Campbell senior heavyweight wrestler Tristan Ludiazo and Mid-Pacific senior shortstop Jenna Kumabe each put in big performances this past weekend. ScoringLive photo illustration

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Male Athlete of the Week: Tristan Ludiazo wrestling
With a football scholarship already in hand, Tristan Ludiazo considered forgoing his senior season of wrestling this winter.

Ludiazo, a standout defensive end on the Sabers' football team, will play for Western Oregon next year. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Ludiazo had already won an individual state wrestling title as a junior, but ultimately returned to the mat for the good of his team.

"He was kind of on the verge of just focusing on football for college, but he decided to stay on, mainly to help the boys get the team title — which we came pretty darn close to doing — so I'm happy he stayed and finished out his senior year," Sabers' first-year coach Lucas Misaki said of Ludiazo.

Campbell finished fourth in the boys' team standings, behind the top three of Lahainaluna, Punahou and Kamehameha, but Ludiazo repeated as state champ despite moving up a weight class from 220 to 285.

"He went out, he wrestled hard and he just did what he normally does, which is force the action, try and get the takedown and it's just the same way he's been wrestling all year, which is at a very high level," Misaki said. I would say he's quicker than everybody he wrestles against, so going into (states), we wanted to use that because we knew there wasn't going to be a whole lot of kids that would shoot in on him, so he would have to force the action by going in for the takedown or forcing the stalling calls to get extra points."

While Ludiazo, who went undefeated this year, is amongst the tallest and bulkiest of the heavyweights, Misaki said he is deceptively quick.

"He's physically imposing," Misaki said. "I think most people think that he's the stronger wrestler in the match, but he's also the quicker wrestler in the match."

After the completion of the football season, Ludiazo rested for a week before stepping back onto the mat.

"He did get a late start, but from last year's wrestling season he went straight into football, so he really didn't get a break in at least two years," Misaki said. "He took a week off — like most football players do after the season ends — and he came right into the room and picked up where he left off."

Ludiazo won his weight class at the Garner Ivey Maui Invitational Tournament and the Hawaii Wrestling Officials Association Scholarship Tournament in the preseason before going to on capture both the Western Division and Oahu Interscholastic Association titles. The Sabers also won their third consecutive league team title. The year culminated with last week's Chevron Hawaii/Hawaii High School Athletic Association State Championships.

Ludiazo, who was pegged as the No. 1 seed at 285 pounds, made quick work of Moanalua's Damian Agao Casabar with a first-round pin just 45 seconds into their preliminary match Friday morning. Later that afternoon Ludiazo escaped a tough quarterfinal bout with a 3-2 win over Molokai's Kuikamoku Han. He then posted a 9-5 win over Kamehameha-Hawaii's Kullen Davis in Saturday morning's semifinal round, before defeating Radford's John Patrick Oishi, 5-3, for the state title.

"It's a different kind of athleticism (from 220)," Ludiazo said. "Obviously I had to build a lot of strength, but it was definitely a big help not having to cut weight."

Misaki, who wrestled at Molokai and spent the previous six seasons as an assistant at Kamehameha, said Ludiazo relished the fact that he didn't have to worry about making weight each week this season.

"He loved the fact that he didn't have to cut weight and he would remind us of it every week at practice he would be able to eat," Misaki said. "Every time we asked the kids to check their weight or write down what they ate during the weight, he would ask if that still applies to him because he's 30 pounds underweight."

Co-Female Athletes of the Week: Jenna Kumabe and Lia Nakamoto, Mid-Pacific softball
Mid-Pacific softball coach Alan Inaba knew that the duo of Jenna Kumabe and Lia Nakamoto would have to produce offensively in his team's Interscholastic League of Honolulu season opener against Saint Francis Saturday morning.

The Owls, who are coming off a third-place finish at last year's DataHouse/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I State Championships, were without the services of starting pitcher Kaili-Ann Akimseu and shortstop Nicole Lopez, the reigning All-Hawaii Division I Player of the Year.

Kumabe and Nakamoto — the third and fourth batters in the lineup, respectively — combined for 11 hits in 12 at-bats and 16 runs batted in to help the Owls to a 28-21 win over the Saints at Ala Wai Field.

Mid-Pacific put on a hit parade and took advantage of six errors by a Saint Francis team without its full roster due a senior-class retreat. It scored in every inning and totaled 27 hits.

Kumabe, who slid over to shortstop from second base due with Lopez's injury (concussion), hit a home run, doubled, drove in nine runs, scored five times and drew a walk.

"She's one of our main hitters and we're kind of relying on her as well as the rest of the seniors to provide leadership and to lead by example," Inaba said of the 5-foot-4 senior. "She takes a lot of pride in her hitting, so it's nice to see her come through with runners on base Saturday."

Nakamoto, who hit five doubles with seven RBIs, scored twice and drew a walk against Saint Francis. saw most of her action in left field last year, but moved behind the plate this season.

"In the preseason she was hitting, which is why we put her behind Nicole, and she just kept continuing on Saturday," Inaba said of the 5-foot-6 sophomore. "Last year when she'd have a not-so-good at-bat, you could see it on her face and she would carry it throughout the game, (but) this year if she has a bad at-bat, she brushes it off and gets ready for her next at-bat."

In addition to the offensive production she has provided, Inaba also praised her her defense.

"She threw out a runner stealing on second (base) Saturday," Inaba said. "She's been pretty much solid back there."

Inaba said Nakamoto's maturity has served her well so far this season.

"Lia seems to be taking everything in stride. Last year she was like a scared freshman. This year, she's full of confidence and you can just see it in her body language," Inaba said. "I think having that one year under her belt, having played in the state tournament last year under the bright lights helped her, but played basketball also and they only had five players at one point in the season, so she had to play the whole game and I think that made her mentally tougher."

Kumabe, a third-year varsity member, has benefitted from a slightly-adjusted approach at the plate.

"We try to stress to her hard line drives," Inaba said. "She got stronger. She works out a lot. We're working with her to instead of trying to lift balls, to stick to focusing on hard line drives."

Inaba said the ILH will be a tough league once again this season.

"It's going to be a battle every game," Inaba said. "Even Saint Francis, Sacred Hearts and Pac-Five in Division II, playing against them is not a gimme-game either. Division I could be any two teams (to qualify for the state tournament) and they will be great representatives from the ILH."

Kumabe, Nakamoto and the Owls next play Wednesday, when they host Pac-Five at 4:30 p.m. Inaba said he hopes to have Akimseu and Lopez back for that game.

BASEBALL
Grayson Bueno, Damien — Batted 3 for 4 with a double and two runs scored in a win over Saint Francis

Micah Chinen, Mililani — Allowed one hit, struck out one and walked two in six innings pitched in a win over Pearl City

Emmett Covello, Kaiser — Batted 3 for 4 with a triple, double and three RBIs in a win over Kaimuki

Steven De Silva, Waipahu — Batted 2 for 3 with two RBIs in a win over Radford

Greysen Fuentes, Waipahu — Batted 4 for 4 with an RBI in a win over Radford

Matt Hanano, Kailua — Batted 3 for 5 with two doubles, six RBIs and one walk in a win over Kaiser

Keola Himan, Campbell — Batted 2 for 2 with a triple, three RBIs and a run scored in a win over Waianae

Rustin Ho, Waipahu — Batted 3 for 3 with a home run, triple, two RBIs and a run scored in a win over Waianae

Tanner Inouye, Moanalua — Pitched four hitless innings with two strikeouts and one walk in a win over Roosevelt

Anu Kaeka, Waipahu — Allowed three runs on four hits, struck out five and walked four in a complete-game win over Radford

Ian Kahaloa, Campbell — Struck out 13 batters and walked none in six hitless innings of work in a win over Waianae

Reece Kakugawa, Kalani — Allowed one run on two hits, struck out seven and walked nine in 5 2/3 innings pitched in a win over Castle

Dalton Kalama, Kailua — Batted 3 for 5 with a home run, three RBIs and a run scored in a win over Kaiser

Kekaulike Kalua, Moanalua — Batted 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored in a win over Roosevelt

John Kea, Saint Louis — Batted 2 for 2 with two doubles and three RBIs in a win over Iolani

Bronson Matsumoto, Kalani — Batted 2 for 4 with two RBIs in a win over Castle

Shawn Miyashiro, Kaiser — Batted 3 for 4 with a double, five RBIs and a walk in a loss to Kailua

Joshua Muneno, Maryknoll — Allowed two unearned runs on two hits, struck out 11 and walked one in five innings pitched in a win over Hanalani

Andrew Oasay, Moanalua — Batted 2 for 4 with a home run, double, two RBIs and two runs scored in a win over Roosevelt

Dayne Ramos, Pac-Five — Allowed one hit, struck out three and walked none in five innings pitched in a win over Hanalani

Oakland Scanlan, Waipahu — Batted 2 for 3 with a home run, double, two RBIs and a run scored in a win over Waianae

Noah Shackles, Mid-Pacific — Batted 3 for 4 with two RBIs in a win over Punahou

Kaliko Thomas, Maryknoll — Batted 2 for 3 with a triple, four RBIs and a run scored in a win over Hanalani

Chase Wago, Mid-Pacific — Allowed one hit, no runs, struck out four and walked none in five innings pitched in a win over Punahou

Casey Won, Pac-Five — Batted 3 for 6 with a triple, double, five RBIs and a run scored in a win over Damien

Kenji Yamaguchi, Moanalua — Hit a two-run home run in a win over Roosevelt

BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Naone Cannon, Kamehameha — Had nine kills in a win over Iolani

Carter Katase, Iolani — Had 13 digs in a loss to Kamehameha

GIRLS WATER POLO
Rell Koizumi, Moanalua — Scored eight goals in a loss to Waialua

SOFTBALL
Kaipo Castillo, Farrington — Batted 3 for 3 with a home run, triple, five RBIs and five runs scored in a win over Kalani

Taiana Creekmur, Saint Francis — Batted 3 for 3 with a home run, five RBIs, four runs scored and two walks in a loss to Mid-Pacific

Elisa Favela, Campbell — Batted 3 for 3 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored in a win over Waianae

Kayla Higa, Saint Francis — Batted 3 for 5 with a triple, double, eight RBIs and a run scored in a loss to Mid-Pacific

Moana Hillen, Kalaheo — Batted 4 for 5 with a home run, six RBIs and a run scored in a loss to Waialua

Shaycelynn Hoohuli, Kapolei — Batted 3 for 3 with two runs scored in a win over Leilehua

Jenna Kumabe, Mid-Pacific — Batted 5 for 6 with a home run, double, nine RBIs, five runs scored and a walk in a win over Saint Francis

Moani Kupahu, Kailua — Batted 3 for 3 with two home runs, a double, three RBIs and two runs scored in a win over McKinley

Lia Nakamoto, Mid-Pacific — Batted 6 for 6 with five doubles, seven RBIs, two runs scored and a walk in a win over Saint Francis

Bree Soma, Maryknoll — Batted 4 for 4 with two triples and three RBIs in a win over Pac-Five

Lia Tom, Kamehameha — Batted 3 for 4 with a home run, double, four RBIs and a run scored in a win over Sacred Hearts

Jazmayne Williams, Farrington — Batted 4 for 5 with two home runs, a triple, five RBIs and four runs scored in a win over Kalani

Taufau Williams, Kailua — Batted 4 for 4 with a home run, two doubles, two RBIs and four runs scored in a win over McKinley

WRESTLING
Teshya Alo, Kamehameha — Won the girls' 132-pound weight class for her third consecutive individual state title

Breanna Dudoit-Vasquez, Lahainaluna — Won the girls' 138-pound weight class for her second consecutive individual state title

Chance Ikei, Kaiser — Won the boys' 132-pound weight class for his second consecutive individual state title

Carly Jaramillo, Lahainaluna — Won the girls' 145-pound weight class for her third consecutive individual state title

Lalelei Mataafa, Lahainaluna — Won the girls' 225-pound weight class for her third consecutive individual state title

Boman Tokioka, Kamehameha — Won the boys' 195-pound weight class for his second consecutive individual state title