Big Blue of Moanalua 5-peats in boys and girls state judo
Apr. 28—1/5
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Moanalua's Kaleigh Yasumura got emotional after winning the 139-pound crown and dedicating the win to her older sister, who was unable to compete because of an injury.
2/5
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Mid-Pacific Institute's Logan Lau competes against Saint Louis' Eli Suan in the 121 boys final. Lau defeated Suan for the title with a Han Soku Make.
3/5
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Kapolei's Ryker Shimabukuro defeated Moanalua's Payton Lee in the 132-pound final with an Ippon.
4/5
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Kamehameha's Thor Guerrero defeated teammate Darieus Paavo with a Wazari in the 145-pound final.
5/5
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CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
Moanalua's Taegen Escaba defeated Pearl City's Serah Yogi to win the 98-pound title in the state judo championships on Saturday.
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High school judo dominance in Hawaii is all about the big blue machine at Moanalua.
The koa trophies are heading to Moanalua again following superlative performances on Saturday night at The Odom Corporation/HHSAA Judo State Championships at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
In the boys division, Moanalua had 84 points, followed by Kapolei (52), Pearl City (43), 'Iolani (42), Roosevelt (42) and Saint Louis (41). In the girls division, Moanalua tallied 98 points, followed by Pearl City (46), Kapolei (40), Waiakea (37) and Waipahu (34).
Na Menehune have the first program to win team state championships five seasons in a row in the girls and boys divisions. The boys were led by state champions Brady Lee (178 weight class), Ronson Murillo (108) and Draezyn Tanaka (114).
Coach Brandon Maki and his staff have embraced the reality that comes with any dynasty: It takes a lot to feed the monster.
"We're proud of the kids and the program, and the things they've put together for the program, and how they fight, train and listen to all of us, but it's always the next one. We're not satisfied. We try to win every one. It's not a guarantee, but we'll try to win every one," Maki said. "All we ask for these kids to fight their hearts out. Win, lose, it's OK, but fight your hearts out."
Lee, who placed in the top five at the OIA boys golf championships a week ago, gave up baseball last year to focus on judo and golf. He defeated Kai Juliano of Damien by wazari. He won the 198 title in 2022.
"I got it back. I won my sophomore year, came up short and lost in the semifinals my junior. I felt like I had a lot to prove to myself and my team," Lee said. "I want to thank my team for believing in me. I appreciate all of them. I love all of them."
Moanalua's girls were sparked by state champions Taegan Escaba (98), Mia Lee (129) and Kalei Yasumura (139). It was back-to-back gold for Escaba, a sophomore, who defeated Serah Yogi of Pearl City in the final by ippon.
"It feels good. It was really tough for me this year, having no partners and everything. Mental health and stuff. I just told myself to believe and that's what I did. Working hard," Escaba said.
She was ready to celebrate the old-fashioned way.
"I'm going to eat," Escaba said. "Maybe a box combo from Raising Cane's."
Yasumura defeated Alize Malia Kapihe of Kapolei by ippon on a highly emotional night. Her older sister, senior Kamaile Yasumura, won the 122 weight class in 2023 but suffered an elbow injury in this year's OIA team championships and was unable to compete at states.
"My whole goal was to win for her. She couldn't finish the season. She was my coach. I dedicated my final match to her. Since she didn't get to win it, I won it for her," Yasumura said. "Our team suffered a huge loss recently. One of our alumni passed away, Branson Lazo. This wasn't a win for me. It was a win for our whole team."
The big blue judoka, some in their traditional blue (boys) and pink (girls) hair colors, were masterful, but a number of individuals repeated as state champions.
Logan Lau of Mid-Pacific made it a three-peat by edging Eli Suan in the 121 weight class by han soku make. Lau won the 114 division as a sophomore, then took the 121 gold last year.
Lau and Suan provided a thriller that went down to sudden death, and when that remained a scoreless duel, Lau was awarded the win due to fewer penalties. The two know each other well as teammates at Tenri Judo Club.
"We're training partners at Tenri. He's a good guy, you know? I feel pretty good. I feel like all of my hard work paid off," Lau said. "My conditioning. My cardio. Training at Mid-Pac with my senseis. Training at Tenri. Shout out to my Mid-Pac coaches, my Tenri club."
Other two-time champions include Thor Guerrero of Kamehameha and Chloe Obuhaynch of Pearl City. Obuhaynch repeated as the girls 103 weight class champion after defeating Gabrielle Hayashida of Moanalua by ippon. Obuhaynch entered the state championships unseeded after losing to Hayashida in the OIA championships.
Hilo sophomore Kamalei Sakai kept the family tradition alive by taking gold in the 115 weight class. Her oldest sister, Irie Sakai, was the 139 champion last year. Another older sister, Ihilani Sakai, suffered a shoulder injury earlier and still managed to place third in the 139 division.
Guerrero, a junior, repeated as state champion. He took the 132 title last year, and won the 145 crown on Saturday by defeating Warriors teammate Darieus Pavao by wazari in a lengthy, grueling match.
Waipahu senior Caleb Lauifi became a two-time state champion by defeating Zyan Akau of Kapolei by ippon.
