Honestly, NeverChanges you sound like a bitter coach or parent whose wrestler didnt qualify for States and now taking your frustrations out on the wrestlers from the Big Island for supposedly taking a spot that should be given to a more deserved wrestler? SMH Poor sports and Sour graping. Maybe you should encourage the wrestlers family to move to the Big Island where the competition is weak and way easier to qualify for States? No different than wrestlers dropping weight because they have a higher chance of winning or to avoid facing certain wrestlers. However, I think it says much more about the person who doesnt drop weight and remains in the weight class facing their demons than those who seek the easy path by dropping weight. Yes, you may lose and people only remember the State Champs but sometimes how you got there matters. How they journey along the way, the process of becoming whether you win or not, is just as important as the destination is a good indication on how they will deal with life and the obstacles they will face.

To claim Big Island wrestlers only go States to party is ignorance at best. Who would practice all year long, go through the riggers of wrestling conditioning just to party at States? They could do that all on their own without having to suffer and go through hell while training. Doesnt make sense! Is the Big Island weak at wrestling? Yes! But its growing more and more popular among high school girl athletes here which is exciting. Last years 168lbs State Champ from Keaau not only repped herself, her family and her school but the whole Big Island. That win showed that the Big Island girls can compete and win States. She has inspired girls here and paved the pathway that they too can achieve success at the State Tournament despite this 8% winning percentage.

As for Big Island Wrestlers going to open tournaments? They do! Theyve gone to Paani and Maui Garner Ivey Invitational Tournament this season. Unfortunately, they cant send everyone (not including Paani because its paid for I believe by Punahou) to these open tournaments because it costs money for Airfare, Accomodation, food and transportation. Because of this they only send the better wrestlers while picking and choosing which open tournament to participate in. Unless you have recommendations of people willing to finance travel for the Big Island High School Teams then going to Officials as well as States is a tremendous financial strain and burden on these programs. So they decide what tournaments is doable. Traveling multiple times off 4 times is a bit much dont you think? They cant just drive to the Blaisdel from Hilo or Kona?

If you are going to hold a certain standard of “fairness” when deciding on how many wrestlers can qualify for States per weight class then they should do it across the board with the other High School Sports. Maybe BIIF deserve more teams to qualify for Girls DIV 1 Basketball for States than 2 considering Big Island competition is way better than whats in the OIA? Especially since 2 Big Island won both Girls Div 1 & 2 State titles and the other 2 Big Island Schools Waiakea and Honokaa both made it to Semis. Maybe a qualifying spot by a lower ranked OIA team should be given to a more deserving DIV 1 team on the Big Island that came in 3rd on the Big Island? Would that be fair? Nope it wouldnt be fair or make sense. OIA has far more Girls teams competing than the Big Island does. I dont think a Conference chances of winning should be the deciding factor on how many teams from that conference makes it to States. I think the way they do seeding is appropriate for girls wrestling. The Big Island girls tend to get seeded low and usually perform to the level of their seeding. Yes, occasionally we have girls who overachieve ala the 168lbs 6th seed last year who got 2nd will probably be seeded 3 or 4th seed this year.

Yes, I understand the importance of seeding and trying to get the pathway of least resistance to the finals and meeting up with the other top seeds as late as possible. But in the big scheme of things seeding means nothing, you still have to walk out on the mat and wrestle whose in front of you. It shouldnt matter if your wrestling the top seed early or a bottom seed later. Seeding doesnt measure the heart of a winner, the mental toughness to overcome or conditioning levels to take the opponent into deep waters. At the end of the day the wrestler regardless of seeding should feel like they can win no matter if its Teshya Alo walking on the mat to face them or Olympic Gold medalist Helen Maroulis