Lady Red Raiders In Command Of The Wrestling Mats

Wednesday - February 06, 2008
By Jack Danilewicz
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With four Oahu Interscholastic Association championships in the last five years to their credit, the Kahuku girls wrestling team doesn’t have to spend a lot of time defining its goals.

Individually, as well as collectively, the Red Raiders bring plenty of self-motivation to the mix, to hear coach Reggie Torres tell it.

“They’re great girls - they’re all leaders,” said Torres, who has also led the Kahuku girls to three state titles, most recently in 2006.“Most of them, they’ve been training for awhile, and they know how to be focused, and they know how to work. They lead our practices (which include the boys wrestling team).”

The team appears to be right on track for yet another run in both the upcoming OIA tournament and the Chevron 2008 state championships, having taken a perfect 16-0 record (in dual meets) into last weekend.

“We have a lot of skilled wrestlers and a lot of depth,” Torres said.

As the defending OIA champion, the Red Raiders will likely be one of the favorites in the state tournament Feb. 29 and March 1 at Blaisdell Arena.


“It’s going to be a tight race,” he said of the state championships.“We have to stay healthy. We’ve been able to win (in the dual meets) so far, but it was hard. Kapolei, Farrington and Iolani are all capable of winning it all.”

For their part, Torres is happy to have senior Danica Auna back in the fold. A defending state champion in the 120-pound weight class, she’s been dominant this season as expected and finished third at her weight in the Nationals in Michigan last year.

“Her physicality helps her, but she works really hard,” Torres said. “She runs to school every morning, about four miles, and when we run in practice, she’s always one of the first to come back in. She’s a workhorse with a lot of heart and a lot of pride.”

The squad also boasts fellow senior Cianah Hee, who took second in the state in the 125-pound weight class last year. She took second in the Nationals during Kahuku’s off-season.

“She’s a lot like Danica,” Torres said. “They both come at you for six minutes, they just keep coming. Both have great support at home, and with their parents behind them, they go in with a lot of heart.”

Kahuku may have another potential state champion in senior Amanda Soliai, who wrestles in the 155-pound class. Her only loss this winter came to defending state champion Monique Dilliner of Kailua, according to Torres. She finished third in the state last year and second as a sophomore.

“She’s pinned every other girl she’s faced this year,” Torres said of Soliai, who finished first in her weight class in a national tournament in California in December. “She’s going to be tough.”

In the 130-pound weight class, the Red Raiders feature one of the league’s top newcomers in freshman Anela Santiago. Her impact on the team has been immediate, according to Torres, noting that she placed first in her class at the Lahainaluna preseason tournament in December.

“She’s a ‘finesse-wrestler’ with great technique,” Torres said. “Her dad has taken her to meets all over, and she learned a lot growing up. She should be tough this year. She’s that good.”


Torres also expects Chelsy Eugenio (114), Erin Ah-Sue (140) and Kalae Johnson (108) to qualify for the state tournament. All three made the cut last year.

The Red Raiders, who were to compete in a dual meet at Moanalua last Friday, are preparing next for both the Eastern Division and overall OIA championships, which will take place in the coming weeks.

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