News Page
Moanalua girls win 3rd straight wrestling title
By Kyle Sakamoto 3/4/2001
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Moanalua High School gymnasium will soon be home to a third girls’ state wrestling championship banner.
Moanalua won three individual titles en route to winning its third consecutive Data House Girls State Wrestling Championship last night at the Blaisdell Arena.
The Menehune have won all three official girls state championships. McKinley won a pilot tournament in 1998.
"The girls really worked hard for it this year," Moanalua coach Joel Kawachi said. "They enjoy having those two banners up on the wall. They set their goals early to put a third one up there."
Moanalua finished with 134.5 points. Castle placed second with 116 points and Punahou third with 83.5.
"We have 19 girls on our team that work together and helped each other," Kawachi said. "We’re lucky enough to have great wrestlers and supportive parents."
The champions for the Menehune were Caylene Valdez (108 pounds, pin at 1:35), Stephany Lee (140, pin at 3:10) and Gabrielle Nicholas (175, won 8-6).
"Caylene’s goal has always been to be the first four-time girls state champion ever," Kawachi said. "She worked really hard for that goal."
Valdez is currently a sophomore.
"It’s a great feeling being known as the only team that ever won states," Lee said.
The match of the night was the unseeded Nicholas defeating top seed Margot Kimura of Pearl City with a two-point, double-leg takedown with nine seconds remaining in the final round.
"(Nicholas) lost twice to that girl this year," Kawachi said. "I knew she could do it. It was a tough match that went to the end. Gabby in the end pulled off the big takedown."
Late in the first round, Nicholas took down Kimura, but the official ruled it took place out-of-bounds.
"I took her down, but I didn’t know he didn’t give me the points until everyone started booing," Nicholas said.
Kawachi, who spent the entire final round sitting among the fans in the upper level, said: "I saw it as two, but then again I’m way up here in the stands. I don’t have a clear angle like the referees do."
Eight of the 10 top seeds won individual titles. Both top seeds who lost advanced to the finals.
Beating top seeds were Nicholas and third-seeded Iwalani Fonoimoana of Kamehameha, who pinned Lauren Phillips of Kealakehe at 41 seconds in the 220 final.
Wrestlers who defended their state titles were Melissa Orden of McKinley (103 pounds), Valdez (108), Cathy Migita of Castle (121), Lee (140) and Ashley Gaspar of Nanakuli (155).
Fonoimoana won a state title at 175 last year.
"I felt there was a lot of pressure coming back as the top seed," Orden said. "I like to be the underdog."
Said Gaspar: "It feels great since I’m Nanakuli’s first two-time state champion in girls."
-----------------------------------------------
Girls wrestling champions
By Dennis Anderson and Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writers 3/6/2001
TANYA MIYASAKI
|
98 pounds • Castle • Junior
The team’s tri-captain finished the season with a 36-1 record. She placed fourth at the 2000 state tournament at 103 pounds. Miyasaki also competes in judo, in which she won the O‘ahu Interscholastic Association title in 2000.
--------------------------------------------
MELISSA ORDEN
 |
103 pounds • McKinley • Junior
Whether it comes from her background in ballet or from practicing with members of the boys wrestling team, Orden has an "uncanny sense of balance," says her coach Chris Johnson. Orden is a two-time state champion and was named O‘ahu Interscholastic Association East’s outstanding girls wrestler in 2000.
---------------------------------------------
CAYLENE VALDEZ
 |
108 pounds • Moanalua • Sophomore
Valdez, who took up judo while in the 1st grade, is a two-time state champion with an extensive background. In 1999, she placed fourth at the U.S. Girls Wrestling Association Tournament. She is 59-0 in Hawai‘i and 73-4 overall. Her older brother wrestled for Roosevelt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEANNA LAU
 |
114 pounds • Punahou • Senior
Lau, the team’s co-captain, is a multisport athlete. She competed with Kokokahi Gymnastics until 4th grade and has been a member of Smith Taekwondo in Kane‘ohe since the 7th grade. She became a first-degree black belt in 2000. She took third in states last season. Her cumulative GPA is 3.89.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CATHY MIGITA
 |
121 pounds • Castle • Senior
The senior who was one of the team’s three captains, capped a perfect season by going 38-0 for her second state title. Migita also is ranked No. 8 nationally for wrestling and is a member of the cross country team.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DARA CHING
 |
130 pounds • Pearl City • Junior
Ching comes from a wrestling background. Her father wrestled for Waipahu and coached at Campbell and Pearl City (boys). She finished the season 20-0 after placing second at last season’s states. She also finished second at both the 2000 state wrestling tournament and OIA judo tournament. Her GPA this past semester was 4.0.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STEPHANY LEE
 |
140 pounds • Moanalua • Junior
A two-time state champion, Lee is ranked No. 2, according to U.S. Wrestling Girls Association at 136 pounds. The only loss in her career was earlier this year after a controversial illegal slam against a King Kekaulike wrestler during a preseason tournament. She has also competed in judo for the past nine years.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASHLEY GASPAR
 |
155 pounds • Nanakuli • Junior
As if this two-time state champion needs any help, her older brother, who graduated in 1999, goes to the school’s gym after work and practices with her. She finished the season 23-0 and has a three-year career record of 65-2. Gaspar has also lettered in football, soccer, volleyball and basketball. Her GPA is 3.5.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GABRIELLE NICHOLAS
 |
175 pounds • Moanalua • Junior
Nicholas was the only unseeded wrestler to win a state title, winning with a two-point, double-leg takedown with nine seconds left for an 8-6 victory. She finished third at the 2000 state championship. Nicholas also competes in judo.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IWALANI FONOIMOANA
 |
220 pounds • Kamehameha • Junior
Despite winning the state title in the 175-pound class, Fonoimoana was seeded third in the tournament. She scored the fastest pin at the state championships (41 seconds).
------------------------------------------------------------------
2001 State Wrestling Championship Photo Album
Pictures taken on March 2,3, of 2001
Pictures taken by: Chris Iraha and Krista Kiyosaki of Iolani School