12 Molokai Wrestlers Heading to States

Photo by Jason Hayase

Twelve Molokai High School students – nine girls and three boys – earned the right last weekend to represent the Friendly Isle in the 2020 HHSA Wrestling State Championships on O‘ahu next week.

The Molokai High School Boys and Girls Wrestling teams traveled to Upcountry Maui last Saturday for the MIL Wrestling Championships at Kamehameha High School in Pukalani. After a hard-fought day and night of wrestling, the Farmers qualified 12 students to the state championships at the Blaisdell Center on O‘ahu Feb. 21-22.

Finishing well in this tournament is not just about bragging rights. In order to advance to the state tournament a wrestler must finish in the top-three in their weight class. As the tournament began, the MHS Farmer Wrestling Teams knew the road to qualify for the state meet would not be an easy one.

Molokai had one boy and five girls in the finals, and they all came up short, so no MIL champions this year, but it was still a successful tournament with 12 wrestlers qualifying for the states next week.

“We would have loved to have had a couple of champions, but we are happy that we finished well and that a good group will compete at the state level. Our kids worked hard this year and we are proud of their accomplishments,” Head Coach Randy Manley said.

More than half of the Farmer boys’ team are first-year wrestlers experiencing the MIL Championships for the first time. The girls’ team, while significantly more experienced, were facing formidable competition as many would be paired up against returning state champions from Lahainaluna and Baldwin High Schools. Molokai finished third in the team competition behind those two Maui wrestling powerhouses.

Girls qualifying for states:

Kailani Bicoy 107lbs – 2^nd place

Barbara Simon 112lbs – 3^rd place

Keeya Bicoy 117lbs – 2^nd place

Alana Morris 122lbs – 3^rd place

Claudia Keanini 138lbs – 2^nd place

Chaenel Deluna 145lbslbs – 2^nd place

Maile Kaahanui 155lbs – 3^rd place

Janvier Bentley-Smith 168lbs – 2^nd place

Shekinah Orlando 168lbs – 3^rd place

Boys qualifying for states:

Austin Kaalekahi 106lbs – 3^rd place

Heno Kaiama 152lbs –3^rd place

Leo Kalipi – 195lbs – 2^{nd place}