Maui High girls, Kamehameha Maui boys capture MIL judo team crowns
Perreira
King Kekaulike’s Zahra Fernando-Bell defeats Maui High’s Ailene Kava in the girls 220 final of the MIL judo championships Saturday at Shine Matsui Athletic Center. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos
Baldwin’s Caese Calaro controls Kamehameha Maui’s Titan Nitahara on his way to winning the boys 161 final.
The Warriors’ Leinaala Patricio defeats Na Alii’s Shayla Tamayose in the girls 109 final.
The Bears’ Kalapana Labasan tosses the Warriors’ Kody Sakamoto on his way to winning the boys 132 final.
Perreira
King Kekaulike’s Zahra Fernando-Bell defeats Maui High’s Ailene Kava in the girls 220 final of the MIL judo championships Saturday at Shine Matsui Athletic Center. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos
Baldwin’s Caese Calaro controls Kamehameha Maui’s Titan Nitahara on his way to winning the boys 161 final.
The Warriors’ Leinaala Patricio defeats Na Alii’s Shayla Tamayose in the girls 109 final.
The Bears’ Kalapana Labasan tosses the Warriors’ Kody Sakamoto on his way to winning the boys 132 final.
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KAHULUI -- From the beginning of the judo season, it was the Maui High School team's goal to win the girls league title.
During the double-elimination Maui Interscholastic League championships Saturday morning at the Sabers' Shine Matsui Athletic Center, Shaelyn Perreira and Kamaile Talamai each won their weight classes to help Maui High's dream come to fruition.
Perreira, who won the 122-pound weight class last year as a freshman, came back to capture gold in the 139-pound division. Talamai, a junior but a first-year judoka, won the 154-pound weight class.
"It means a lot," Perreira said of earning the victory, which added to the Sabers' point total of 134. King Kekaulike finished second with 94 points and Kamehameha Maui (60) third.
Na Alii's Miya Lu was second behind Perreira and fellow Sabers teammate Diana Cantos earned bronze.
"It just shows how far we've come," Perreira said. "We've gotten closer over the whole span of the season from the beginning to the end."
Though Talamai is very shy off the mat, she was in her element Saturday as she defeated runner-up Zaida Aaron of King Kekaulike.
With her coach by her side for support, Talamai said the win "feels amazing."
"I'm very competitive and I like the team," she said with a smile.
Describing her young team as "playful," Talamai said clinching the girls title was "shocking." But from the stands, it was clear that the Sabers meant business when they stepped onto the mat.
"They are a special bunch to me," said Karla Kurokawa, a longtime judoka and sensei who is in her second year coaching Maui High. "It's a lot of work, but I love how they get closer and just get better every week."
Both Perreira and Talamai said they are excited for the Odom Corporation/HHSAA state championships next Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center on Oahu.
"I'm nervous, too, because there's more people and I don't know how experienced they are," Talamai said.
In the boys competition, Kamehameha Maui's Hakaru Nitahara came out on top in the 145-pound weight class -- the largest division with seven competitors -- by throwing down King Kekaulike's Makana Wright in the championship round.
"It's kind of crazy, you know, I just kind of do whatever I know and it just worked out," Nitahara said. "I think it's just being able to understand positionings, and like, being able to throw at the right times, stuff like that."
The senior's win helped the Warriors successfully defend their boys team crown with 80 points. King Kekaulike and Baldwin were second and third place with 55 and 48 points, respectively.
"Oh, I love it, I love it," he said. "It's always so hype to get that group effort because we all know that we put in our own hardwork and it ends up paying off."
The top two MIL finishers in each division qualify for the state tournament.
Nitahara, who also doubles in the spring as a track and field athlete as a pole vaulter, said he hopes to bring back medals from both state championships.
"Hopefully I just improve overall, I just want to tackle any situation that comes at states, but honestly we can't tell what's going to happen, so we'll just see what happens," he said.
* Dakota Grossman is at dgrossman@mauinews.com.
MIL JUDO CHAMPIONSHIPS
Saturday's Results • At Maui High
Girls
98 pounds--1. Jaliyah Rodrigues, Maui High; 2. Daphne Takahashi, Maui High; 3. Amaya Mori, Kamehameha Maui; 4. Hiilei Roman, Kamehameha Maui.
103--1. Kaylie Okuni, King Kekaulike; 2. Hayley Sedino, Maui High.
109--1. Leinaala Patricio, Kamehameha Maui; 2. Shayla Tamayose, King Kekaulike.
115--1. Ariana Macanas, King Kekaulike; 2. Chloe Hokoana, Maui High.
122--1. Krystel Valoroso, King Kekaulike; 2. Alana Baldonado, Maui High.
129--1. Elena Beauchamp-Estrella, Kamehameha Maui; 2. Ava Takahama, Kamehameha Maui.
139--1. Shaelyn Perreira, Maui High; 2. Miya Lu, King Kekaulike; 3. Diana Cantos, Maui High.
154--1. Kamaile Talamai, Maui High; 2. Zaida Aaron, King Kekaulike; 3. Lakota Kamaka, Baldwin; 4. Shalin Chun, Maui High.
172--1. Shyloa Kamaka, Baldwin; 2. Madeline Millet, Maui High; 3. Cassidy Koomoa, Kamehameha Maui; 4. Kellee Yi, Maui High.
220--1. Zahra Fernando-Bell, King Kekaulike; 2. Ailene Kava, Maui High.
Boys
114--1. Levi Brown, King Kekaulike; 2. Brian Suarez-Sanchez, Baldwin.
121--1. James McCall, King Kekaulike; 2. Jayden Chapman, Maui High; 3. Keanu Sarrande, King Kekaulike.
132--1. Kalapana Labasan, Baldwin; 2. Kody Sakamoto, Kamehameha Maui; 3. Rey Mabuti, Baldwin.
145--1. Hakaru Nitahara, Kamehameha Maui; 2. Makana Wright, King Kekaulike; 3. Kia'ikule'A Kalipi, Kamehameha Maui; 4. Joshua Mori, Maui High; 5. Andy Oviedo, Maui High; 6. Jaden Takushi, King Kekaulike.
161--1. Caese Calaro, Baldwin; 2. Titan Nitahara, Kamehameha Maui; 3. Brandon Sado, Kamehameha Maui.
178--1. Dominic Naganuma, Kamehameha Maui.