While BIIF boys already were shut out of the race for gold Friday, seven female wrestlers, three of them from Kamehameha, reached the semifinals at the HHSAA championships in Honolulu.
That list didn’t include one of the league’s top hopefuls, Hilo High’s Liliane Toledo. The top seed in the 184-pound division, Toledo lost her first match in overtime to Farrington’s Teizannahope Paleafei, 6-5.
Another top seed from Hilo, Malia Kukahiwa, pinned two opponents to reach the 145 semifinals, and there are hopes of an all-Big Island final Saturday after Kealakehe’s Lanna Abraham, the BIIF runner-up also picked up two pins.
At 127, Kamehameha Lainey Eckart, the third seed, powered to wins by pin and majority decision (142-) to reach the semifinals, and she’ll joined in that round Saturday morning by teammates Taylor Furstenwerth (138) and Kealohi Grace (168).
The unseeded Grace reeled off two pins and will face Kalani’s Sarah Balbarino for a spot in the final in a division in which the top two seeds have been sent to consolation brackets. Furstenwerth scored a pin in her only match.
Also advancing to the final four were Hilo’s Seraya Garrido (99) and Konawaena’s Aliza Leander (122). Each got a bye and then advanced via pinfall.