No fist pump. No jumping for joy. No crying.
Instead of those theatrics, Kamehameha wrestler Kysen Terukina chose to smile and wave like a pageant winner to the large Blaisdell Arena crowd Thursday.
Job done. Figurative crown snugly on his head. Time to relax before starting that rigorous training all over again with high hopes to do it all again next year.
Terukina is three-quarters of the way complete in that ultimate goal of a four-year state championship run. Only five Hawaii boys have accomplished that dream since wrestling became a state tournament sport in 1966.
“I wrestle these guys all season long, so it gets pretty much repetitive,” said Terukina, who finished the 2019 season as the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s No. 1 boys pound-for-pound wrestler after taking down the field in the 126-pound division. “They change up here and there, but I’ve already got them on lockdown.”
With one more state title, he would be the first Terukina from that wrestling-rich family from Ewa to get the four-year slam.
Kalaheo senior Rysan Leong broke onto the scene a year ago by capturing the 160-pound state title. A year and 10 pounds later, Leong dominated the 170-pound class and checks into the Top 10 at No. 2.
“My last minutes of my high school career was just great to perform in front of my family and friends and be the first at Kalaheo to be a two-time champ,” Leong said.
No. 3 Branden Pagurayan of Kapolei faced little resistance en route to his second straight 152-pound championship and, with two years remaining, can get two more.
“Two down so far,” he said. “I plan on completing it.”
There are two other two-time state champions in the final Top 10, but neither can bring the total to four. No. 4 Coby Ravida of Baldwin, who is a junior, added the 113-pound trophy to the one he won at 106 a year ago. No. 5 Noah Wusstig of Moanalua, a senior, moved up from 138 to 145 and got the same first-place result.
Leilehua’s Kaena DeSantos found himself in a veritable war with Lahainaluna’s Kawehi Gillcoat for the 138 championship, and survived the back-and-forth bout 14-12 to etch his name into the state tournament winners circle. He ends the season at No. 6.
“He was undefeated,” DeSantos said. “I was undefeated. I wanted that thing more.”
Gillcoat, the four-year MIL champion who led most of the way in the final, wound up at No. 10.
Like DeSantos, Moanalua’s Boltyn Taam was in a heavy-duty fracas and came out on top to lock his spot at No. 9. He nudged past Kamehameha’s Braden Akima 7-6 in the 160-pound final.
Things are looking up for Kamehameha’s Brant Porter, who earned the No. 7 rank after going from a third-place finish at states two years ago to second last year to the 120-pound championship this year.
A freshman who showed boundless energy in dominating at 106 pounds, Punahou’s Mason Stefanelli checks in at No. 8. That motor of his may take him to multiple titles.
“Winning four, it’s a dream,” he said, “but I’m just focused on the next one and getting back to work.”
1. Kysen Terukina
Kamehameha junior
>> 2019 state champion (126)
>> 2018 state champion (120)
>> 2017 state champion (113)
2019 states: Andrew Trent (McKinley) W, 1:01; Kahiliwala Joy (Baldwin) W, 5:56; Weiyi Zheng (Aiea) W, 15-2; Elijah Kaawa (Saint Louis) W, 4-1.
2. Rysan Leong
Kalaheo senior
>> 2019 state champion (170)
>> 2018 state champion (160)
2019 States: Vinny Schmidt (Campbell) W, 1:28; Andrew Canonico (Punahou) W, 14-6; Kekoa Schatz (Kamehameha) W, 5:43; Blaze Pascua (‘Iolani) W, 7-1.
3. Branden Pagurayan
Kapolei sophomore
2019 state champion (152), 2018 state champion (152)
States: Duncan Castro (Keaau) W, 0:23; Derek Perez (Lahainaluna) W, 22-7; Kanoa Aruba-Starwood (KS-Maui) W, 20-5; Pookela De Santos (Leilehua) W, 0:51.
4. Noah Wusstig
Moanalua senior
2019 state champion (145), 2018 state champion (138)
States: Pookela Moses-Espanto (Pearl City) W, 0:31; Manaia Wolfgramm (Kamehameha) W, 5-4; Devin Shimabukuro (Maryknoll) W, 8-4; Billy Treu (Baldwin) W, 7-3.
5. Coby Ravida
Baldwin junior
2019 state champion (113), 2018 state champion (106), 2017 state fifth (106)
States: Dylan Cuesta (Mililani) W, 3:53; Scott Fujishima (Mid-Pacific) W, 14-0; Thomas Nitta (Kalaheo) W, 3:56; Sheydon Tomisato (Kamehameha) W, 6-4.
6. Kaena Desantos
Leilehua junior
2019 state champ (138), 2018 state third (132), 2017 state sixth (132)
States: Noah Brigoli (‘Iolani) W, 7-1; Bronson Adric (Baldwin) W, 1:58; Kanai Tapia (Kamehameha) W, 5-3; Kawehi Gillcoat (Lahainaluna) W, 14-12.
7. Brant Porter
Kamehameha junior
2019 state champion (120), 2018 state second (106), 2017 state third (106)
States: Carlos Masuko (KS-Hawaii) W, 1:45; Koby Chun (Kaiser) W, 12-6; Kobby Faeldonea (Kealakehe) W, 8-2; Branson Magsayo (Saint Louis) W, 5:16.
8. Mason Stefanelli
Punahou freshman
2019 state champion (106)
States: Brayden Kamimura (Kalani) W, 3:24; Luke Herchelman (Konawaena) W, 3:25; Nicholas Cordeiro (Waianae) W, 17-2; Tobey Ravida (Baldwin) W, 13-0.
9. Boltyn Taam
Moanalua sophomore
2019 state champion (160), 2018 state second (145)
States: Cole Cadinha (Kaiser) W, 20-5; Craig Nava (Hanalani) W, 3-0; Keaka Kuaana (Lahainaluna) W, 8-1; Braden Akima (Kamehameha) W, 7-6.
10. Kawehi Gillcoat
Lahainaluna senior
2019 state second (138), 2018 state second (138), 2017 state fifth (120), 2016 state sixth (120)
States: Jayven Lomavita (Pearl City) W, 2:46; Zachary Urabe (Punahou) W, def.; Elijah Diamond (Mililani) W, 1:33; Kaena Desantos (Leilehua) L, 14-12.