WAIMEA — Hawai‘i native and Olympic gold medalist Clarissa Chun, recently inducted to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, will return to Kaua‘i to lead a wrestling clinic Friday morning at the Clem Gomes Gym on the Waimea High School campus.
Chun, winning a state championship for Roosevelt High School in 1988, the first year girls’ wrestling became sanctioned in Hawai‘i, went on to wrestle at Missouri Valley College while competing internationally at the senior level.
In 2008, Chun won the U.S. Team Trials to become the first wrestler from Hawai‘i to participate in the Olympics. She won a bronze medal at the London Summer Games and coaches at the University of Iowa that sanctioned the first NCAA women’s wrestling program and hired her.
Her mother, the former Gail Higashi, is from Lihu‘e.
Coming on the heels of a successful tournament Saturday, the Kaua‘i U.S. Amateur Wrestling wraps up its spring season with the Chun clinic Friday and the Sam Silva Memorial Kaua‘i USAW championships Saturday in Waimea.
Last Saturday, 23 wrestlers turned out for the five division matches at the Kaua‘i Police Activities League Youth Center in Kapa‘a, working through 21 matches and 11 exhibition matches.
“We’re expecting a good turnout for this final weekend of the Kaua‘i USAW spring season,” said coach Mac Pigott of Westside Wrestling. “We have wrestlers registered from Maui, the Big Island and Colorado.”
To participate in the clinic, athletes must have current USAW memberships. An 8 a.m. beach run and strength training opens Friday to two sessions, one starting at 11 a.m. followed by a 2 p.m. session.
The Sam Silva Memorial Tournament opens Saturday with weigh-ins starting at 8 a.m. and features freestyle, Greco and folkstyle for high school and open division athletes.
Youth divisions will be limited to folkstyle wrestling.
Awards will be presented to the top three finishers in each division.
Results
Kaua‘i USAW tournament Saturday, June 4
Ages 7 to 10, 75 pounds: Kalinaray Aceret, Akahani Armitage, Gundy Magalogo, Koa Armitage, Keaolewa Armitage;
Ages 8 to 10, 85 pounds: Kiakana Lopez, Kiakaha Lopez, Kaonohi Armitage, Noah Hussey, Brody Aceret;
Ages 14 to 15A, 160 pounds: Deandrei Gonzales, Skyelynn Ripley, Rider Armitage;
Ages 14 to 15B, 160 pounds: Koi Richards, Deacon Hawk, Kolai Richards;
Ages 15 to 16, 175 pounds: Shawn Parraga, Ephraim Salud.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
