Kamehameha sophomore Kayla Araki brought home an ohana bronze medal from the HHSAA state wrestling championships, making more than herself and school proud.
She defeated Castle’s Asia Igafo, 6-2, in the 132-pound weight class for third place on Saturday at Neal Blaisdell Arena, earning her first state medal.
“It hasn’t hit me yet,” Araki said. “I’m proud of myself. I’ve worked really hard for it. When I went to states, the matches were definitely harder.
“I enjoyed it. I like it when I have a hard match. It makes me feel like I worked for it, and earned it. It’s more rewarding.”
It was an accomplishment that shined a light on everyone in the BIIF, including other coaches and competitors.
On the Big Island, the league’s wrestling coaches help other schools, and Araki is a perfect example of that ohana spirit.
She lives in Kailua-Kona, and when Araki can’t make it to a weekend practice or offseason workout she’ll train at either Kealakehe or Konawaena.
“Her bronze is an island-wide effort,” Kamehameha coach Marlon Miller said. “All the BIIF coaches get together and help each other out. We help Hilo and Waiakea and they do the same.
“We all come together. For us, it’s an island thing — us against the other islands. We want to see all the kids do well.”
It was the second straight year no BIIF wrestler won state gold. From at least 2008 to ’13, a BIIF wrestler qualified for a final.
Araki’s decision against Igafo was not a big deal. The Warrior’s loss in the semifinals to eventual champion Teshya Alo, from KS-Kapalama, was a whopper.
If there is any HHSAA athlete, marked for Olympic greatness, to keep an eye on it’s Alo, a junior and three-time state champ.
Alo is widely considered to be the best prep female wrestler in the United States. She has won three Fargo National titles and four Body Bar National titles.
Alo also captured the prestigious Cadet World Title at 123 pounds for the Unites States in Slovakia last July.
As a freshman in the state final, Alo steam-rolled Lahainaluna’s Breanna Vasquez in 35 seconds. The next year, she flattened Baldwin’s Shayna Boteilho in 53 seconds.
Araki knew all about her, but still couldn’t stop her bullet-train counterpart, who is a package of speed, strength, and surgical precision.
Alo pinned Araki in 15 seconds.
“I was trying to go to the 127 class, but I couldn’t make it,” Araki said. “If you want to be the best, you have to face the best. It was a good experience to see where I stand.
“I thought she was trying to throw me, and I tried to stop it. I pulled back and she picked me up really high and slammed me. It was really quick. I have to train harder to last longer.”
Last season, Araki was the 140-pound BIIF champion and didn’t place at states.
Her goal was to go 8 of 8 in BIIF titles in wrestling and judo — something only 2012 Kamehameha graduate Megan Aina has done in league history, while getting a state gold medal in each.
Last season for judo, Araki suffered a concussion three days before the BIIF season and had to sit out the year.
The best she can do is go 7 for 7. She’s halfway there for wresting and starts her journey soon for judo. And grandma Joy Kawakami is the one who drives her from home to Hilo to stay with relatives.
“I’m hoping to do better in judo than wrestling,” said Araki, who then recalled how good a state medal felt. “It was that excitement, just being in the moment, and warming up for matches was the best part. Just everything was fun. Wrestling is fun for me.”