Here your updated girls wrestling pound-for-pound rankings for January 12 with a brand new face at No. 1.
1. Teniya Alo, Kahuku
2016 state third (122), 2015 state champ (122),
2016 ILH champ (122), 2015 ILH champ (124),
2016 Officials champ (127), 2014 Officials champ (127),
Alo made it her mission to top this list and achieved it by moving up to beat Peralta 5-4 in a tight match at Mililani. She has been her same unstoppable self this year after enduring three surgeries and a shocking loss in last year’s state semifinals. She pinned her way through Officials and looks set to dominate whichever weight class she chooses to compete in, she is looking at 127 or 132. Peralta is the only girl to survive three periods against her.
2. Angela Peralta, Radford
2016 state champ (145), 2015 state second (145), 2014 state third (135)
2016 OIA champ (145), 2015 OIA champ (145), 2014 OIA Champ (135)
2016 Officials champ (145), 2015 Officials champ (145), 2014 Officials champ (145),
Peralta had a good run at the top of the rankings and remains one of Hawaii’s elite and will probably still have her way at 145 pounds after the loss to Alo and is a heavy favorite to pick up her second state title since Alo is the only girl in Hawaii who can compete with her.
3. Iverly Navarro, Lahainaluna (107)
2016 state champ (107), 2015 state third (102), 2014 state third (97)
2016 MIL champ (107), 2015 MIL champ (102),
2016 Officials champ (107), 2015 Officials champ (107)
Navarro drops a spot in these rankings through no fault of her own. She was absolutely dominant at Officials and Pa’ani, pinning her way though both tournaments and seeming to get stronger with each match. She will be going for her third MIL title and will be trying to become one of only three girls to earn their fourth medal at the state tournament this season. The margin between Navarro and Peralta is much smaller than the difference between Navarro and everybody else. Consider these the big three.
4. Kelani Corbett, Leilehua (155)
2016 state champ (155)
2016 Officials champ (155)
2016 Paani champ (155)
The sophomore rockets her way up the rankings after a Pa’ani title and a dominant performance at Mililani last week where she pinned Jacqueline Fuamatu of Pearl City after the Charger survived for a 5-1 loss at Pa’ani, the only time an opponent has gone the distance against her since she burst onto the scene at states. Last year at this time she was just another promising wrestler, now she is among the state’s best and will seriously threaten becoming a four-time state champion.
5. Ira Navarro, Lahainaluna (97)
2016 state third (102),
2016 Officials champ (97)
Navarro’s signature win this season was her 15-second pin of Baldwin’s Tianna Fernandez, but the Bear made it through six minutes at the Pa’ani Challenge before losing 7-2. If Fernandez, a freshman, jumps up to 102 where she won the MIT it leaves Navarro without any real challengers at 97 pounds other than Roosevelt’s Angelynn Baron or Allie Mahoe of Kapolei.
6. Macy Higa, Roosevelt
2016 State champ (112), 2015 state sixth (112),
2016 OIA champ (112)
2016 Officials champ (117)
Higa is a reigning state champion and has looked like it but was pushed by Kamehameha’s Alexis-Nova Posiulai at Mililani. That is nit-picking, though, she could very well be ranked as high as fourth. Her pin of Encinas at states last year puts her this high.
7. Jennie Fuamatu, Pearl City
2016 state second (168),
2016 OIA champ (168)
2016 Officials champ
Fuamatu has been a force since losing to Molokai’s Cendall Manley in last year’s state title match, pinning her way through Officials and Pa’ani and running largely unopposed. She picked up another pin last week at Mililani but didn’t appear to wrestle again.
8. Alexis Encinas, Lahainaluna
2016 state second (112), 2015 state champ (107), 2014 state fifth (101)
2016 MIL champ (112), 2015 MIL champ (107), 2014 MIL champ (101)
2016 Officials champ (112), 2015 Officials champ (112), 2014 Officials champ (107).
This is where it gets muddled, with Encinas beating Gooman but losing to Ikei. By all rights that would put her behind Ikei but pedigree wins out and the three-time state medalist certainly has the chops. Her only stumble was the loss to Ikei in a good match that was close throughout. Encinas is in a very tough class but should cruise into states with nobody to oppose her on Maui.
9. Ashley Gooman, Kamehameha
2016 state champ (102)
2016 ILH champ (102),
2015 Officials champ (102)
Gooman, a sophomore, seems up to the task of repeating as a state champ but she learned at Officials that it won’t come easy with Encinas shutting her out 7-0. She appears to have put in the work to repeat as a state champion, but the other girls in her class have improved as well. She beat Ikei by major decision to end last season, but the margin between them is not that great any more.
10. Tiare-Lynn Ikei, Kaiser
2016 state second (102),
2016 OIA champ (102)
Ikei is a battler and really showed something in her win over Encinas, everyone knew she could be dominant but that was the first match she really showed that she could push back against an opponent who is supposed to be superior to her and never really let Encinas breathe. As good as Ikei has looked, a repeat OIA title is not a given as she seems to have more league competition at her weight class than Encinas and Gooman do.
Also
11. Saydie Kala, Baldwin
2016 state third (168), 2015 state fourth (155)
2015 MIL champ (155), 2014 MIL champ (155)
2016 Officials champ (168), 2015 Officials champ (168)
12. Hannah Kannys, Kaiser
2016 state fifth
13. Donavyn Futa, Kamehameha
2016 state champ (117), 2014 state champ (113)
2016 ILH champ (117), 2014 ILH champ (113)
14. Mikayla Abe, Pearl City
2016 state second (107), 2015 state second (107)
2016 OIA champ (107), 2015 OIA champ (107)
2016 Officials champ (122)
15. Tehani Carlson, Waianae
2016 state champ (122)
2016 OIA champ (122),
2015 Officials champ (122)
16. Taryn Ichimura, Punahou
2016 state third (112), 2015 state second (112),
2016 ILH champ (112), 2015 ILH champ (114),
17. Zion-Grace Vierra, Kamehameha
2016 state fifth (127), 2015 state third (127)
2016 ILH champ (127), 2015 ILH champ (119),
18. Xiaolin Mai, Roosevelt
2016 state third (102),
2016 Officials champ (102)
19. Faith-Joy Okubo, Moanalua
2016 state fourth (127)
2016 Officials champ (132)
20. Kayla Araki, KS-Hawaii
2016 state third (145), 2015 state third (132)
2016 BIIF champ (145), 2015 BIIF champ (132), 2014 BIIF champ (140)
21. Bailey Hoshino, Punahou
2016 state fourth (97), 2015 state champ (97)
2016 ILH champ, 2015 ILH champ
2014 Officials champ
22. Anuhea Hamilton, Waianae
2016 state second (127), 2015 state fifth (127)
23. Lavenia Fotu, Farrington
2016 Officials champ (225)
24. Tianna Fernandez, Baldwin
25. Czarina Pineda-Abaya, Kalani
2016 state fourth (117), 2015 state fourth (117)
It’s going to be the best girls match ever having the top 2 P4P wrestlers go at it during OIA’a and States. Perhaps they’ll have Alo and Peralta as the final girls match of the night. I give Alo a lot of credit, it takes guts to bump up to 145 and go after a beast like Peralta. Great matchup ladies!
The 145 bracket should be the one watch with Alo and Peralta going at it.
Alo will be dominant and beat Peralta once and for all. Will Peralta run away to 155 or will she stay at 145 and face her destiny? Alo all the way. Raiders 4 Life baby!