Alan Ikehara captured judo gold at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association championships Saturday night in Honolulu, leading a strong charge for Waiakea, which placed second.
Alan Ikehara captured judo gold at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association championships Saturday night in Honolulu, leading a strong charge for Waiakea, which placed second.
A pair of fellow Big Island Interscholastic Federation champions, Keaau’s Zephaniah Pavao and Waiakea’s Skye Matsuura, also claimed their first state crowns. Each won four straight matches.
In the 161-pound final at Blaisdell Center, Ikehara defeated Pearl City’s Sam Joe by ippon at 2:03. Ikehara, a senior, finished third in the state wrestling championships in early March.
The Warriors placed judoka in the top six in six of 10 divisions and challenged Kapolei for the top spot, but the Hurricanes held on 57-54.
Waiakea’s Kayed Rodrigues reached the 198 final before falling to Moanaloa’s Zorich Palimo’o via yuko. Rodrigues, a senior, also was runner-up at the state wresting meet.
At 285, Pavao added to his medal collection by defeating Kalani’s James Lawhn by ippon at 1:11. Pavao, a senior, is a three-time BIIF champion and improved on his six-place state finish in 2013.
Matsuura was a runner-up last year at states as a junior. She went one step further Saturday, besting Pearl City’s Netanya King by ippon at 3:54 to claim the 129 division.
The only BIIF bronze medalist on either side was Waiakea’s Dayton Towata (132). Other Warriors boys scoring points were Kellen Goya (fourth, 121), Adam Onishi (fifth, 108) and Akeno Masutani (fifth, 145).
Hilo’s Austin Nakamura took fifth at 178, while Keaau’s Haahea Chan was fifth at 198.
In the girls competition, Waiakea outscored BIIF team champion Hilo 19-17 to place ninth. The Vikings’ Shaylyn Arakaki (98) finished fourth, Keaau’s Ebony Ayers (220) came in fifth and Waiakea’s Kealani Bergfeld (172) and the Vikings’ Alexia Harrell (154) were sixth.
Pearl City claimed its third consecutive girls team title with the highest point total (112) in the 13 years the event been held.
The star of the day was Mid-Pacific’s Josh Terao, who made history by becoming the first four-time champion HHSAA champion in judo and wrestling.