There is nothing unofficial about it: Keaau High’s Ebony Ayers is among the favorites to grab state wrestling gold this season.
The senior stamped herself as a top contender last Saturday on Oahu by claiming the 225-pound division at Officials at Leilehua. Hawaii’s biggest preseason tournament will be used for seeding purposes at the HHSAA championships in February.
“You’re going to see about 98 percent of the best wrestlers in the state,” Cougars head coach Keith Fernandez said. “What we have to worry about (now) is the 2 percent.”
Ayers will spend the BIIF season — she’s the defending champion at 225 — trying to pick away at her weaknesses. The process of refinement and accepting criticism is one of Ayers’ strengths, Fernandez said.
At the 2015 HHSAA championships, Ayers finished fifth after getting pinned by Kahuku’s Sabrina Alo in the quarterfinals. At Officials, Ayers avenged that loss in the final, tapping out the top seed.
“I’m not surprised because she’s a really good athlete and very coachable,” Fernandez said. “Her attitude is always open.
“With a lot of wrestlers, pride steps in the way and they don’t want to look vulnerable. Ebony works past it.”
He’s in his first year overseeing the entire program after previously being in charge of the girls.
“The focus in our wrestling room has been defense,” he said. “If the other wrestler can’t score, they can’t win.”
Ayers, however, went on the offensive at Officials and none of her matches went the distance. Despite being undersized, her first three victories came via pins. Ayers is training to compete at 184 this season, in part, to help the Keaau girls fill all the weight classes and make a run at the BIIF team title.
Kamehameha-Kapalama’s Leilani Camargo Naone won the 184 title at Officials after finishing third in the state in the division last season.
“(Ebony’s) structure and base are strong for 184, and it’s one of the reasons we thought she’d do good at 225,” Fernandez said. “Her ego says that she wants to show she can win the state title, but she also realizes she can help the team (at 184).”
She started the competition last Friday by needing just 33 seconds to beat Damien’s Frances Nosis. In the quarterfinals, she defeated Waianae’s Mildred Keopuhiwa, the second seed, at the 1:04 mark, and in Saturday’s semifinals Ayers pinned Baldwin’s Tristen Borden at 4:04. Borden, the third seed, finished third.
In the 168 division, Keaau junior Ivory Ayers, Ebony’s younger sister, took fifth place, one spot below where she finished at states last season.
“Ebony has gotten back up to speed a little faster,” Fernandez said.
The only other BIIF wrestler to medal was Hilo’s Marissa Guerra, who took third at 122. Guerra won her first match before being pinned by Waianae’s Tehani Carlson, the top seed and eventual champion.
Guerra, coming off a third-place state finish at 107, finished 3-1, pinning Farrington’s Gabrielle Perez for bronze.
The first BIIF meet of the season is Jan. 9 at Kealakehe.
