‘Iolani’s Kaysen Takenaka, the three-time ILH champion, pinned Kahuku’s Sitaleki Tongi in a 170-pound first-round match at the state wrestling championships at Blaisdell Arena on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, OIA champion Keanu Punley of Leilehua barely got past Moanalua’s Jaycen Crisostomo in the loaded 170-pound class. Punley is the top seed.
“He kind of came out cold,” Mules coach Kevin Corbett said about Punley. “It was a tight match. The Moanalua wrestler wrestled really tough. I thought it should have been bigger than just the one point. Punley pulled it out at the end.”
The score was tied 0-0 after two periods and Punley got his point with an escape in the third.
The quarterfinal matchups are:
>> Gianni Oyadomari (Kapolei) vs. Kachi Respicio (Campbell)
>> Kasey Kikuyama (Pearl City) vs. Kaysen Takenaka (‘Iolani)
>> Salvador Gonzalez (Roosevelt) vs. Jake Grimme (Hawaii Prep)
>> Kainalu Huddy (Kamehameha) vs. Keanu Punley (Leilehua)
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