WAIMEA — Casey Bernabe, a wrestler from Kapa’a High, said he felt funny not wrestling with anyone on Saturday at the Kaua’i Interscholastic Federation Wrestling Championships being held at Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea.
“I don’t have anyone to fight with,” Bernabe said. “All I have to do is get dressed and wait for them to raise their hand?” I can move on to the state tournament.
Bernabe, who appeared in all games leading up to Saturday’s championships, joined the rest of the women’s field in qualifying for the state tournament.
“But we are going to have exhibition matches to fill the time,” said one of the officials. “There are only six matches that will advance the winners.”
After the dust settled on the proceedings, Waimea High was declared the girls’ division champion with 30 points, followed by Kaua’i High with 20 points and Kapa’a High with 10 points.
On the boys’ side, Kaua’i High was declared champion with 78 points, followed by Waimea with 64 points and Kapa’a with 40 points.
“It’s early,” Kapa’a High School athletic director Greg Gonsalves said. “They moved the date for the state fight back a week. Otherwise, the KIF championships would take place next Saturday. Instead, we’ll have the double encounter where everyone is paired up and can wrestle.
The meet will be at Kaua’i High on Saturday starting at 10 a.m.
The Texaco Hawai’i High School Athletic Association Wrestling Championships will be held March 4-5 at the Neal Blaisdell Arena in O’ahu.
State qualifiers
Girls
• 99 pounds: Tristin Asuncion (Kau)
• 104 pounds: Kayleigh Martinez (Wai)
• 109 pounds: Mary Joy Angala (Wai)
• 114 pounds: Casey Bernabe (Kap)
• 147 pounds: Meleana Rita (Kau)
• 157 pounds: Skyelynn Ripley (Wai)
Boys
• 108 pounds: Thomas Ramos (Kau)
• 122 pounds: Jayden Manibog (Kau), Orien Hodges (Kap)
• 134 pounds: DeAndrei Gonzales (Wai)
• 140 pounds: Connor Raybuck (Kap)
• 147 books: Free Kayden (Wai), Kelan Keohokapu (Kap)
• 154 pounds: Jayred Tumbaga (Wai)
• 162 pounds: Ka-Lei Butac Sagucio (Kau), Shawn Parraga (Wai)
• 172 pounds: Nathan Marovish (Kap), Ephraim Salud (Kau)
• 197 pounds: Nakoa Lovell Obatake (Kau)
• 222 pounds: Walker Turpin (Kau), Eldon Simpliciano-Siliad (Wai)
