Cousins Nanea Estrella and Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp are Hawaii’s best in 2020

Nanea Estrella and Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp are cousins who put the hurt on each other often.

Their great grandfathers were brothers, which means their grandfathers are cousins, and they have a lot in common. Both are multiple state wrestling title winners and both will be wrestling in college.

Estrella, from Lahainaluna, is out to get her fourth state championship this spring. She won states at 117 pounds as a freshman, 122 as a sophomore and 127 as a junior.

She doesn’t know what weight class she’ll be in when the Texaco/HHSAA State Championships roll around Feb. 20-21 at Blaisdell Arena. That depends on where her team needs her. She could go anywhere from 122 to 138. She’s No. 1 in Hawaii Prep World’s pound-for-pound rankings, which will be updated this week, and No. 1 nationally at 122 pounds by FloWrestling.com.

Estrella has had an interesting, and eye-opening, season so far. She pinned Moanalua’s Lana Perez (No. 3 nationally at 127) in the 132-pound final at the Officials tournament at Leilehua last month. Before that, at the Garner Ivey Maui Invitational, she lost to cousin Estrella-Beuchamp 11-3 in the 132-pound final.

Then, on Saturday at Punahou’s 10th annual Pa’ani Challenge, Estrella got back at her cousin, winning the 138-pound final 10-0.

The two cousins are like sisters, according to Lunas coach Todd Hayase. They are the subject of a feature story in Tuesday’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Subscribers can read that here.

Estrella-Beauchamp, from Baldwin, won states at 127 as a sophomore and 132 as a junior. She’s going for number three. Odds are she won’t end up in the same weight class as Estrella, though, preventing a possible third match between the likely top two in Hawaii Prep World’s pound-for-pound rankings when they are updated this week.

“They’re going to be battling all season long,” Hayase said. “This is what Maui needs. Steel sharpens steel. They’re just going to make each other better, more hungrier. I don’t know their intentions (for late-season weight class), but I would love for them to be separated (and both have a chance at titles) for Maui.”