HHSAA Wrestling Championships start Friday


The Chevron/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Wrestling State Championship will take place this Friday and Saturday at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center Arena.

Among the contenders for the boys team title are Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Kamehameha, Maui Interscholastic League titlist Lahainaluna, Oahu Interscholastic Association champion Campbell and six-time defending state champ Punahou, the ILH runner-up.

Kamehameha is also the ILH girls champion and considered a front-runner for the state team title, as is OIA titlist Pearl City and ILH runner-up Punahou.

Several wrestlers will be looking to add some hardware to their trophy cases. Two-time state champion Joshua Terao, of Mid-Pacific, is the top seed at 130 pounds. Mililani's Braydon Akeo (125 pounds), Pearl City's Blake Cooper (152), Punahou's Laurent Remillard (160), Farrington's Chaeden Grace Reyes (171) and Kamehameha's Dane Pestano (215) all won state titles last year.

Kamehameha's Bree Rapoza (117), who is seeking a third state crown, Mid-Pacific's (135) Shannon Pa'a'aina and Kapolei's Kaelynn Canyete (101) are the lone returning girls state champions and are the top seeds in their respective weight classes.

Matches begin at 10 a.m. on both days with Saturday's championship finals to begin at approximately 4:30 p.m. The finals will be televised live statewide on OC16.

Admission is $9.50 for adults and $5.50 for students (grade K-12) and senior citizens (ages 62-and-over). There is a $6 parking fee.

Tournament brackets for both divisions are available on SportsHigh.com.