Not everyone has a wrestling room.

Blaysen Terukina does, and that speaks to the Kamehameha senior’s dedication while also offering a reminder that he comes from a stellar line of Terukinas who have etched their names in Hawaii wrestling history.

There’s his father, Darryl, who won two state titles, his uncle Ben (three) and his brother Shayden (three), who also wrestled at Iowa State. Two more are on the way. Brother Zayren, a sophomore, is seeded fourth for Campbell at 126 pounds in this weekend’s state tournament, and another younger brother, Kysen, is an eighth-grader and intermediate champion at Kamehameha.

On Saturday, Blaysen Terukina won his fourth straight Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship, and he is after his second state crown this weekend in the 132-pound class.

“The Terukinas are an exceptional family and we’re blessed to have them as part of the team,” Warriors coach Ola Silva said. “I think what makes Blaysen the type of exceptional wrestler that he is is that he’s self-directed. I don’t have to be on him, where in most cases, and coaches can all agree on this, we gotta be on our wrestlers. He’s been one of our captains for two years. Shayden was the same and I’m assuming his brother, who we call Peanut, will be the same, too.”

Blaysen Terukina learned a valuable lesson this season in a loss to Punahou state champion Cameron Kato, who moved up from 126 pounds and edged Terukina at 132. The lesson in a nutshell: to wrestle smarter, according to Silva.

“Blaysen is confident and he pushes the pace,” Silva said. “We try to hold him back and have him pick his shots, to be meticulous about what he’s going to do out there instead of just pressure, pressure, pressure. It definitely hurt him against Kato, who is a smart wrestler. When I look back at that match, Blaysen was doing what he usually does to everyone in his weight class. But when you go against a guy like Kato, it’s more of a chess game. You gotta play chess a lot better against those guys. Blaysen took it as a learning experience right off the bat. He told me he needed that (loss) and that he could have moved his hands and feet a lot better. That’s showing maturity.”

Terukina has an intense game face.

“It’s funny because new kids come in and they don’t know him, so it’s very intimidating to see him, even in practice,” Silva said. “He’s a real hard-nosed wrestler, doing everything we say to do, but once he comes down to their level and he starts teaching them on the side, they kind of get to see that from him, so there’s two sides to him.”

Another interesting thing about Terukina is his commitment to school, which should tantalize some college recruiters.

“I always make sure I finish my schoolwork before I do the extra training because school always comes before sports,” said Terukina, who is being recruited by Menlo College for wrestling. “I try my best and put the most effort I can into my work.”

The competitive spirit is certainly alive in the Terukina youngsters. When Zayren, who won an OIA title for the Sabers on Saturday, was asked who was a better wrestler, him or Blaysen, he said, “I think me. I feel like I train harder.”

Blaysen, who is seeded No. 1 at 132 for states, and Zayren will both be trying to bring more state hardware home.

“What keeps me driving is my brothers and my friends, the Cabanban brothers (Cody and Corey, of Saint Louis),” Blaysen said. “We’re always driving and pushing each other and laughing at each other, building the will to win. Without them, none of this would be possible. Training would be way below. Some day, we’ll be able to sit around and remember all those brutal movements we go through together. It’s what brings us closer and makes that bond tighter.

“If I win another state title, it would be the 10th for my family, so that would mean a lot to my family, to those who came before me and to my brothers who are coming up.”

The High School Top 10

Voted on by coaches and media statewide. First-place votes in parentheses. Ten points for first-place votes, nine for second, etc.

Also receiving votes: Mid-Pacific 14, Waiakea 13, Roosevelt 4, Kahuku 4, Kailua 3, Baldwin 1.

Also receiving votes: Farrington 13, Roosevelt 8, Kamehameha 8, Mililani 8, KS-Hawaii 5, KS-Maui 5, Sacred Hearts 1.

Top Performers

‘Aukai lileikis, Punahou
Swimming
At the state championships the senior broke records in the 100 and 200 freestyle both days and added the record in the 50 freestyle on the first leg of the 200 freestyle relay, which Punahou won. He helped the Buffanblu to first place in the 400 free relay and the team title.

Chanelle Molina, Konawaena
Basketball
She missed only four shots in the state championship game against Maryknoll for 24 of her team’s 44 points to be named the most outstanding player of the tournament. She scored 17 points and pulled down 15 rebounds in the first two games.