Three-time undefeated BIIF champion wrestler and Pahoa High senior Jezney Chang announced her intent to accept a full-ride athletic scholarship to Southwestern Oregon Community College on Wednesday.
“Jezney’s a really hard worker, but it’s really more of a mental game for her,” said older sister and wrestling coach Janelle Chang. “Everything that she does on the mat, she knows what she wants and that’s how she takes it. I’m pretty sure that’s why she became undefeated — because, mentally, she knew what she wanted and was gonna take it every time.”
The elder Chang sister was the first in the family to start wrestling, and her younger sisters followed. In addition to Jezney, sister Jazlyn Chang also wrestles for the Daggers. When Pahoa’s last wrestling coach retired, Janelle decided to become the Daggers’ new coach.
Chang was approached by a SWOCC recruiter during the 2024 Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) state wrestling championship.
“It’s exciting knowing that she’s doing better than I could,” coach Chang said, “that means I’m doing something right for sure.”
Chang is a multi-sport athlete, also playing on Pahoa’s softball and volleyball teams. She is the second Pahoa athlete to hold a college signing so far this spring, as volleyball player Hunter Paio announed a college comittment last week.
“Coming from a small town like Pahoa, not too many people make as far as to get an offer,” coach Chang said. “Everybody’s really proud of her and happy. She’s making a stepping stone for the young people coming out of this small town.”
Located in Coos Bay, Ore., SWOCC plays in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Northwest Athletic Conference.
“She’s really excited,” coach Chang said. “It’s definitely gonna be really different moving away from home, because everything’s so family oriented over here — but it’s nothing she can’t adjust to.”
At this year’s NJCAA National Championship, the Lakers women’s team had two champions — Taylor Knox (191 lbs) and Victoriana Kim (123 lbs) — who led SWOCC to a No. 8 overall team finish among a field of 18 teams.
SWOCC’s women’s wrestling team also attends invitational tournaments hosted by NCAA Division III Northwest Conference schools such as Linfield, Pacific and Simpson — which are popular destinations for Hawai‘i athletes.
SWOCC’s 2023-24 squad had three wrestlers from O‘ahu — including one of their national champions, Kim, who is a graduate of Mililani High.
