Farmers Find Their Match

come to our mats, now it’s our turn to come to theirs.”

Lee-Namakaeha and his opponent from Lahainaluna High School duck and grab. One second they’re standing head to head, the next, grappling on the mat.

Then it’s over. The score board changes to 3-2 and the ref raises Lee-Namakaeha’s arm in victory. Sweating and panting, the wrestlers look as though they’re ready to drop.

“Eight minutes is a long time to wrestle,” says Randy Manley, one of Molokai’s three coaches. “It’s a very physically demanding sport.”

The biggest challenge of wrestling?

“Perseverance,” says Manley.

Manley also coaches a kids’ wrestling program on Molokai. He says 54 kids participate, and about half the high school team is fed from this program.

Below are Molokai’s results in last weekend’s tournament. Weight division is listed in parentheses.

Friday: Boys: (114) 3rd, Kailen Inouye; (130) 1st, Kevin Dudoit; (135) 2nd, Simon Blair; (140) 2nd, Gaig Yap; (160) 4th, Delfin Corpuz; (171) 1st, Colton Manley; (189) 3rd, Brennan Lee-Namakaeha; (215), 1st, Jason Akaka

Girls: (98) 2nd, Mikayla Pico; (120) 4th, Louisa Torres-Umi; (125) 4th, Kaulanarose Akaka; (130) 2nd, Charisse Manley; (175) 1st, Justina Luafalemana

Saturday: Boys Maui 15 vs. Molokai 6. (108) Gerald Dionio, Maui High, pinned Sereno Dudoit-Enos 0:34; (114) McDaven Gumboc, Maui High, dec. Kailen Inouye 6-0; (135) Charles Cruz, Maui High, dec. Kevin Dudoit 8-3; (140) Ty Estabillo, Maui High, dec. Simon Blair 5-4; (152) Darius Caparida, Molokai, pinned Jon Kitagawa 0:32; (285) Jason Akaka, Molokai, def. Josiah Kaiu 4-0.

Molokai Girls 9 vs. Kamehameha 6. (98) Mikayla Pico, Molokai, dec. Nikki Davis 5-0; (125) Louisa Torres-Umi, Molokai, dec. Aysia Peters 2-1; (130) Charisse Manley, Molokai, dec. Sarah Ishikawa 9-2; (140) Eva Kaaa, Kamehameha Maui, pinned Maikel Gosselin-Gunn 0:15.