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Estrella-Beauchamp wins NAIA national title

Baldwin graduate takes top spot at 143 pounds, qualifies for US Olympic Trials

Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp of Midland (Neb.) University holds her championship plaque after winning the 143-pound title at the NAIA Wrestling Championships in Jamestown, N.D., on Saturday. Ashlee Palimo‘o photo

Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp couldn’t quite believe what she had just accomplished on Saturday at the NAIA Wrestling Championships in Jamestown, N.D.

After rolling through her first four matches in the event — she had two pins in less that a minute and another match stopped in 33 seconds via a 10-0 major decision before winning her semifinal 8-4 — the Baldwin High School graduate and Midland (Neb.) University freshman beat Erin Redford of Eastern Oregon 4-3 for the championship at 143 pounds.

“I’m definitely stoked, I trained hard for this,” Estrella-Beauchamp said via phone. “I was prepared to give it my all and represent my family, represent Hawaii and everything. I’m just so stoked. I feel that there is a lot of room for improvement, a lot of things I need to work on. … I’m just happy with the results.”

Estrella-Beauchamp, a two-time state champion for the Bears, was the No. 1 seed. But after rolling past her first four opponents, the going got tough in the final. After jumping to a 4-1 lead in the first period, she held on valiantly for the national title after Redmond closed within one point.

With the title, Estrella-Beauchamp qualified for the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials, which take place April 2-3 in Fort Worth, Texas.

“I plan to train and prepare for that 100 percent,” she said. “This does give me a little boost of confidence, but like I said before, I’m still hungry. I know that there’s a lot more that I need to do and a lot more improvement that I need to work on to get ready for the next level.”

Lahainaluna graduate Ivy Navarro of Providence (Mont.) finished second at 101, after being pinned in the final by Nina Pham of Wayland Baptist. Navarro’s sister Ira, also of Providence, finished fifth in the same weight class after she lost her opener to Pham.

Two other Maui wrestlers competed at 136 pounds, for Midland. Kamehameha Maui graduate Ashlee Palimo’o finished the event 4-2 — she was 2-1 on Saturday — and Lahainaluna graduate Tayler Hayase was eliminated on Friday with a 1-2 record.

Midland finished 10th in the team standings and Providence was 15th.

The showing of the Maui Interscholastic League representatives made Estrella-Beauchamp proud.

Her cousin, Nanea Estrella — a four-time state champion for Lahainaluna and former junior national champion — is at Menlo (Calif.) College, which decided not to compete this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Estrella-Beauchamp dealt Estrella her only loss as a senior in 2020 at the Garner Ivey Invitational.

“Hawaii, we definitely have a lot of powerful wahine, we definitely win national titles and get to the top,” Estrella-Beauchamp said. “After the match I talked to my family, but I haven’t had a chance to talk to Nanea yet. I talked to my family — I didn’t really acknowledge that I won until I really got off the podium.”

The discussion with her mom, Janeece Beauchamp, and dad, John Estrella, was special.

“It felt really good talking to my family” Estrella-Beauchamp said. “I’ve been going to nationals since I was a sophomore in high school, I went to U-23s and the best I ever did was third. So it felt really good to tell mom that I was able to be a national champion my freshman year of college.”

She somewhat surprised herself with her early college success.

“That was the goal — it’s been a big goal of mine to be a national champion, it’s been my dream to go to the Olympics and reach my full potential, that’s been the game plan ever since I was young,” she said. “I’ve always tried to be humble, I was never one to say I am the best. I just wanted to work hard and let my work speak for itself.”

Representing Maui “is everything to me, everything I do, I do for Hawaii and for Maui. Everything I do is to represent my family and everybody back home, all the aunties and uncles that supported me. And everyone that has been guiding me for all these years.”

“I am just so happy that I’m able to represent Maui and show everyone back home that, yeah, we come from a tiny island, but we can do it,” Estrella-Beauchamp added. “If I can do it, anyone back home on Maui can do it.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollias @mauinews.com.

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