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Eight Punahou School wrestlers competed in the Brute Adidas National wrestling tournament in Kansas City, Mo., with seven earning All-America honors by finishing in the top eight. The wrestlers are, from left, front row, Bryant Fukushima, Jordan Ng and Reid Oshiro. In the back row are Alex Wachi (gray sweats), Maika Nagata, Bryson Fukushima, Daniel Chow and Happy Dang.

Punahou's Fukushima wins wrestling title
Seven Buffanblu earn All-America honors at national tournament
Posted on: Friday, April 11, 2008

By Wes Nakama, Advertiser Staff Writer     Punahou School senior Bryson Fukushima won the 115-pound weight class championship Sunday at the Brute Adidas Nationals wrestling tournament at the Kansas City (Mo.) Convention Center.  Wrestlers from 38 states, most of them state medalists, competed in the three-day event.

Fukushima was the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association runner-up at 103 pounds as a freshman and the state champ at that weight class as a sophomore.  He was the HHSAA runner-up at 112 pounds last year, but was injured this past season and did not compete in the state tournament.  "He injured his lower back and shoulder and by the time he came back, we had our lineup set and he didn't get to wrestle in the state tournament, so that was a bummer," Punahou coach Matt Oney said. "But now he's fully recovered, so for him to win this tournament was really nice."  Fukushima was one of eight Punahou wrestlers in the tournament, seven of whom medaled to earn All-America honors.

Daniel Chow, a senior and three-time state champion, took second place in the highly competitive 148-pound weight class, defeating three other state champs before losing to the Pennsylvania state champion in the finals.  "His weight class was amazing," Oney said.

Juniors Reid Oshiro (122 pounds) and Maika Nagata (128), sophomore Jordan Ng (106) and eighth-grader Bryant Fukushima (98), Bryson's brother, each took third place in their divisions.

Junior Alex Wachi took sixth place; sophomore Brian "Happy" Dang (122) also competed in the tournament.  Oney called the Punahou contingent's overall performance a "remarkable testimony to the focus and skills of these boys."  "This year the tournament used an unseeded format, which made for very difficult matches all along the path to the finals," Oney added. "It was a long trip for the kids to make and they wrestled well, beating a lot of very good wrestlers who, frankly, are not used to losing. I couldn't be prouder of what they've accomplished as ambassadors for Punahou and Hawai'i wrestling."