WRE: Kamehameha girls still have edge

The Kamehameha girls wrestling team defeated Punahou 45-27 at an ILH meet at Mid-Pacific on Friday.

The defending state champion Kamehameha girls were without Cadet world champion Teshya Alo, who was at a judo awards ceremony elsewhere.

Shaylin Marn of the Warriors, an ILH contender at 122 pounds, defeated Pac-Five’s Bryndall McAluney in an exhibition match.

“She is a third-year wrestler,” Kamehameha coach Bill Vanenciano said. “She plays water polo and runs cross country and has exceptional fitness. She’s an AP student, one of my brainiacs.

“Ask her about the math of being out there on the mat, the physics, the angles or the vortex,” he added, kiddingly. “She is very teachable.”

Actually, when interviewed, Marn was more interested in gently letting the media know that she “wasn’t dressed for a beauty pageant” and was not quite ready for a picture of her match to run on HawaiiPrepWorld.com.

“I tried to stay positive, even with my sore finger (that she treated with ice after the match),” she said. “I kept on trying and I heard my team cheering me on and that helped a lot.

“Cross country helps with my endurance and water polo helps me to think about the team aspects,” Marn said.

Kamehameha’s Kayla Gaspar-Takahashi won her match at 138 pounds.

“She’s been wrestling for six years,” Vanenciano said. “She has stepped up as a team leader and also went up to the next weight class for this meet. She’s usually at 132.”

The Kamehameha girls are the defending state champs.

“We’re struggling, trying to get our best lineup together,” he said. “These girls are teenagers and they’re trying to make weight and they’ve got to take care of their schoolwork, so it’s hard.”

Punahou’s B.J. Hoshino was impressive with a first-period pin in the 97-pound class.

Hoshino was a winner at the Officials tournament, and has been battling back and forth so far this season with Lahainaluna’s Ira Navarro.

“They’ve had some great one-point matches,” Punahou’s Honda said.