The 2016 Chevron Hawaii/HHSAA State Wrestling Championships begin Friday. To get you ready, we will preview the matchups in each weight class for both boys and girls.
FIRST ROUND
Waki def. Lopes, 11-3
Caminos-Kekahuna def. Aipolani, 5:18
Burgos def. Levi, 12-4
Oyadomari def. Fuhrer, 4-2
Naosusuga def. Iwakiri, :37
Boswell def. Pacheco, 20-8
Burley def. Aviguetero, 3:31
Villarmia def. Wright, 20-5
SECOND ROUND
Waki def. Caminos-Kekahuna, 3:34
Burgos def. Oyadomari, 1:33
Naosusuga def. Bosell, 1:40
Villarmia def. Burley, technical fall, 19-3
Troy Waki, Baldwin
vs.
Keali’i Lopes, Kalani
Bryson Caminos-Kekahuna, Leilehua
vs.
Chasyn Aipoalani, Kamehameha
Waki is the top seed even with the reigning state champ on the bottom of the bracket. He started his season at MIT and finished second to Villarmia but turned the tables with a 7-5 win at Officials. Another match would certainly be the price of admission. Lopes was sixth last week at the OIA championships, getting pinned by Burgos. Caminos-Kekahuna somehow finished third at the OIAs last week after taking fifth in the West the week before. Naosusuga was the only boy who could beat him last week. Aipoalani has played No. 3 to Villamrmia and Mussell in the ILH this year, guys like him might be why people never count the Warriors out of a team competition. Lopes is the only other guy besides Waki to win a match at states last year.
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Brandon Burgos, Aiea
vs.
Anson Levi, Saint Louis
Gianni Oyadomari, Kapolei
vs.
Cameron Fuhrer, Honokaa
Burgos is on the line between 170 and 182 but settled here after winning a round robin at 182. He went into last week as No. 2 in the OIA East and made it all the way to the final of the league championships before losing to Naosusuga 15-4. Burgos had an impressive run in the wrestlebacks at states last year before being knocked ouot by Kekua Marumoto. Levi had a similar experience but has been running No. 2 at 182 for most of the year this year. Fuhrer, the BIIF champion, will face Oyadomari, who was pinned by Burgos last week, in the first state match for both.
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Jacob Naosusuga, Waianae
vs.
Akihiro Iwakiri, ‘Iolani
Kasen Pacheco, Hilo
vs.
Jordan Boswell, Molokai
Naosusuga, a repeat OIA champion, has already placed at states twice in his career with fourth-place finishes both times. He was second at MIT and Officials this year, losing to Corbett at 160 pounds but blew out Burgos for the OIA title. That leaves this quad wide open, none of the other three wrestlers wrestled at states last year.
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Kaeo Burley, Keaau
vs.
Raycyn Aviguetero, Kauai
Alize Wright, Campbell
vs.
Connor Villarmia, Damien
Villarmia is the boss here as a reigning state champ, he won MIT over Waki but lost Officials to him before getting back on his winning ways and taking his first ILH crown. Villarmia’s most impressive match in last year’s run to the state crown was a 10-8 win over Naosusuga, a rematch in the semifinals with Waki waiting for the winner would be something to see. The champ better not look ahead, though, Wright is not an easy first-round opponent. The Saber took fifth at Officials and took a while to find his game but pushed Naosusuga last week. He did not compete at states last year. Neither Burley nor Aviguetero have wrestled at the state level, either.
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