By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
Brad Waiki and Kyle Sugi grew up playing baseball, and after their days on the diamond were over they found something just as challenging as hitting a curveball.
Waiki, a 2011 Hilo graduate, and Sugi, a 2011 Konawaena graduate, got into weight lifting and both are big hits at their new sport.
Once Big Island Interscholastic Federation baseball rivals, they’re now teammates and training partners, and push each other at Spencer’s Gym, where Waiki works part-time.
In a nice twist, both were on the All-BIIF first team in their senior seasons, Waiki at third base and Sugi at shortstop.
Besides baseball, Waiki was also a four-year bowler for the Vikings and captured the BIIF individual title.
They qualified for the World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters World Championships, which were held in November in Las Vegas, and fared well in their first major competition.
Sugi placed first in the Junior men’s 198-pound weight class with a 645-pound dead lift, and received an award for Most Improved Lifter in the Junior men’s division and his weight class.
Waiki finished second in the Junior men’s 275-pound weight class with a 630-pound dead lift.
In February, they won their weight divisions at the Sonny’s Throwdown Power Lifting meet at Edith Kanakaole Stadium.
From there, Waiki and Sugi entered the World Qualifying meet of Benchers and Deadlifters in July on Oahu, and qualified for the World Championships.
The late Sonny Ronolo was a Dead Lifter who held state and world records. His daughter, Jocelyn Ronolo, carries her father’s legacy and is a staunch supporter for the state’s lifters.
In that regard, Sonny’s first ever Hawaii Island sanctioned Push-Pull Championships will be held Feb. 15 at Edith Kanakaole Stadium.
Entry forms are available at wabdl.org.
Soccer
Robert Connors, a 2012 Honokaa graduate, didn’t play in Colorado Mesa’s 2-0 loss to No. 1 University of Charleston in the NCAA Division II Tournament semifinals on Thursday at Frazier Stadium in Louisville.
Connors, a sophomore midfielder, got into only six games for the Mavericks (18-4-1). However, he may have a shot at more playing next year because the lineup loses two senior midfielders.
Wrestling
Honokaa will host a junior varsity wrestling tournament at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Honokaa Gym.
The BIIF season opener will be held Jan. 3 at Kamehameha’s Koaia Gym.
Football
Kamehameha senior Preston Kalai was invited to represent Hawaii in the AIGA Foundations Polynesian All-American Bowl Game, which will be held in January in California.
Kalai was part of a Kamehameha squad that competed in a 7 on 7 tournament hosted by AIGA Foundation. The defensive back stood out and was chosen to represent Hawaii in the inaugural bowl in January.
He’ll play in the Hawaii Football Club’s Life Champions Senior Bowl at 7 p.m. Saturday at Paiea Stadium.
The game will be streamed live on scoringlive.com and watched by over 200 colleges from NCAA Division I, I-AA, II, III, NAIA and junior colleges.
Tickets are available at piaahawaii.com; $8 for adults, high school students; $10 at gate, $3 for youth (eight grader and below), $5 for seniors 60 and older. For more information, call 756-3837.
