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Ravida comeback helps Bears win MIL boys title; Lunas claim girls crown

By Robert Collias 6 min read

WAILUKU -- The whispers in the Jon Garcia Gym grew louder as the start of the boys 126-pound finals match grew nearer at the Maui Interscholastic League wrestling championships on Saturday.

The bout that was thought to be the match of the day lived up to the hype.

Baldwin High School's Tobey Ravida, the 2020 state champion at 113 pounds, won the match 7-6 over Kamehameha Maui's Mikah Labuanan -- Ravida scored a two-point reversal after starting on the bottom following a timeout with eight seconds left in the final period.

It was just Ravida's fourth match of the season after missing the beginning months due to personal reasons. The final period started 4-4, Ravida took a 5-4 lead on an escape, but Labuanan took a 6-5 lead on a takedown with time running out.

Ravida responded, just in the nick of time, with a move called a "switch" that turned the tide.

"I was thinking: 'I gotta get out, I gotta score a point,' " Ravida said. "I'm not going to let anyone beat me ever again. I had goals of becoming a four-time state champ, got that taken away. My next goal was to become a three-time state champ, which also got that taken away during COVID, but this year I want it. I want it."

Ravida's effort helped Baldwin capture the boys team title with 194 points. Lahainaluna (163.5 points) was second and Molokai (90) third.

"I only had four matches all season, I'm way behind everybody else, but I'm getting there," Ravida said. "A little tired, but I'm getting there. ... That was a tough match, he's a rising freshman, he wants it more than anything.

"I've been in this position before. I surprised myself. In the beginning I was like, 'I don't know if I can do this,' but I looked back at my coaches and they said, 'You need one.' Instead of getting one, I got two with a reversal to win the match."

Lahainaluna won the girls team title with 133 points, 37 more than Baldwin. Molokai was third with 51.

The Lunas' Alicia Frank won the 127-pound girls final with a pin in 2 minutes, 24 seconds over Briseis Obregon of King Kekaulike.

Frank was state runner-up at 117 as a sophomore in 2020.

"It feels really good to be back," Frank said. "You know, it was a lot of pressure going into it knowing that I had to uphold a lot of -- I don't want to say reputation -- but upholding all the accomplishments I had was really tough to think about. I'm really glad to be back, though."

Frank is now on a mission to earn a state gold medal at the Texaco/HHSAA Championships, which start Friday at the Blaisdell Arena.

"It was tough but I knew that this is my redemption year, so I just have to leave it all on the mat and do my best," Frank said.

Soon after the match, Frank got a FaceTime call from friend and four-time state champion Nanea Estrella, a Lahainaluna graduate who is in California training with her Menlo College team.

Estrella is Frank's "best friend, she's one of my best friends -- I love her so much. She is more like a sister. It was so great getting to talk to her."

Baldwin's Gabriel Valdez won the boys 160 title with a 46-second pin of Molokai's Clarance Horner. It was the only match of the day for Valdez, who plans to walk on to wrestle at Oregon State in the fall.

He missed his sophomore year with an injury and, like everyone else, missed last season due to the pandemic.

"I definitely feel like I'm ready for the state tournament, you know, after getting all this hard work in, it's time to let it out," Valdez said. "This week is very important, it's my last year and I just want to end it on a good note."

The extra team points for the pin just added to the feeling for Valdez.

"It's awesome, to lead the team to a nice MIL championship, I really felt like all of our hard work paid off," Valdez said.

Valdez added that watching Ravida's match motivated him.

"Most definitely, watching my teammate win in the last 10 seconds, it was crazy," Valdez said.

Lahainaluna's Kivah Caballero, a junior, won the girls 117-pound title with a 6-2 win over Baldwin's Deja Fernandez.

"I wish I got a pin, but my teammates are going to cover that, I'm not worried," Caballero said. "At state, I'm just trying to do better than my freshman year, just trying to help my teammates, my seniors this year to get a state team title."

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

MIL Wrestling Championships

Saturday's Results

At Baldwin

Boys

Team--1. Baldwin 194, 2. Lahainaluna 163.5, 3. Molokai 90, 4. Kamehameha Maui 71.5, 5. Maui High 51, 6. Lanai 44.5, 7. King Kekaulike 17.

106 pounds--1. Keona Holokai-Basa, Baldwin; 2. Chase Yasutake, Lahainaluna; 3. Austin Kaalekahi, Molokai; 4. Ckristian Oliva, Lanai.

113--1. Marcus Marinas, Baldwin; 2. Jaeden Dumlao-Ranis, Lanai; 3. Jayse Koyama, Lahainaluna; 4. Randy Esperanza, Baldwin.

120--1. Diesel Del Rosario, Lanai; 2. Kalani Yokote, Baldwin; 3. Happy Nitahara, Kamehameha Maui; 4. Jeyden Laborte, Lahainaluna.

126--1. Tobey Ravida, Baldwin; 2. Mikah Labuanan, Kamehameha Maui; 3. Hoken Hironaka, Lahainaluna; 4. Drew Hufalar, Lahainaluna.

132--1. Nainoa Sliva, Kamehameha Maui; 2. Tony Passetti, Maui High; 3. Titan Nitahara, Baldwin; 4. Giovanni Baltazar-Membrila, Lahainaluna.

138--1. Christian Clarion, Lahainaluna; 2. Kannon Dunbar, Baldwin; 3. Kamanawaikapuokala Kanuha, Molokai; 4. Ej De La Cruz, Baldwin; 5. Kalaheo Sakamoto, Kamehameha Maui; 6. Darius Seegmiller, Maui High.

145--1. Bryson Adric, Baldwin; 2. Race Takahashi, Maui High; 3. Kapena Vitcovich, Kamehameha Maui; 4. Caese Calaro, Baldwin.

152--1. Nai Hasegawa, Baldwin; 2. Hezekiah Horner, Molokai; 3. Hunter Cuaresma, Lahainaluna; 4. Cody Alejo, Maui High.

160--1. Gabriel Valdez, Baldwin; 2. Clarance Horner, Molokai; 3. Ikaika Gonzales, Lahainaluna.

170--1. Leonaitasi Vehikite, Lahainaluna; 2. Treyvin Ilustrisimo, Maui High.

182--1. Keawe Kane-Keahi, Lahainaluna; 2. Akyles Almeida-Kekona, Baldwin; 3. Elisha Horner, Molokai.

195--1. Aaron Hue Sing, Baldwin; 2. Jackson Hussey, Lahainaluna; 3. Heno Kaiama, Molokai; 4. Caleb Castillo, Maui High.

220--1. Leo Kalipi, Molokai; 2. Sanalio Vehikite, Lahainaluna; 3. Chaser Boaz, Lahainaluna.

285--1. Kolinaise Latu, Lahainaluna; 2. Tysyn Estrella, King Kekaulike; 3. Morgan Montgomery, Lahainaluna; 4. Joshua Gonzales, Baldwin.

Girls

Team--1. Lahainaluna 133, 2. Baldwin 96, 3. Molokai 51, 4. King Kekaulike 49, 5. Hana 25.5, 6. Maui High 19, 7. Kamehameha Maui 7.

97--1. Nicole Fernandez, Baldwin; 2. Hayley Sedino, Maui High.

102--1. Liana Ferreira, Baldwin; 2. Kayce Dudoit, Lahainaluna.

107--1. Naiomi Kulukulualani-Sales, Lahainaluna; 2. Kanoelani Kekiwi-Jones, King Kekaulike; 3. Elena Beauchamp-Estrella, Kamehameha Maui.

112--1. Barbara Simon, Molokai; 2. Kailah Caballero, Lahainaluna; 3. Kailee Paishon Galios, Hana; 4. Skye Caparida, Molokai.

117--1. Kivah Caballero, Lahainaluna; 2. Deja Fernandez, Baldwin; 3. Shaelyn Perreira, Maui High; 4. Krystel Valoroso, King Kekaulike.

122--1. Crystin-Dior Treu, Lahainaluna.

127--1. Alicia Frank, Lahainaluna; 2. Briseis Obregon, King Kekaulike; 3. Kuulei Simon, Molokai.

132--1. Teani Medeiros-Maielua, Lahainaluna; 2. Kapili Poipuni, King Kekaulike.

138--1. Lilata Sansone, Hana.

145--1. Jahlia Miguel, Baldwin; 2. Ryley Jackson, King Kekaulike.

155--1. Kaceylee Pua, Baldwin; 2. Stephanie Gandeza, Molokai.

168--1. Shiloh Kamaka, Baldwin; 2. Ohia Borden-Phillips, Molokai; 3. Margaret Oneal, Lahainaluna.

184--1. Catherine Asami, Lahainaluna

Starting at /week.