Kamehameha’s Kysen Terukina got it done on the wrestling mat and the soccer field the last two days.
Terukina, a senior, won the two-day Hawaii Officials Tournament on Saturday with a 5-3 victory over Saint Louis’ Elijah Kaawa in the 132-pound final at Leilehua.
A three-time state champion, Terukina is No. 1 in Hawaii Prep World’s Pound-For-Pound Rankings. His state titles are at 113, 120 and 126.
“It’s nothing different like the rest of them,” he said of going for a fourth state crown. “I always want to be on top. It’s the same as last year. I know I have to train hard, I know what I have to do. I’m just pushing all my practice partners, just doing the same thing I’ve been doing. Keep working.”
Terukina won two matches by fall Friday before hurrying over to Kamehameha for the Warriors’ soccer match against ‘Iolani.
Terukina, a right wing and center back, showed up late, but scored a goal in Kamehameha’s victory.
“Once I got on my flow, I started connecting with my teammates,” he said. “I ended up scoring a goal. I was trying to help the team, and I did.”
On Saturday, Terukina was back on the mat, where he picked up two decision victories.
Terukina said his legs were heavy in the final against Kaawa, who had to take a couple of injury timeouts due to a bloody nose.
“I’m always happy I won,” Terukina said. “I felt fatigued today, but I grinded this one out. I know when I feel better, I can do better.”
There were a couple of upsets that were pulled out late in Saturday’s finals.
Kamehameha’s Kanai Tapia picked up a 6-4 overtime victory over Kapolei’s Branden Pagurayan (P4P No. 2) in the 152-pound division.
Tapia tied it with an escape in the final seconds of the third round, then scored a takedown midway through the one-minute overtime session.
“At that point, I was really, really tired. I was watching the clock, so I could kind of time it and luckily I got the escape,” said Tapia, a junior.
On the match-ender, he said: “It was hard fought. We were scrambling a lot. It was just moving. It was a hard takedown.”
‘Iolani’s Brady Hoshino scored a takedown with 20 seconds left and added two near-fall points in a 7-3 victory over Saint Louis’ Ansen Ursua (P4P No. 6) in the 138-pound division.
“I saw that it was tied and I knew I needed some points,” said Hoshino, a junior. “That inside trip was just open, so I hit it.”
Punahou’s Legend Matautia (P4P No. 7) avoided an upset by taking down Kahuku’s Marcus Lombard in the final seconds of a 4-3 victory in the 285-pound division.
Things looked bleak for Matautia after Lombard went up 3-2 with an escape with 30 seconds remaining. Matautia scored the takedown just inside the out-of-bounds line.
“I was trying to get my blast elbow in the whole match,” said Matautia, a senior. “At the end, I tried it one more time and I felt him come to the side, so I was just trying to scramble and get the two points. I did it with enough time, pretty amazing.”
When asked what is a ‘blast elbow,’ Matautia, a standout linebacker for the Buffanblu football team, said: “Basically like a football tackle. I’m used to tackling people, so I just try to do it for wrestling, too.”
For full results of the finals, click here.
There seems to be a trend of parents holding there kids back a grade for obvious advantages, sad sad, some of these compete at 19 in their sport!! Many and I mean MANY would not be the “champions” they are if they competed at their right age!
Ok, boomer. Get over yourself
Parents think they are helping their kids but they are actually hurting them, always putting them in a position of having an advantage, they don’t experience failure. BUT ONCE they do….become quitters.