Multiple state championships didn’t mean much Saturday night in Wahiawa.
Kamehameha’s Evan Kusumoto and Xander Erolin of Hanalani fell in the finals of the Hawaii Wrestling Officials Tournament at Leilehua. The seniors have won the past two state tournaments after having their freshman seasons wiped out by the pandemic.
Diesel Del Rosario of Lanai beat Kusumoto 4-2 at 120 pounds and Castle’s Keegan Goeas nipped Erolin 6-5 at 157 pounds to cap off the night in the main event. Del Rosario is the first boy to take gold from Lanai in the prestigious preseason test and Goeas was the first Castle boy to do it since Rodney Williams in 2013.
Del Rosario beat Kusumoto for the first time over the summer. He led after a takedown to close the second period and added a big reversal in the third.
“This is like everything, a dream come true,” Del Rosario said. “Almost there to get the main goal of state champion. I have to keep working toward it.”
Goeas and Erolin have a history as well. The Knight upset Erolin at Officials last year and then lost 4-2 in a thrilling contest in the state championship match that ended with Goeas refusing to shake the champion’s hand and drawing a chorus of boos from the packed house in Laie.
This one felt a lot different, with both combatants sharing laughs during each break in the action. Goeas held a slim lead throughout Saturday’s match, sealing it with an escape with seven seconds left.
“It was pretty fun,” Goeas said. “You always gotta keep it fun, because the moment you make it personal and all like that is when you lose.”
Goeas was quick to point out that his rivalry with Erolin is tied at two, and although Erolin has the state hardware, he just wants to wrestle the best opposition he can. All four boys welcome rematches in March.
It wasn’t all bad for the state’s elite, as Tyger Taam of Moanalua pinned Mililani’s Koen Shigemoto in 2:46 for his second Officials title and Mikah Labuanan beat Kai Sekigawa of ‘Iolani 25-11 for his first. Saint Louis sophomore Hunter Berger moved up three weight classes and pinned Kamehameha freshman Paliku Chang in 4:12 for his second Officials title. Juniors Taam and Labuanan have two state crowns apiece and Berger won as a freshman last year. All three are chasing a state slam.
Taam had the added honor of leading Na Menehune to the boys team title along with fellow finalist Aisea Soriano.
State champ Jax Realin of Kamehameha was in top form on the girls side, pinning Crystin-Di Treu of Lahainaluna for her second Officials title.
Moanalua also won the girls team title behind championships from state queen Nohilani Kukonu, as well as Kaitlyn Fong and Zaira Sugui. But they also suffered the biggest upset.
Pearl City’s Serah Yogi delighted the crowd with a 6-5 win over fellow sophomore Adriana Daoang, pulling out a reversal with 27 seconds left in the tight match that found her on her back and in trouble midway through the second period.
Daoang pinned Yogi in the first period for her first state title last year. Yogi says she had wrestled Daoang at least 20 times and never beaten her.
“I don’t even believe this is happening right now,” Yogi said. “I never expected myself to be here, but I really think that this year I am working way harder and have a lot of good partners.”