Moanalua wrestler Elijah Asuncion appears primed to come back strong this season.
Asuncion represented Na Menehune with a championship in the 113-pound class of the Spartan Classic in South Torrance, Calif., over the weekend, beating wrestlers from all over California in the process. He overcame Roman Baltazar of team champion St. John Bosco in the final.
Moanalua finished fifth in the 14-team tournament.
Asuncion wasn’t the only Na Menehune to do well in the tournament. Logan Garcia took second to St. John Bosco’s Christian Nunez in a tight 5-3 decision at 126 pounds for Moanalua’s next best finish.
Cassen Christian was third at 160 pounds and Damien Agao-Casabar took bronze at 195 pounds.
Andrew Adinawin was Na Menehune’s only other placer, finishing tied for fourth at 152 pounds.
Louis Rojas of St. John Bosco was named the most outstanding wrestler for his performance in Adinawin’s bracket. His individual title was one of 10 out of 14 weight classes for the Braves. Asuncion’s win over Baltazar was St. John Bosco’s only loss in the finals.
Asuncion was disqualified out of the 115-pound bracket at last year’s OIA championships, and the drop in seeding placed him on the same side of the state bracket with top seed Kysen Terukina of Kamehameha. Teruinka stopped Asuncion in 1:55 into the second round but Asuncion fought all the way back to reach the third-place match where he lost by technical fall to Kapolei’s Andre Pagurayan.
COMMENTS