Boys state wrestling to be tightly contested

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

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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

The state tourney, which gets under way tomorrow at Blaisdell Arena, features six returning champions in Iolani's Brent Kakesako and Jared Wakayama, Saint Louis' Jonathan Spiker and Ben Wilmore, McKinley's Rene Suehiro and Mid-Pacific's Riley Schmidtke. But only Spiker, who is seeking a record fourth state title, and Suehiro are heavily favored to repeat.

Wilmore was a champion at 112 last year and is seeded No. 1 at 130 despite jumping three divisions. McKinley's Emile Suehiro, the No. 2 seed and a three-time O'ahu Interscholastic Association champion, was the state runner-up at 125 last year. Pahoa's Joe Duley, the Big Island Interscholastic Federation champ and No. 3 seed, is another strong contender and unseeded Jon Fisher of Hilo could emerge from the qualifying round to challenge Dustin Smith, the No. 4 seed and Maui Interscholastic League champion from Lahainaluna.

And also looming is Kakesako, who was last year's champion at 125. He and Wilmore have had several tough battles during the season, but they will have a rough road just getting to a rematch in the finals.

"That's a mean semifinals, right there," said Saint Louis coach Todd Los Baños of the 130s.

The same could be said of the competition at 112. Waiakea's Mikail Higa is the undefeated No. 1 seed, but No. 3 seed Brandon Low of Saint Louis took him to overtime and No. 2 seed Blain Ling of Kaiser won the OIA title in an upset.

There also are strong challengers among the unseeded wrestlers. Kamehameha's Sam Apuna placed at 103 in last year's state tournament, and he has defeated No. 4 seed Bailey Ball of Lahainaluna, the MIL champion.

Freshman Daniel Morita of Kahuku has shown the potential for a title run, and Roosevelt's Scott Sasaki finished fourth at 119 last year.

"Mikail has gotta look out," Los Ba–os said. "That's a tough division."

The 125 class is another one with the potential for upsets. No. 1 seed Nic Galloway of Waiakea was in the same position last year at 119, only to lose 6-4 in the finals. The guy who upset him, Wakayama, was himself upset by Punahou's Riley Kitamura in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu finals.

Kamehameha's Patrick Stachel, seeded No. 1 at 189, upset Schmidtke in the ILH finals.

In the team race, ILH champion Iolani has depth with 13 wrestlers, but Kamehameha has three No. 1 seeds and Kahuku also has depth with wrestlers in all 14 divisions. Saint Louis is the two-time defending champion.

BOYS SEEDS

103 pounds

1. Bricen Yakabe, Kaiser
2. Aaron Ishikawa, Iolani
3. Kane Medeiros, Hana
4. Tyson Yamashita, Waiakea

112 pounds

1. Mikail Higa, Waiakea
2. Blain Ling, Kaiser
3. Brandon Low, Saint Louis
4. Bailey Ball, Lahainaluna

119 pounds

1. Lawrence Thain, McKinley
2. Kodi Shepley, Baldwin
3. Aaron Fernandez, Kamehameha
4. Travis Tsuda, Kealakehe

125 pounds

1. Nichola Galloway, Waiakea
2. Riley Kitamura, Punahou
3. Shawn Tsutsumi, Castle
4. Lindsey Baybayan, Lahainaluna

130 pounds

1. Ben Wilmore, Saint Louis
2. Emil Suehiro, McKinley
3. Joe Duley, Pahoa
4. Dustin Smith, Lahainaluna

135 pounds

1. Owen Yonehara, Iolani
2. Desmond Thain, McKinley
3. Cory Palmeira, King Kekaulike
4. Davies Wakefield, Hawai'i Prep

140 pounds

1. Rene Suehiro, McKinley
2. Johansen Quist, Hilo
3. Jeremy Ontai, Punahou
4. Raymond Aoki, Lahainaluna

145 pounds

1. Kevin Takasaki, Punahou
2. Waylen Mata-Eseri, Farrington
3. Nahe Matsuoka, Konawaena
4. Edmund Oliveira, Hana

152 pounds

1. Jonathan Spiker, Saint Louis
2. Ray-lan Transfiguration, Konawaena
3. Joel Bareng, Moanalua
4. Ryan Tuzon, Baldwin

160 pounds

1. Mike Wheeler, King Kekaulike
2. Collin Mansanas, Castle
3. Martin Kaslausky, Kamehameha
4. Perry Kawika, Kealakehe

171 pounds

1. Judd Vincent, Kamehameha
2. C.J. Elizares, King Kekaulike
3. Lokahi Aipia, Kahuku
4. Stone Uluawe, Kealakehe

189 pounds

1. Patrick Stachel, Kamehameha
2. Jody Kristofferson, Hana
3. Mikio Nagasako, Moanalua
4. Dylan Rush, Konawaena

215 pounds

1. Noah Amba, Kamehameha
2. Noah Palmerton, Moanalua
3. Micah Stevens, Hawai'i Prep
4. Arona Ale, Maui

275 pounds

1. Rory Jones, Leilehua
2. Frank Fernandez, Saint Louis
3. Osai Aso, Lahainaluna
4. Blake Mokiao, Hilo