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Many programs on the rise in MIL wrestling

By Robert Collias 8 min read

PUKALANI -- The Maui Interscholastic League was a strong, deep league in wrestling for decades. One look around the packed gym at King Kekaulike High School on Saturday revealed that the sport appears to be on an upswing.

Schools like Hana High School, Maui High, King Kekaulike and Kulanihako'i -- the brand-new public school in Kihei -- all showed up with a mix of new and seasoned competitors in MIL round-robin meet No. 3.

Hana High assistant coach Ryan Poe, who coaches for the Hana Takedown Club in the Maui Style Youth Wrestling team and for Hana's first-year middle school program through the state-funded REACH initiative, has seen the future of the Dragons' high school team up close.

"This year the athletic director and I made sure we got into the REACH program and we started with 23 wrestlers and finished with 20," Poe said. "Our boys team took fourth (place) and we only had five boys. Then our girls, which was the remaining 15, took third place in Maui County."

Poe said the feeder programs are absolutely necessary to build the Dragons back to the prominence they once enjoyed in the MIL.

"You know, that's the plan, definitely the idea," Poe said. "It seems like in Hana the kids get so easily distracted, so we're building up our club program -- we had 53 kids when we started and we took 45 to the state tournament and took fifth for the second year in a row.

"So, we're keeping that program strong. We have a lot of ohana and cousins and alumni that help us keep that one going, a lot of coaches in that. Yeah, I'm very, very excited about what our team is going to look like in 3-4 years."

Poe said there were only three eighth graders who competed this year, "but there's a lot of seventh-grade girls. In '26 we should have a good amount of girls wrestling."

Poe said the end game is to develop experienced wrestlers for the high school team.

"We have our banners everywhere, right?" he said. "We only have two state champions on our banner, so my goal is to see a lot of these kids who I've been coaching for nine years -- and they keep coming in, these talented little Hana hammer kids -- to get their names up on that banner. Hana kids are tough and they deserve to be champions."

Poe points to the veteran knowledge of Ryan Uchiyama, the head coach for the Dragons, as the ultimate guiding light for the overall wrestling effort in East Maui.

"I've really been able to work with like a mad scientist -- he's so technical and he's so good," Poe said. "He knows the counter to the counter to the counter, so I'm blessed that I get to work with him, hand to hand, day to day."

On Saturday, Hana's Maui Lind finished third at 138 pounds for boys. In the girls ranks, Hana's Maddie-Mae Sinenci finished fourth in the 125-pound division, J-Lah Sinenci was third at 130, Laelae Nakooka was third at 140 and Kolaiki Hapakua was second at 170.

Kimberly Suetos, a 2010 Lahainaluna graduate, is the first head coach for Kulanihako'i, which had seven wrestlers compete on Saturday. She is being assisted by Kadian Shaw and Takeo Cockett, also both former Lunas.

Shayla Marie Suetos finished second for the Manta Ray girls at 235, Gabrielle Salas finished fourth at 140. On the boys side for Kulanihako'i, Rykker Manlapao finished third at 113, Pedro Deus was second in the 157A division, and Slater Watts was second at 165B.

"My kids are showing us really good effort -- they're all green wrestlers, and so to come at this with nothing, building their confidence is where we're at right now," Kimberly Suetos said. "We're getting everything into place that we need to be getting and we're coming out here and we're making a name for ourselves."

Maui High has a new coaching staff of five -- all in their first years with the program -- and the Sabers have 18 wrestlers out for the team after lower numbers in recent years.

Kyle Webb is the head coach for the Maui High boys and Jasmine Kahananui is the head coach for the girls.

"We're having a lot of fun," Webb said. "We enjoy watching their growth throughout the season because every tournament they're getting a little bit better. This is our second tournament and we just had one of our first-year (wrestlers), Jayde Garcia, do well, she's a real scrappy young girl."

Garcia finished third in the 110B division.

"I would say about half of our kids are first-year wrestlers, the other half have a couple years experience," said Webb, a state champion in Arizona who wrestled at Lindenwood University in Missouri where he was a two-time NCAA All-American. "We have one senior and one junior who have more than five years wrestling. The rest are brand new."

Lucas Tamayose is in his third year as head coach at King Kekaulike, where he graduated from in 2018. Na Alii have seen a huge uptick in numbers with 48 wrestlers on the roster -- 11 girls and 37 boys.

In his first year as head coach, Tamayose had nine wrestlers, and 18 competed last year.

"That's my whole goal, to get back to where we were when I was in high school in 2018," Tamayose said. "It is heartwarming to see the numbers and most of the kids are actually involved. It's great.

"Half the team is all brand new, 100 percent brand new, blank page. It's exciting to work with them, teach them new stuff."

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

• MIL WRESTLING

Saturday's Results

At King Kekaulike

GIRLS

100 pounds--1. Nicole Fernandez, Baldwin; 2. Anjolie Manaba, Molokai; 3. Arianna Kawaiaea, Kamehameha Maui; 4. Jaliyah Rodrigues, Maui High.

105--1. Kaylee Keahi, King Kekaulike; 2. Kiyarah Lei Inaba-Engoring, King Kekaulike; 3. Cali Davenport, Kamehameha Maui.

110--1. Kayce Dudoit, Molokai; 2. Kanoelani Kekiwi-Jones, King Kekaulike; 3. Kiera Holokai, Kamehameha Maui.

110B--1. Tiale Tancayo, Molokai; 2. Blissany Laborte-Makaena, Baldwin; 3. Jayde Garcia, Maui High; 4. Destiny Robinson, King Kekaulike.

115--1. Kailah Caballero, Lahainaluna; 2. Skye Kaawa-Caparida, Molokai.

120--1. Sanairee Hasegawa, Baldwin; 2. Peyton Diamond, Baldwin; 3. Krystel Valoroso, King Kekaulike.

125--1. Safirah Ladore, Maui Prep; 2. Siana Boaz-Vasquez, Lahainaluna; 3. Deja Fernandez, Baldwin; 4. Maddie-Mae Sinenci, Hana.

130--1. Crystin-Dior Treu, Lahainaluna; 2. Kindy Sprout, Molokai; 3. J-lah Sinenci, Hana.

135--1. Te'ata Mata'afa Grove, Baldwin; 2. Elena Beauchamp-Estrella, Kamehameha Maui; 3. Shyla Loebl-Auld-Rames, Lahainaluna; 4. Shaelyn Perreira, Maui High; 5. Aquino Jaylen, Maui High.

140--1. U'ilaunaole Fernandez, Maui High; 2. Lakota Kamaka, Baldwin; 3. Laelae Nakooka, Hana; 4. Gabrielle Salas, Kulanihako'i; 5. Jazlyn Boswell, Molokai.

145--1. Jahlia Miguel, Baldwin; 2. Kaimalie Wong-Stone, King Kekaulike.

155--1. Shansi Boaz-Vasquez, Lahainaluna; 2. Ofa Haupu, Baldwin; 3. Pueo Hill, Baldwin.

170--1. Shiloh Kamaka, Baldwin; 2. Kolaiki Hapakuka, Hana.

235--1. Catherine Asami, Lahainaluna; 2. Shayla Marie Suetos, Kulanihako'i; 3. Angel Kaauwai-Kealoha, Molokai.

BOYS

106--1. Justin Freitas-Yoro, Kamehameha Maui; 2. Jake Hunter, King Kekaulike; 3. Jameson Kamakana, Lahainaluna.

113--1. Ryder Armitage, Lahainaluna; 2. James McCall, King Kekaulike; 3. Rykker Manlapao, Kulanihako'i; 4. Samuelu Koshi, Baldwin.

120--1. Chase Yasutake, Lahainaluna; 2. Shadyn Nova, Lanai; 3. Levi Browne, King Kekaulike; 4. Luis Gutierrez, King Kekaulike; 5. Reece Kawai, King Kekaulike; 6. Aiden-James Joaquin-Isagawa, King Kekaulike.

126--1. Diesel Del Rosario, Lanai; 2. Jona Dudoit, Molokai; 3. Niko Barnes, Baldwin; 4. Reyn Raguindin, Molokai; 5. Jarett Koyama, Lahainaluna; 6. Aina Kapu, Lahainaluna.

126B--1. Kahiku Mano, Lanai; 2. Jaidon Vidad, Lanai; 3. Mason Babayan, Lahainaluna; 4. Quinton Siver, King Kekaulike.

132--1. Randy Esperanza, Baldwin; 2. Kekuhi Lindsey, Lahainaluna; 3. Blake Abernathy, Kamehameha Maui; 4. Alexander Hawkins, Lanai; 5. Kolby Dudoit, Molokai; 6. Joshua Rodriguez, King Kekaulike.

132B--1. Kaimana Hammond-Reyes, Baldwin; 2. Jaden Patterson, King Kekaulike; 3. Liam Cunningham, King Kekaulike.

138--1. Kanoa Iwankiw, King Kekaulike; 2. Aiden Augustiro, Molokai; 3. Maui Lind, Hana; 4. Ezekiel Esperanza, Baldwin.

138B--1. Edison Kramer, King Kekaulike; 2. Truman Anderson, Baldwin; 3. Kamauoha Tomita, King Kekaulike.

144--1. Mikah Labuanan, Kamehameha Maui; 2. Kalani Yokote, Baldwin; 3. Romas Turner, King Kekaulike; 4. Sky Gonzalez, King Kekaulike.

144B--1. Kalae Robinson, Kamehameha Maui; 2. Hayden Pyle, Baldwin; 3. Andy Oviedo, Maui High.

150--1. Ezekiel James (ej) Dela Cruz, Baldwin; 2. Brycen Castro, King Kekaulike.

157A--1. Kanoa Kuailani, King Kekaulike; 2. Pedro Deus, Kulanihako'i; 3. Cash Atacador, Lanai; 4. Jayden Boswell, Molokai.

157AA--1. Tony Passetti, Maui High; 2. Niko Takitani, Baldwin; 3. Bryson Adric, Baldwin; 4. Titan Nitahara, Kamehameha Maui; 5. Ikaika Gonzales, Lahainaluna.

165--1. Treyvin Ilustrisimo, Maui High; 2. Ledan Delatori, Kamehameha Maui; 3. Caese Calaro, Baldwin; 4. Elai Mossman, Kamehameha Maui; 5. Makai Farm, King Kekaulike; 6. Shaedin Alexander, Kamehameha Maui.

165B--1. Daniel Medrano, Lahainaluna; 2. Slater Watts, Kulanihako'i; 3. Raiden Ribucan, Baldwin.

175--1. Aiden Wong, Baldwin; 2. Elias Bantilan, Kamehameha Maui; 3. Ronin Raboy, King Kekaulike; 4. Jackson Hussey, Lahainaluna; 5. Kden Pu, Lahainaluna; 6. Iokepa Kekiwi Jones, King Kekaulike; 7. Reggie Adams, Lanai; 8. Jesus Moreno, King Kekaulike.

190--1. Chaser Boaz, Lahainaluna; 2. Revelation Keahi, Baldwin; 3. Jonah Basurto, Lahainaluna.

215--1. Toa Mata'afa-Grove, Baldwin; 2. Isaiah Lani, Kamehameha Maui; 3. Joshua Kerr, Kamehameha Maui; 4. Rudy Villalobos, King Kekaulike; 5. James Vitcovich, Lahainaluna.

285--1. Sanalio Vehikite, Lahainaluna; 2. Pita Takafua, Baldwin; 3. Morgan Montgomery, Lahainaluna; 4. Thomas Osborn, Maui High; 5. Vili Tupou, Baldwin.

Starting at /week.