Pearl City’s Yogi pulls off major upset in girls wrestling

Pearl City’s Serah Yogi finally pushed the boulder to the top of the hill.

Excuse her if she pauses a moment before forcing it over the crest.

Yogi suffered the indignity of what she estimated is a 20-match losing streak to fellow sophomore Adriana Daoang of Moanalua, the big one a first period pin in last year’s state championship match. Daoang pinned Yogi in just over a minute a week ago.

Yogi finally got over the hump against Daoang on Saturday in a championship match at the Hawaii Officials Association Tournament at Leilehua. Yogi beat Daoang 6-5 in a tight match that had her on her back and in trouble in the second period. She trailed 5-4 with 30 seconds left before scoring a reversal and hanging on for victory in the 100-pound class.

“It was so just crazy and everything happened so fast, I don’t remember anything,” Yogi said. “My dad signed to me to do a granby and I didn’t even think, I was just like even if I can’t do it I am still going to lose anyway so I just tried and it worked. It’s crazy, yea?”

All six of Yogi’s points came off reversals against the aggressive Daoang, one in each period. Other than her nearfall in the second period, Daoang’s only points came off a takedown a minute into the match.

Yogi won all three of her matches before the final with first-period pins and her fellow phenom only let one opponent, Shaniah-Le Ferreira of Waiakea, survive to the final whistle on her way to a 9-2 victory.

“I don’t know what to feel right now,” Yogi said. “I never thought this would happen.”

Daoang can take some solace in the fact that her run to the title match helped Na Menehune to the team title with 231 points to Baldwin’s 204 and 189 for Kamehameha.

State champion Nohilani Kukonu won Officials for the second time while Kaitlyn Fong and Zaira Sugui took their first. Sugui beat Baldwin’s Jahlia Miguel 4-2 after pinning the Bear to deny her a second straight state title last year and Fong shut out Kamehameha’s Anela Hokoana 2-0.

In other title matches:

Girls 105

Molokai senior Kayce Dudoit pinned her way through the tournament, finishing with a 1:04 job over Pearl City sophomore and state finalist Chloe Obuhanych. Dudoit won the Garner Ivey last week and Officials for Lahainaluna last year and is the first Farmers girl to take Officials.

Girls 115

Baldwin sophomore Chaela Gantala upset Kamehameha’s Joy Jeremiah 4-2. Jeremiah is a two-time state placer and Gantala moved down in weight after taking fourth at 122 pounds last year.

Girls 120

Tatiana Paragas of Punahou won what might be the most competive bracket on the girls side, toppling Kamehameha’s Rylie Nishida 6-4 in the final. Paragas took second at states last year and Nishida finished third. Nishida beat state runner up Elle Mizue of ‘Iolani in the semifinals on Saturday.

Girls 125

Siana Boaz-Vasquez of Lahainaluna won the title with a pin over freshman Nahenahe Kalamau of Moanalua after squeaking past Punahou’s Erika Olkowski 4-3 in the semis. The bracket was thrown into disarray when state runner up Maya Rose DeAngelo of ‘Iolani got hurt 50 seconds into her first match against Kalamau.

Girls 130

This is Jax Realin of Kamehameha’s world, she is a defending state champ. She pinned her way through the tournament and capped it off with a stoppage in 4:57 against Lahainaluna’s Crystin-Di Treu, who had also pinned her way to the final.

Girls 135

Taydem Uyemura of Pearl City earned repeat gold with a pin of Baldwin’s Teata Grove-Mataafa. She is a state runner up in this weight class after losing to Realin. Grove-Mataafa, who came within three points of a state title last year as a freshman but Uyemura was too strong this time.

Girls 140

Kapolei sophomore Eloise Woolsey won a state title by sudden victory last year and kept impressing at Officials by pinning Hilo’s Paige Taasan in the final. Both of them pinned their way through the tournament before the championship match.

Girls 170

Campbell’s Bethany Chargualafhas made two state finals and showed that pedigree on Saturday by pinning her way through the tournament and closed with a stoppage of Baldwin junior Shiloh Kamaka.

Girls 190

Lahainaluna’s Catherine Asami was nothing short of dominant, dropping her three opponents in under a minute each and closing with a 24 second pin of Molokai’s Eden Borden-Phillips. Asami is a state runner up and showed she is ready to take the next step.

Girls 235

Teizannaho Paleafei of Farrington was the surprise winner and she did it convincingly with three first-period pins, including a 24-second stoppage of Mililani sophomore Sienna Maafala, who took out Kamehameha’s Alena Bartley in just 18 seconds. Bartley was the only girl in the bracket with a state medal, finishing fourth two years in a row. Kahuku’s Maia Esera didn’t compete in officials this year.