Posted on: Friday, April 30, 2004
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ATHLETES
Gymnasts qualify for national event
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Advertiser Staff
Pearl City High School's Jon Wakida, 17, is making the most of his final fling in gymnastics.
Wakida, who will join the Army Reserves and give up gymnastics after this year, was one of three gymnasts from Hawai'i to qualify for the Junior Olympic National Championships during a meet in Phoenix in early April.
Wakida qualified in Class I (ages 16-18), considered the highest level before elite in men's gymnastics.
Qualifying in Class III (ages 13-14) were Ryan Saragoza, 14, of Punahou School, and 'Aiea High's Geremy Campos, 14, who finished 32nd nationally in the vault last year.
More than 600 competitors from California, Arizona and Hawai'i were at the qualifying meet.
The national championships will be held May 5-10 in San Diego.
Wakida is considered a rarity in Hawai'i, a gymnast who continued the sport throughout high school.
"He's actually my first graduating senior," said Kokokahi gym coach Kalani Pa, who has been coaching gymnastics for 23 years. "Hawai'i hasn't had a male graduating senior in gymnastics in about 10 years."
"It's rare in Hawai'i; it's not too rare (on the Mainland)," said Wakida, who practices four hours a day, five days a week. "I'm the only one right now and have been the only one for a while."
Wakida, who is 5 feet 3 and 160 pounds, said he got into gymnastics about 10 years ago.
"My mom just signed me up," he said. "I was in soccer before that and she wanted me to try different things and I kind of stayed in.
"Actually, I've always liked doing gymnastics. It's always been fun for me."
Wakida said there hasn't been "too much" peer pressure to abandon the sport.
"Back in intermediate, people asked what sport I was in. When I told them gymnastics, they asked if that was a girl sport.
"If you get up and try to do the stuff that I do, it's hard, physically hard. In high school, they stopped asking. Right now, not many people know I'm a gymnast."
Class IV—Jeremy Eliazar, 10, 10th in rings, 17th in all-around. Kris Welch, 12, 1st in floor, 5th high bar, 4th on parallel bars
Class V—Michael Yee, 12, 10th on high bars. Joshua Yee, 11, 4th parallel bars, 9th high bars; 13th on parallel bars. J.J. Staudenmeier, 11, top 20 in floor, top 20 in vault.
