Noah Vento, Taylen Babas-Masuno, Malia Kukahiwa and Lilliane Toledo already had earned gold once on the mat this season in wrestling, so why not make it a double.
The accomplishment was no less special for the 15 BIIF other judo champions who were crowned April 23 at Waiakea.
Elena Shibuya, Kamaha’o Halemanu, Matthew Okuda, Jayda Kekela and Kaiden Kunimoto savor the competition and camaraderie, and not that Jordan Nakamoto didn’t, but he also was pleased to earn a measure of revenge. Respect was the name of the game for Alek Caban-Trinidad.
Emily Lavarias surprised herself, while Ihilani Sakai was a bit caught off-guard by all the running in practice.
Irie Sakai loves that the possibilities are endless, while Kukahiwa limited the probabilities with a scouting report.
Tyhler Iida and Iya Sadanchikova enjoy the cerebral aspects of the sport, while Hunter Leo is in it for the throws.
Kiana Kaneshiro and Riley Silva learned the value of simply showing up, and they will be back for more Saturday.
Before they compete at the HHSAA judo championships in Honolulu, let’s hear from the BIIF’s gold medalists.
Boys
Tyhler Iida, Waiakea, 108 pounds
Quotable: “I have been practicing judo for almost 10 years now, and something I really enjoy about this sport is that in every match not always does the strongest person win, but it’s most likely the smarter person.”
Noah Vento, Waiakea, 114
Notable: Vento went 1-2 at the state wrestling championships.
Quotable: “I feel like (BIIF judo gold) was a highlight, because it was something that I always wanted to do, and that made it special. It was a goal when I was younger. I want to make up for (state wrestling) in judo. I’ll give it my all to make my dream come true.”
Jordan Nakamoto, Waiakea, 121
Notable: In the judo finals, Nakomoto beat Hilo’s Tyler Yoshiyama, who handed him a loss in the BIIF wrestling final in late February.
Quotable: “It would have bothered me a little bit not to have been able to beat him. It felt really good to get back on the mat, just in general, not even winning. To compete with my teammates and opponents from other schools, like Hilo, is special.”
Hunter Leu, Keaau, 132
Quotable: “I like throwing people. I won the whole season all with throws, with ippon. I didn’t want to do any pins or ground work. All throws.”
Kaiden Kunimoto, 145, Waiakea
Quotable: “What I like about the sport is that you can connect with others and build friendships. Although it’s competitive and challenging, it’s still a very friendly sport. I want to thank all my coaches for helping me.”
Matthew Okuda, 161, Waiakea
Quotable: “I definitely liked being around all the people I enjoy doing judo with again, and seeing a lot of new faces. The Class of 2020 had a pretty big batch. Having all the new people come out and see a bit of a revival as kind of nice to see.”
Kamaha’o Halemanu, Kamehameha, 178
Quotable: “It was super good, because we were all urging to be back. It wasn’t the same without it. I couldn’t have gotten where I am without the help of my coaches.”
Alek Caban-Trinidad, Hilo, 198
Quotable: “The most memorable part of my final match was when me and my opponent shook hands. Even if one of us had to lose, we still had respect for each other, and that’s what matters. I love the attitude and the aura around judo, since it has made me feel welcome.”
Riley Silva, Keaau, 275
Notable: Silva was the only participant in his weight class and couldn’t be reached for comment.
Girls
Taylen Babas-Masuno, Hilo High, 98
Notable: At the team championships in mid-April, Babas-Masuno clinched the title for the Vikings by winning the tiebreaking match against a Waiakea judoka.
Quotable: “It was pressure, but my teammates helped me. My first judo season was fun. I would do it again.”
Iya Sadanchikova, Waiakea, 103
Quotable: “My favorite aspect about (judo) is the hands-on practicing. It gives me the opportunity to see my own weaknesses and the things I have to improve on, allowing me to self-learn. This is a very rewarding experience because it helps me grow and develop a playing style.”
Elena Shibuya, Waiakea, 109
Quotable: “(The BIIF final) was a little nerve-wracking, but I guess any match is. I want to at least place at states.”
Emily Lavarias, Hilo, 115
Quotable: “I wanted to pick an individual sport I could be aggressive in. I really wasn’t expecting to do this well, and that first match I did really well and I said, “Oh, I really like this sport.’”
Jayda Kekela, Kamehameha, 122
Quotable: “One thing I love most about the sport is being part of a team, all of my team members are like family to me.”
Ihilani Sakai, 129, Hilo
Quotable: “I’ve made a lot of friends in judo. I think it’s really cool, our club, we do a lot of clinics, people from Japan, and with the winners from these competitions, and they teach us. There is so much to learn in judo and it’s fun to learn from all the people.”
Irie Sakai, Hilo, 139
Quotable: “You can always improve upon yourself and the techniques. I like the disciplines and all the possibilities that can happen.”
Malia Kukahiwa, Hilo, 154
Notable: Kukahiwa beat Kamehameha’s Trinity Kim in the final with a pin
Quotable: “I watched (Trinity’s) previous match with Blu (Montez) from Waiakea, and I knew that she would try to do the same moves on me, since we all come from wrestling. I talked to my coaches, and when she tried to do it on me, it didn’t work. She went in and I fell on her back and I landed on her.”
Kiana Kaneshiro, Hilo 172
Notable: Kaneshiro was the only participant in her weight class. She has spent the wrestling and judo seasons going up against heavier opponents.
Quotable: “I’m excited to see the different (state) competition, since there aren’t as many opportunities here.”
Lilliane Toledo, Hilo, 220
Quotable: “I like the intensity of it, and the adrenaline rush once you step onto the mat. My main goal for the state tournament would be to leave everything on the mat and place higher than I did my freshmen year (sixth).”
