Dane Yamashiro beat teammate Charles Kam for his fourth Interscholastic League of Honolulu judo title on Friday night at McCabe Gymnasium.
Yamashiro will go for his third state crown next week at 285 pounds to go with his two state wrestling crowns.
He is the first judoka to pull off the ILH slam since Mid-Pacific’s Josh Terao in 2014.
“Winning my first one (at 220) was the most fun,” Yamashiro said. “I won by four shidos, which was disqualification. Not a typical win. This one was hard going against my teammate. It’s good to have some McKinley and Moanalua alumni come to practice. People from Castle come help out.”
Punahou senior Jenna Enoka outlasted teammate Sarah Obra-Nakata to win her second consecutive ILH 98-pound title.
“It’s super tough. Last year, we played in the (ILH) finals and I beat her by ippon,” said Enoka, who won this time by three shido (penalty points). “We’re friends off the mat, but on the mat we compete. She wrestles (in the winter season). She definitely got stronger.”
Enoka’s toughest competition, Amanda Higa of Moanalua, has been absent from OIA competition.
“I haven’t been keeping up, but I heard a rumor she got injured during wrestling season,” said Enoka, who began at Hodokan Judo Club in Manoa at age 7. “There’s a bunch of good players from the OIA. They’re very physical.”
Enoka’s teammate, Taryn Ichimura, won the 122-pound weight class at the ILH championships last year before losing in the state finals. Ichimura defeated Taylor Lau of ‘Iolani by pin.
“I did a wazari (half throw) and then I turned her over and pinned her. She likes to get a top grip, so my coaches said to look out for that,” said Ichimura, who is unbeaten this season.
She lost to Sienna Ho of Moanalua in the state finals last spring, but Ho has since graduated. Ichimura also placed second in the state as a freshman, and was third as a sophomore. That’s a lot of shiny medals to this point.
“But it would be awesome to finish my senior year with a state title,” she said.
Only one ILH girl managed to win a state title in 2016 — Kamehameha’s Teshya Alo. Former ‘Iolani wrestler Teniya Alo (Teshya’s sister), who captured the ’15 title at 139 in the ILH and HHSAA, recently won the OIA East 139 weight class for Kahuku.
The route of Enoka and Ichimura was very similar to what ‘Iolani’s Colby Watase has taken. Watase defeated Preston Gonsalves of Saint Louis to defend his ILH title in the boys 121 weight class. Watase was a runner-up at states last year.
Punahou’s Tyler Kawakami knocked off defending champion Saiaiga Fautanu of ‘Iolani in the boys 198 final.