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Westside Wrestling around for the first time
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| Going for the gold:The Westside Wrestling team arrives on O‘ahu for a tournament. |
By Duane Shimogawa Jr. - The Garden Island
There's a first for everything and they all say that you'll always remember your first time and the Westside Wrestlers won't disappoint at its first-ever event.
The Westside Wrestling Tournament happens Saturday, August 27 at Waimea High School's Gym.
It's Kaua‘i's first annual USAW sanctioned tournament. Weighins start at 8 a.m., matches are expected to begin about 10 a.m. with competition ending in the afternoon.
Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to the top three finishers in each division. Wrestlers will be paired in divisions based on age and weight.
USAW certified referees, from Oahu, will officiate the competition based on International Freestyle rules. A rules clinic will be held after weighins, just before competition. The tournament is open to wrestlers of all ages and both genders, USAW membership is required and may be purchased at the door.
The Hawaii USAW tournament season usually runs from March through June, ending the last weekend of June at the Aloha State Games. Westside Wrestling has been scrambling to to get a tournament this year.
A minimum of two regulation mats are required for a sanctioned tournament, and Westside Wrestling got it's second mat just in time. The Department of Education, Waimea High School, worked the event into its very busy schedule at the gym.
At this years Aloha State Games tournament, last June 25, the Hawaii USAW board was so impressed with Westside Wrestling's efforts to compete, (11 wrestlers made the trip), they agreed to sanction the Waimea tournament.
Next year the Westside Wrestling tournament will be scheduled earlier in the season, fitting in to the regular tournament schedule, some time between March and June. Westside Wrestling hopes to make the tournament an annual event.
Turn out may be low from the other Islands this year, because the season is usually over for most clubs; However there have been several inquiries from Oahu coaches, hopefully Kauai residents will get a chance to see some of the best wrestlers in the State.
Westside Wrestling shares a goal with the good folks at the K-PAL wrestling club, to get the sport going in the Kauai high schools. The outstanding success this year by the K-Pal club, and the efforts of Westside Wrestling have demonstrated the desire of Kauai youths to participate in the sport.
The word is that the KIF may be adopting the sport of wrestling next year! Westside Wrestling plans on leaving one of its regulation mats at Waimea High to help the school get the sport going! High school wrestling will be an opportunity for Kauai students to achieve their goals.
Many high school students throughout Hawaii have earned college scholarships in the sport of wrestling. 2001 St. Louis High graduate Travis Lee graduated this year from New York's Cornell University, where he attended on a wrestling scholarship following his successful high school career.
Travis was a four time All American and two time National Champion at Cornell. Kapua Torres of Kahuku, and Selina Perez of Waiehu Maui, won women's National Collegiate championships this year in the fast growing sport of women's wrestling. Hawaii high schools are considered some of the best in the Nation in women's wrestling.
Hawaii wrestlers Kuu Johnson and Danielle Heiden have scholarships and are on their way to the Northern Michigan Home for Olympic Hopefuls. TJ Kuahine, in Hawaii USAW tournaments since 7th grade, is entering Cal Poly as a freshman on a wrestling scholarship. TJ is a Baldwin High graduate.
Wrestling is a sport like track or swimming where an individual athlete can make it all the way to the State Championship, whether or not their teammates make it. Wrestling also allows athletes of all sizes a chance to go all the way, whether they wrestle in the 98lb weight class or are a heavyweight.
Admission is free, so come on out west, Saturday August 27, and watch some of Kauai's hopefuls mix it up on the mat.
Special mahalo to some of the good folks who helped make this tournament happen: Lieutenant "Boog" Powell at PMRF made arrangements for Westside Wrestling to clean, cure and store the new mat on base.
Waimea High Principal Bill Arakaki and Athletic Director John Kobayashi fit the tournament into the busy gym schedule. Helen Santiago at the Waimea Neighborhood center reserved team rooms for wrestlers from off island.
Many more parents and friends of Westside Wrestling have donated time and money, mahalo to all!
Contact Coach Mac at Westside Wrestling for more tournament information: 337-1760 or 6398858.
Email westsidewrestling@hawaii.rr.com and check out their website at www.westide-wrestling.com.
The Westside Wrestling Tournament happens Saturday, August 27 at Waimea High School's Gym.
It's Kaua‘i's first annual USAW sanctioned tournament. Weighins start at 8 a.m., matches are expected to begin about 10 a.m. with competition ending in the afternoon.
Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to the top three finishers in each division. Wrestlers will be paired in divisions based on age and weight.
USAW certified referees, from Oahu, will officiate the competition based on International Freestyle rules. A rules clinic will be held after weighins, just before competition. The tournament is open to wrestlers of all ages and both genders, USAW membership is required and may be purchased at the door.
The Hawaii USAW tournament season usually runs from March through June, ending the last weekend of June at the Aloha State Games. Westside Wrestling has been scrambling to to get a tournament this year.
A minimum of two regulation mats are required for a sanctioned tournament, and Westside Wrestling got it's second mat just in time. The Department of Education, Waimea High School, worked the event into its very busy schedule at the gym.
At this years Aloha State Games tournament, last June 25, the Hawaii USAW board was so impressed with Westside Wrestling's efforts to compete, (11 wrestlers made the trip), they agreed to sanction the Waimea tournament.
Next year the Westside Wrestling tournament will be scheduled earlier in the season, fitting in to the regular tournament schedule, some time between March and June. Westside Wrestling hopes to make the tournament an annual event.
Turn out may be low from the other Islands this year, because the season is usually over for most clubs; However there have been several inquiries from Oahu coaches, hopefully Kauai residents will get a chance to see some of the best wrestlers in the State.
Westside Wrestling shares a goal with the good folks at the K-PAL wrestling club, to get the sport going in the Kauai high schools. The outstanding success this year by the K-Pal club, and the efforts of Westside Wrestling have demonstrated the desire of Kauai youths to participate in the sport.
The word is that the KIF may be adopting the sport of wrestling next year! Westside Wrestling plans on leaving one of its regulation mats at Waimea High to help the school get the sport going! High school wrestling will be an opportunity for Kauai students to achieve their goals.
Many high school students throughout Hawaii have earned college scholarships in the sport of wrestling. 2001 St. Louis High graduate Travis Lee graduated this year from New York's Cornell University, where he attended on a wrestling scholarship following his successful high school career.
Travis was a four time All American and two time National Champion at Cornell. Kapua Torres of Kahuku, and Selina Perez of Waiehu Maui, won women's National Collegiate championships this year in the fast growing sport of women's wrestling. Hawaii high schools are considered some of the best in the Nation in women's wrestling.
Hawaii wrestlers Kuu Johnson and Danielle Heiden have scholarships and are on their way to the Northern Michigan Home for Olympic Hopefuls. TJ Kuahine, in Hawaii USAW tournaments since 7th grade, is entering Cal Poly as a freshman on a wrestling scholarship. TJ is a Baldwin High graduate.
Wrestling is a sport like track or swimming where an individual athlete can make it all the way to the State Championship, whether or not their teammates make it. Wrestling also allows athletes of all sizes a chance to go all the way, whether they wrestle in the 98lb weight class or are a heavyweight.
Admission is free, so come on out west, Saturday August 27, and watch some of Kauai's hopefuls mix it up on the mat.
Special mahalo to some of the good folks who helped make this tournament happen: Lieutenant "Boog" Powell at PMRF made arrangements for Westside Wrestling to clean, cure and store the new mat on base.
Waimea High Principal Bill Arakaki and Athletic Director John Kobayashi fit the tournament into the busy gym schedule. Helen Santiago at the Waimea Neighborhood center reserved team rooms for wrestlers from off island.
Many more parents and friends of Westside Wrestling have donated time and money, mahalo to all!
Contact Coach Mac at Westside Wrestling for more tournament information: 337-1760 or 6398858.
Email westsidewrestling@hawaii.rr.com and check out their website at www.westide-wrestling.com.
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| AYSO soccer opens 2005-06 season | Side Lines for Sunday -- August 21, 2005 |
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