua's Bernadette Javier.

Karlen won two ILH titles and was state runner-up at 98 pounds last year before moving up to 103 and going undefeated en route to another ILH crown this season.

Kawachi said Fonda has been "improving every week."

Another weight class to watch is 130, where Kamehameha's Jazmine Cockett is the unbeaten No. 1 seed but faces tough challenges for the championship. Cockett, the 2002 state runner-up, held off Punahou's Lauren Primiano, 7-5, for the ILH title and was taken to overtime by Kealakehe's Jasmine Norman, the No. 2 seed.

Kahuku sophomore Ashlee Estioko, the No. 3 seed, provides another obstacle. She won the consolation title last year.

"That class is phenomenal," Kawachi said.

Another bountiful class is 121, which traditionally has the most participation during the season. No. 1 seed Leilani Relator of Kahuku won the O'ahu Interscholastic Association title by defeating defending state champ Danyelle Hedin of Kailua.

Kamehameha's Naleish Pelekai-Wai, the No. 3 seed, had an interesting road to the ILH title, losing in a team wrestle-off at 114 and then moving up and avenging two losses to the No. 1 seed to win the championship.

Yet another interesting showdown could develop at 108, where No. 1 seed Elizabeth "Kapua" Torres of Kahuku and No. 2 seed Mauri Terao of Punahou both went undefeated in the regular season. Torres, last year's state runner-up at 114, is 30-0 with 29 pins.

At 220, McKinley's Tania Liufau pinned all three of her opponents in the first period en route to the OIA tournament championship.

As for the team title, Kawachi said defending state champ Kahuku is "the clear favorite." The Red Raiders displaced three-time champion Moanalua last year with one individual title and four runners-up, plus a third-place, fourth-place and consolation titlist.

Kawachi said Kahuku's cupboard was not left bare.

"They're stacked, with eight girls who all could be in the semifinals," he said. "I think it's theirs to lose."

GIRLS SEEDS

98 pounds

1. Venus Bravo, Moanalua
2. Kira Tamashiro, Iolani
3. Mitra Heffron, Moanalua
4. Shaeylene Kamaka'ala, Kamehameha

103 pounds

1. Sadie Kaneda, Roosevelt
2. Naomi Karlen, Punahou
3. Grace Uyeda, Hilo
4. Jolene Oshiro, Iolani

108 pounds

1. Elizabeth Torres, Kahuku
2. Mauri Terao, Punahou
3. Cheryl Manglaylay, Lahainaluna
4. Aubrey Kalawe, Hilo

114 pounds

1. Catlene Valdez, Moanalua
2. Jaynee Kim, Punahou
3. Ynez Tongson, St. Anthony
4. Brandee Toyama, Iolani

121 pounds

1. Leilani Relator, Kahuku
2. Candace Coratibo, Baldwin
3. Naleish Pelekai-Wai, Kamehameha
4. Krislyn Mostales, Waiakea

130 pounds

1. Jazmine Cockett, Kamehameha
2. Jasmine Norman, Kealakehe
3. Ashlee Estioko, Kahuku
4. Leilani Visesio, Maui

140 pounds

1. Kehau Kamauoha, Kahuku
2. Robyn Mizuno, Punahou
3. Clisha Visesio, Maui
4. Shana Simons, Waiakea

155 pounds

1. Selena Perez, Baldwin
2. Ku'uini Johnson, Radford
3. Mailei Nitta, Kamehameha
4. Keisha Siliga, Hilo

175 pounds

1. Leolani Corpuz, Baldwin
2. Tilana Kawa'a, Kamehameha
3. Laosamoa Misa-Uli, Farrington
4. Ashley Truchan, Hilo

220 pounds

1. Tania Liufau, McKinley
2. Ryann Tsukiyama, Kamehameha
3. Merita Lavea, Leilehua
4. Edna Talo, Kapolei

Correction: Kealakehe's Jasmine Norman's name was misspelled in a previous version of this story and seed list.