One is a four-time state champ and one is going for her second state title with the possibility of a third next year.
They are the Alo sisters. Teshya Alo was at the Blaisdell Arena on Friday to watch sister Teniya Alo in the early rounds of the 2017 state wrestling tournament.
And while Teshya is not in high school anymore, she is there to offer support and knowledge to Teniya’s camp.
“I feel really good about it, but I don’t want to say too much, knock on wood,” said Teniya, who made it through to Saturday’s 134-pound class semifinals. “I feel a lot of confidence when I have her (Teshya) around. We have the same style and she knows how I wrestle, so she knows exactly what I need to do and not do. I’m trying hard to not think about the final until I get to the final. The goal is to not get scored on.
“I want to do virtual college so I can train and travel, so I don’t always have to be at a school — online school when I have time,” she added. “I’m definitely thinking about the Olympics and will try to make the U.S. senior team. I will go to camps and see what level I’m at. After having two surgeries (ankle surgery, a few years before the shoulder surgery), I’m not really sure how I am at the national level, but I am ready to compete nationally.”
Teniya, who lives in Hauula, is a junior at Hawaii Technology Academy, an online school, and wrestles for Kakuku, which is the school in the district in which she lives. She transferred from ‘Iolani after her sophomore year.
Teniya plans to graduate form HTA and, after that, possibly do an online college that will allow her to train and fit schoolwork easier into her schedule.
Teshya, the former Kamehameha wrestler who injured her shoulder before a loss in the U.S. Olympic Trials semifinals last April, is an online college student at the University of Colorado. She is training with multiple coaches on Oahu now.
Teshya is helping her sister as much as possible.
“She improved a lot since last year,” Teshya said about Teniya. “She is still getting used to being back after surgery, but I know she trains really hard and I think she’ll get what she deserves.”
Two more wins on Saturday and Teniya will have that second state title. She injured her shoulder while competing during her sophomore year and ended up short of a state crown.
Teshya has bad memories of her shoulder injury last year.
“It was awful,” Teshya said. “I never get hurt. And the one time I get hurt, it’s right before the Trials.”
Teshya will be competing next month in the University Nationals, which is a qualifier for the (annual) World Championships trials.
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